Page 4 of The Wanderer

"This is one quirky space." He pointed to the cracked glass ceiling. "Looks like a few birds ended up with a headache up there."

"It was like that when I bought it."

"How long ago was that?"

"About a month after I arrived in Australia, five years ago."

"Yet you still sound like a duchess.”

She laughed at his lame impression of a British accent. "I love living here but I can't quite manage a 'no worries, mate' yet."

"Takes practice." He winked and that heat in her cheeks spread to every inch of her yearning body.

Hell, it was embarrassing how long since she'd last had sex. One year? Two? She'd given up counting around the time she'd had her third putrid date via an online app one of her students swore by.

Her unintentional celibacy had to be the reason she wanted to push this rugged, sexy Aussie down onto the floor and mount him.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

To make matters worse, he took a step closer, bringing him within touching distance. He smelled good too, like cut grass on a rainy day. Earthy. Wholesome. It made her wonder what he would taste like…

Crap, thinking about those old spicy novels wasn't good.

"I'm fine, it's just a tad hot in here." She refrained from fanning her cheeks, just.

"Really?" His gaze locked on hers and she knew without a doubt he was toying with her. "I guess it's better than the initial chill."

The corners of his mouth quirked into a cute smirk; he wasn't talking about the ambient temperature.

"I'm reserved when I first meet people," she said, annoyed by the compulsion to justify herself but needing to get this guy onside because he was the best for her needs. The needs of her studio, that is, and the first step to proving herself in the music industry. Her story, she was sticking to it. "I can come across a little cold."

"Brrr, try freezing." He mimicked a shiver and rubbed his arms, drawing her attention to his fine biceps and pecs straining beneath the simple white cotton of a button-down shirt.

Seriously rattled by the urge to keep ogling him, she gritted her teeth. "Do you want this job or not, Mr Holmes?"

"Uh-oh, the thermostat just got turned down again." His teeth fake clattered and she bit back a laugh. "And for what it's worth, I don't give a fuck about this job. I run one of the top specialised construction companies in the country. I don't advertise because word of mouth recommendations keeps me busy with potential business for the next few decades."

He took another step closer and she held her breath. "So let's get one thing straight. The real question here is whether I choose to do your job and whether you can afford me."

Nobody spoke to Hope like this, ever. From the moment she'd been born into the illustrious McWilliams' family, everyone around her had kissed her aristocratic ass. She'd thought it the norm until she grew older and wiser, around the age of seven, when one of the maid's daughters had called her a stuck-up prig. She'd been shocked to be disliked for the first time in her life. Her parents deferred to her, the domestic staff did too, even her teachers were politely fawning.

The problem with everyone pandering to her meant she could never fully trust when someone liked her for her. And she’d made a monumental mistake in her personal life because of it.

She couldn't tell the different between suck-ups and sincerity. So she really admired those who didn't kowtow to her. Like Logan.

"Sorry if I offended you." She offered the same smile she'd used to great effect over the years when wheedling exactly what she wanted out of her parents. "I revert to my English roots all too quickly when I'm bamboozled."

"I have that effect on you?"

Damn, in her efforts to calm him she'd slipped up and said too much. "I meant the upcoming renovations and my eagerness to get them done quickly."

She gestured at the walls to emphasise her point but by the glint in his eyes, he knew her excuse was BS.

"Right, the renovations," he drawled, sticking his hands into his pockets and following her line of vision around the room. "Here's what I see. You'll need a complete revamp of the space. New roofing for a start. If you want to keep the glass dome, it'll need to be double-glazed. But if you want this to be completely soundproof, I'd ditch the glass. The flooring will be an easy fix and the walls not too hard either."

She could listen to him talk all day, his deep voice with the broad Australian accent as intoxicating as the rest of him. His eyes lit up as he explained the renovations, demonstrating true passion for his work.

How would he look indulging in other passions?

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