Page 39 of The Contractor & the Entrepreneur

He chuckled. “No, sorry. The tow company came through, but the locksmith won’t be able to make it until the morning. He’ll knock on your door with new keys at nine a.m. Does that work all right?”

“It’s perfect. Thank you.” She squeezed his hand. “So how are we getting to your house?”

He smirked at her and directed her down the sidewalk lined with maple trees. “I seem to remember you walk pretty well in those heels. If there isn’t mud.” He looked down at her heels and back up to her face. “You look awe-inspiring.” His voice got low and husky. “I didn’t want to admit that in front of Carmel.”

“Thank you. You look incredible too. Is it odd that we both dressed up more for dinner at your house than going out to the steakhouse or sushi?”

He chuckled. “My house is a lot nicer than either of them, so it’s appropriate.”

“Oh. Pretty confident about your abode, are you?” She could imagine his house would be incredible. He had the means and the skills to make it so. He was probably the most eligible and sought-after bachelor in Kalispell, if there were such a title. She wanted to strut into church with her hand in his, make those girls stop hitting on him.

“I am.”

They ambled along the sidewalk, past another massive mansion, this one even bigger than the one Sloan was staying at.

“I’m not trying to knock your house, but if you have any kind of decorations besides a golden gong you’ll best the sushi restaurant, and if you don’t have dead animal heads on the wall you’ll beat the steak house.”

“Good point. I guess we’ll have to let the high-dollar, big-city developer decide if she likes my house. Decide if I win again.”

He gifted her with an alluring smile, his blue eyes full of promise. Did winning mean a long, drawn-out kiss? What they’d started outside the sushi restaurant?

She smiled. “We’ll see.”

They reached a third driveway. This one sloped gracefully up to a five-car garage. The house attached to it was the most beautiful home she’d ever seen in her life. The rain had stopped earlier, but now the sun peeked out of its heavy curtain of the past four days and beams of light burst over the two-story brick home. Large windows gleamed in the late-evening sunlight and the graceful archways testified to an expert architect and builder.

“This house is my dream house,” she declared as they walked past the driveway.

“Is it now?” Rhett gave her an enchanting smirk. “Why’s that?”

“I love the arches, all the windows, the classic red brick, the setting, the landscaping. It’s a perfect mix of country feel, modern design, and upscale living. I love it all.”

“I’m happy to hear that. Would you like to see the inside?”

She darted a glance at him. Was he serious?

He shrugged and looked impossibly irresistible. “I know a guy.”

“Oh, I bet you do.” She laughed and bumped his shoulder with hers.

He directed her up the sidewalk. Her anticipation ramped up. He knew these people, or …

It suddenly made sense why they were walking from her rental, and that smirk on his face …

“This is your house,” she all but yelled at him.

He chuckled. “So I know the guy really well.”

Sloan laughed with him and then looked around in awe and a bit of chagrin. Had she really told him his house was her dream house? She hoped he didn’t read anything into that. She hardly knew him, but she somehow felt closer to him than anybody else in her life, besides Kathy who she’d known and had been loyal to her since freshmen year of college. After him protecting her from her cousins twice, she trusted him, and that had never happened with a man.

They walked up the steps to the wide front porch, complete with two sets of rocking chairs with small tables decorated with lamps and greenery between each set.

He pushed down the handle on the nine-foot tall, etched glass door and swung it inward, gesturing for her to precede him.

Sloan eased in, staring up at the two-story entry, glass above and on the sides of the door bringing in natural light. From the knotty Brazilian cherry wood flooring to the smooth finished walls to the perfect bronzed light fixtures to the large windows and classy decorations, she was falling more in love by the moment.

There was a classy and manly office through an archway to her right. A graceful staircase of iron and wood to the left and a massive two-sided glass fireplace in front of them separated the front entryway from the main living area. Through the entry into the living area, she glimpsed floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the trees, river, and yard behind the house.

Above her, a wide loft extended from the staircase. She peered up and could see several doors off of the loft, probably rooms above that massive garage.

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