Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 83368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
His let out his breath slowly. The tension between them was undeniable. And it was delicious. As their eyes connected, he felt so strongly the urge to lean forward and kiss her he had to clench his hand into a fist to stop himself. Again, he had to remind himself she was a professional. She was technically working right now, not inviting him to kiss her. Even though she was a really hot woman lying on his bed, he had to act honorably.
So, instead of ravishing her, he lamely said, “I think my telescope would look really good in that corner.”
She followed his gaze and murmured her agreement. Was she disappointed that he wasn’t reaching for her?
After a few moments, she rolled off the bed and said, “Let’s take a look at these swatches against the walls.”
The switch was so quick it took him a moment to catch up. “Sure,” he said, sounding as puzzled as he felt.
She was already rummaging around in her bag and pulling out paint swatches. He couldn’t believe how many colors could be called gray.
He didn’t pay much attention as she talked through the swatches, holding them this way and that against the light. He told her he trusted her judgment, deferring to her excellent taste and decisive manner. Since the magazine photo he’d liked had conveniently listed all the paint colors used, they’d picked the same swatches. Now that they were here, Mila suggested that they go a little bit either way on the color spectrum, or whatever she called it, to make the most of the way the light hit the walls. Just like Ted at the mattress store, she narrowed it down to three, all of which he liked.
She said, “The best thing to do is buy little sample cans and paint squares on the wall so you can decide which one’s best. Look at it in the morning and in the afternoon and in the evening.”
That sounded sensible to him, so he agreed and said he’d go and buy the paint.
After a pause, she said, “Normally, I never do this, but if we get my dad or Finn to buy the paint, they’d get a discount. They’re in the business.”
He perked right up at that. “They’re not in the business of painting walls, are they?”
She shook her head. However, she told him that they had lists of tradespeople they used. She’d ask her dad who was the best and get Hersch a couple of numbers. He smiled. Was there anything Mila Davenport couldn’t organize?
“Your family are a pretty talented bunch.”
She paused to think about it. “I guess we’ve all got our thing. If you want a hit song written, go to my brother Damien. We all know that Archer is only too ready to play your fine self in the biopic that Jay Malone is dying to make.” She pretended she didn’t see his shudder of revulsion. “And my dad and Finn can build you a great house, renovate the one you have, or build you a movie studio in your basement. Nick can develop an app for you. Actually, chances are you already use one of his. Erin will probably interview you when you move in.”
“It’s like a one-stop shop at the Davenport house.”
She chuckled. “You’d be surprised. And if you need any tutoring in the classics, my mom’s an expert.”
“Duly noted.”
She grinned, and he could see how full of love she was for her family.
Soon, they left the house. As a mark of confidence in his ownership, he left the new bedclothes behind.
Chapter Fourteen
Mila was spending a rare night at home. She threw in some laundry, cooked herself a healthy meal, and then pulled out her phone to text Archer. He was waiting to hear if she’d been successful in convincing Tessa not to shop for her wedding dress at a thrift store. She wasn’t certain if it would be breaking the mustn’t-see-the-bride-or-her-dress-before-the-wedding rule if she let Archer know that Tessa would be wearing their mother’s bridal gown. No doubt he’d never even noticed it before and had no clue what it looked like. She and Erin had admired it so often they could have drawn it from memory. They’d spent hours begging their mother to let them play dress-up in it and become the perfect princess or bride. However, their mother had been adamant it was not for play, and now Mila understood why. She just hoped the dry cleaner would be able to remove that stain. Tessa would be radiant in that gown.
There was a funny feeling in Mila’s chest, almost as though something had stabbed her. Was it jealousy? But no, she’d never want to wear that dress if she got married. Besides, she couldn’t imagine tying herself down to one man. She’d always been the love-’em-and-leave-’em type. Maybe the whole wedding fever thing was getting to her. Everyone was so excited, it was hard not to get caught up in the romance of it all. Or maybe it was just that she found Herschel Greenfield so intriguing that he made her question her own ingrained life choices.