“What do you think?” he asks from behind me, his hands on my shoulders.
“It’s beautiful. The most beautiful bedroom I’ve ever seen.”
“You really think so? I haven’t done much with it.”
“I really think so.” I turn to face him. “You should put some fun wallpaper on the wall behind the bed.”
He looks over my shoulder at the wall in question. “Maybe you could do that for me?”
“If you want me to.”
“I’d love to see what you’d do.”
“And you wouldn’t care what it looks like?”
“If you like it, I’ll like it.”
I give him a playful side-eye. “How do you know that?”
“Because whatever you do will be better than what’s there now, which is nothing. And besides, I’m curious to see what you have in mind.”
“I love to decorate. My teachers used to say I could make something out of nothing.”
“I can tell you’re good at it. Your place is awesome.”
“It’s all just junk.”
“You’d never know that to look at it. You made something amazing from it.”
“I’m glad you think so. Decorating on a budget has always been fun for me. If I could do anything I wanted, that’s what I’d want to do for work. Decorate and organize people’s homes.”
“You can start right here. Do whatever you want to this place. Take before-and-after photos you can use for a website later.”
My heart begins to beat faster at the thought of what he’s suggesting. “Sure. I should just completely redecorate your house like that’s no big deal.”
Smiling, he says, “In order to redecorate, you have to decorate—and I’ve never done that. I’ve lived here for years with basic furniture and nothing else. My sisters have been after me for ages to do something with the place, but I have no idea what to do. So have at it.”
“You’re serious.”
“Completely. I can’t spend a ton of money, because most of what I have is invested in the business.”
“I’m at my best on a budget.”
“Your eyes are glittering right now.”
“It’s exciting to think about decorating a house like this.”
He takes hold of my hand and leads me to his bed. “I like the way excitement looks on you.”
I’m not sure if being in a bed together will lead to the logical conclusion, but either way, I’m here for whatever he wants. “I must look excited a lot when you’re around.” I can’t believe I said that, but oh well. It’s true.
His grin is the sexiest thing ever as he pulls a light blanket over us and brings me in close to him.
I breathe in the scent of his skin. “You smell so good.”
“Dee gave me new body wash and cologne for Christmas. I decided to break it out.”
“I like it.”