Who cared if she’d never been in a relationship let alone a long-distance one? They were two smart adults who were crazy about each other. They could make this work.
If not for the one important point that he wouldn’t be getting her agency.
‘Reheated noodles will do for now, then you can whip me up something impressive later.’
‘Deal,’ he said, moving around the kitchen with ease as her disquiet increased.
She had to tell him the truth.
But when?
CHAPTER
43
Heidi had heard the phrase ‘never screw the crew’ on a TV drama recently and it struck home with Jem striding up the path to her front door. Shagging her real estate agent when he was handling the sale of her house wasn’t smart, considering she had to see him professionally until her place sold.
Which could be sooner rather than later, thank goodness, as Jem had texted her earlier asking if he could come around with a formal offer in writing. She hoped the sale went through. The faster they wrapped up their business dealings, the easier it would be to forget him.
Despite Rayne’s pep talk, Heidi had come to a decision not to pursue Jem. She didn’t need relationship angst. She wanted fun. A man to hang out with, to share dates with, to be playful yet loving in the bedroom. Jem may have given her a glimpse of all she could have with him during their first few dates, but how the last ended … no, it wasn’t worth it.
She waited a full thirty seconds after he knocked before answering the door. It gave her time to school her face into a cool, professional mask: she was a woman focussed on selling her house and not giving a damn about anything else.
When she opened the door, it looked like Jem had been practising his detached face too, because he appeared nothing but politely distant.
‘Thanks for agreeing to see me, Heidi. We’ve got a fair offer on this place and I think you’ll be pleased.’
‘Sounds good. Come in.’
She gritted her teeth as he entered and the familiar fragrance of his citrus body wash wafted over her. It had clung to her sheets after he’d spent the night and she’d allowed herself to wallow after the way things ended between them the last time, burying her nose in his pillow before sanity prevailed and she stripped the bed, washing away all traces of him.
He strode towards the kitchen and she followed, somewhat annoyed by the ease with which he moved around her place. Then again, isn’t that what she’d wanted, what she’d liked the previous times he’d been here?
‘Want a cuppa?’
He shook his head. ‘No thanks. Let’s get this deal done.’
Short and sweet, bordering on brusque. He couldn’t wait to get out of here.
Two could play that game. ‘Fine. Let’s see the paperwork.’
As he took her through the intricacies of the offer, with the various sections that needed extra scrutiny, she focussed on facts and not the way his hair appeared uncombed and the memory of his strong fingers stroking her as he pointed out various important clauses on the documentation.
‘Heidi? Did you hear what I said?’
Mentally chastising herself for being distracted by memories of the havoc his fingers had wrought on her body, she refocussed. ‘Sorry, can you repeat it?’
Shooting her a knowing look, as if he understood exactly how he affected her, he said, ‘You could hold out for a better price, but I think this offer is above and beyond what I expected and it rarely happens so quickly. Because the buyer’s so eager he hasn’t undercut the asking price, which is unusual because haggling is common practice, so this is a good offer and it’s unconditional. He’s sold his place so has no problems with finances.’
‘How long is settlement?’
Admiration glinted in his eyes at her astute question. ‘He’s not fussed, said he’d leave it up to the vendor, so sixty or ninety days.’
‘Sixty is fine with me.’ The sooner she left this place behind and started her new life in a home all her own, the better.
‘I recommend you take this offer.’ He tapped the paperwork in front of her. ‘Even when you sign, it’s standard the buyer has a three-day cooling-off period, but they’re so keen I doubt they’ll back out of the contract.’
‘I can’t believe they want to buy it sight unseen.’