Oops, her scent. Double drat. “Better not do that around me for a bit,” Tessa suggested.
He nodded, held out his arm. “If nothing else, let’s move the discussion inside. We have a lot to talk about, and standing on the road isn’t the most comfortable place. I can show you the house.”
She caught hold of his elbow. Her hand curled around his biceps and she had to smile. Nice muscles hidden under the flannel. Broad shoulders. That dark head of hair just screamed “run your fingers through me and mess me up”. Perfect length as well that when she made fists, there’d be something to grab hold of.
And those eyes? Darkest of dark chocolate with a lovely hint of…golden flecks?…in the irises.
“Ahem.”
It was her turn to realize she’d been staring at him and not moving anywhere. “Just checking you out.”
Mark snorted. “You certainly are honest, aren’t you? Like what you see?”
“Oh, definitely.” Of all the guys who could have hopped out of the woodwork and announced they were mates, she wasn’t going to argue with the exterior packaging on this one. She leaned up on tiptoe and brushed a loose strand of hair off his forehead.
His entire body shook as a shiver rolled through him. “Inside? Now, please?”
“Sure.” She matched pace with him, allowing him to lead her up the walkway. All the while her brain took notes regarding improvements and changes to be done. The path would have to be widened, plus she’d add a few more flowerbeds on the left side. The exterior boards of the ship were well maintained, though, freshly painted that summer if she guessed right. “You’ve done a great job taking care of the place. The paddle wheeler looks as if it’s in great shape.”
“To be honest, the outside is better than the inside. Basic repairs and slapping up new paint is easy. The inside? Well, you’ll see in a minute.” He swung open the door and Tessa zipped in eagerly.
A massive staircase stood before her, the huge expanse of steps branching off on either side of a landing just visible above head level. There were solid oak railings, wood trim on the walls, and elegant chandeliers sparkled overhead in the sun shining through the window.
She clutched her hands together and bounced. It was exactly what she’d hoped for. This would be the main entrance. The guests could go from here—
A soft touch on both shoulders brought her feet back in contact with the floor. “You’re scaring the dust bunnies.”
“Sorry.” Tessa turned to face him, letting her happiness show in her smile. “It looks gorgeous. What were you worried about inside?”
Mark pointed to the right, the passage reaching out into the darkness like the entrance to a secret catacomb. “Chaos in the corners. My family used the place for a variety of things, and each time they tore down and put up walls as they pleased. When I inherited, I gave up on the bottom two levels and concentrated on fixing the upstairs the way I wanted it.”
“That’s okay.” It was brilliant, actually. “It’s best to renovate based on current needs, anyway. May I look around?”
Mark gestured her forward. “Be my guest.”
Tessa slipped past him, his hmmm of approval as their bodies rubbed together making her smile. Okay, she didn’t know him yet, but the getting to know could be a lot of fun.
She peeked through doorframes and around posts. While the walls were in odd places, there wasn’t a ton of trash stashed in piles, or extra boxes. He wasn’t a pack rat, which was nice to know. All this room to spare, it would have been tempting for a person to fill it to the rafters with junk.
She came back and tugged him toward the stairs. “Chaos is right. Some of the walls aren’t vertical. Are the support beams solid?”
“Structurally, she’s as sound as when she was built in the 1910s. They dry-docked her in the 1950s.”
Walking up the staircase made her heart beat faster. “It’s like a trip on the Titanic.”
Mark laughed. “I hope not.”
“Oh, I meant the elegance. So so pretty.” She ran her fingers over the thick wood trim, and happiness welled up. Tessa twirled on him. “Can we talk business?”
“Let’s go up one more floor. I’ll make us a drink. Then we can discuss your proposal.”
She’d lost her ability to concentrate, so focused on what could be accomplished in the incredible place. “Sure. Sorry.”
Mark caught her with his fingers around her chin. “Stop apologizing. This is no longer your typical business meeting.”
His hand was warm and felt wonderful against her skin. “Does that expression you’re wearing mean you plan to kiss me again?”
He straightened slightly, caught in the middle of bending in closer—probably to kiss her. “There you go with the blunt talking.”
“I don’t mind kissing,” Tessa admitted. “Only I think we should figure out the other details of the arrangement first.”