“Okay. I’ve had a real estate agent look at the listing and I have some notes. I’ve printed them out, and I can meet with you to go through them.”
“You can also just email everything.”
“I prefer to do certain things in person.”
His voice was so captivating, low and rich, that my imagination just ran wild. Laughing, I ran a hand through my hair. If my mind wandered like this when I was on the phone with him, how could I do better face-to-face? Or if he moved next door to me?
I licked my lips, shaking my head. One thing at a time.
“Okay. I’ll be at work until nine. I suppose we can meet after that.”
“Where exactly is your workplace?”
“Soho Lingerie—a store in Soho.”
“I can drop by in half an hour. My office isn’t that far. If you have time.”
That take-charge tone sent shivers down my body. Awareness curled through me. Why did I like it so much?
“I’ll make time. I’ll text you the address after hanging up.”
“I look forward to seeing you.”
Was his voice even richer, or was I just making it up? Imagined or not, my whole body lit up in anticipation. Somehow, I couldn’t picture him in here, surrounded by lingerie.
After texting him the address, I darted to the bathroom to check my appearance.
As a self-declared lab rat, I had never considered myself particularly fashionable, even though I worked in fashion. I liked makeup but never put too much thought into it. So why was I in the tiny bathroom at the back of the shop, trying to decide if I looked better with my hair down or up and if I should use eye shadow?
“Okay, hair down,” I murmured to myself, arranging my bangs before heading back to the front of the store. Tess was smiling from ear to ear.
“You look fabulous, just in case you want to know,” she said. I was certain my phone call had been overheard.
“Thanks for not teasing the hell out of me.”
She winked. “The day is still young.”
“Ah, of course.”
Checking my watch, I realized the half hour had already flown by. I planned to take Robert to the back, in the small makeshift office. Really, it was just a desk in our storage room. It didn’t get any natural light or decent cell reception, but it worked for now.
I glanced around proudly. Our store was inviting but not sexy. We’d designed it this way so customers wouldn’t mind dropping by even if their kids were with them. That was usually the case, especially on Saturdays.
I exhaled sharply when Robert walked through the door. The man was just breathtaking. He wore a custom-made navy suit and a white shirt. I assumed it was custom not only because it fit him so perfectly but also because his initials were sewn in at the breast pocket. I also noticed he was holding a stack of papers in one hand.
“Mr. Dumont, hi. This is my sister, Tess.”
Tess was unnaturally still, right up until she stretched out a hand, shaking Robert’s.
“Let’s go to the back. We have a small office there. Tess, let me know if you need help.”
“Sure.” I almost giggled as my sister seemed speechless.
I led the way, acutely aware of him. His presence seemed to fill the whole space while he looked around curiously.
“Sorry about the mess. This is actually our storage room,” I said once we were inside the office. It was dark and slightly claustrophobic in here, given the sheer number of boxes on the shelves and littering the floor.
“You own the store?”