Page 30 of All My Heart

I adjusted myself in my jeans. I couldn't think about what she looked like in the hot tub. She was here on business. I had to be professional. But if she went into the bedroom, that might be another story.

The image she'd created for the living room was warm and cozy, yet still maintained the cabin vibe we were going for.

“Now for your bedroom, I was thinking we'd get new furniture. This is fine, but it's heavy.” She looked over her shoulder at me with a slight grimace, as if she was worried about my response.

I leaned a shoulder against the frame and crossed my arms over my chest. “I can see what you mean. It's what was here.”

“I bet there's someone who can make furniture in the area. I was thinking a natural wood to match the kitchen cabinets with antique black hardware.” She moved closer to show me the design, and it was difficult to draw in a deep breath.

The colors were navy, white, and gray. I wasn't offended by them. In fact, they looked nice.

She eased back to see my face. “What do you think about a navy-blue feature wall behind your bed?” She switched the image to another, and it transformed the space with blue square paneling. “I know it's trendy, and you didn't want anything like that.”

“It's great.” I wasn't sure if it was me, but it seemed more like the guy I wanted to be: cool and sophisticated with a mountain vibe.

Her brow raised. “You really like it?”

“I don't lie about stuff like this. If I didn't like it, I'd tell you.”

Luna nodded. “Yeah, okay. I believe you.”

“My friends say I'm blunt.” I wondered why I'd shared the criticisms from the guys I worked with. I wouldn't even call them friends, but maybe they thought of me as one.

The skin around her eyes crinkled. “You don't say much, but when you do, you make it count?”

“Something like that.” But when I was around her, I searched for more words to give her. I wanted her to know me, not the gruff guy who couldn't be bothered to say much more than the obligatory greetings.

“I'm so excited to get started. I really didn't think you'd go for the feature wall, and the navy is the epitome of masculine.” She walked over to the wall by the bed. “It's going to look amazing.”

“I have no doubt.” I wanted to show her that I was a man. I wanted to fuck her in the worst way. Bend her right over this bed and test how sturdy it was. She'd run out of the cabin scared if she knew the thoughts I was having about her in my bed. I couldn't risk it.

She slowly lifted her gaze to mine. “You believe that I can make this happen.”

“I'm going to help. You won't be doing all the work.” I had a feeling ripping up linoleum and creating new fixtures for my cabin was going to be satisfying.

“I'll be taking you up on that. Now for the bathroom. I don't have any hands-on knowledge of how to do tile.”

I nodded. “I helped out my buddy before, and we can figure it out.”

She tipped her head to the side. “Yeah? We could hire someone if you want.”

“I'll do some research. See if it's feasible. Besides, didn't you want to learn the construction side?”

“I'd love to flip houses.” She moved to sit on the bed. It was so high she had to hop up a bit to get on the mattress. I'd made the bed already, so she rested back on the pillows, her hair fanning over the material.

What would she look like naked? Tan skin, her hair streaked with blond, her tits on display, her legs spread. Fuck. I was losing control.

“There is a need for construction work on the—” her gaze flashed to me”—I mean in our town, but there aren't a lot of contractors. It just doesn't get done, or it's a long wait. There are houses that won't sell because they need updates. I've thought about buying a house, renovating it, and selling it.”

“Why don't you?” She'd obviously given it a lot of thought. There was a need, and she wanted to capitalize on it.

Her nose scrunched. “I'm not sure I have the money to purchase the home and renovate it the way I'd need to.”

I had the money, but something told me she wouldn't want me to help her. She was independent. “It's an investment.”

Her eyes filled with anxiety. “It's so scary. What if I buy the wrong house, the renovations are outside my budget, and I sell without a profit? What if I don't sell at all?”

“It sounds like you've given it a lot of thought, and those are all good considerations. But sometimes we focus too much on the bad what-ifs, and not the good ones.” I moved closer to her. “What if you buy the right house, and the renovations are cheaper and easier than you thought? What if you sell right away for a fat profit?”

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