You look so adorable when you panic.”
Kiss. Oh yes, a kiss would be really good right about now. But she had to resist. Placing a hand on his chest, she pushed him back a little. As close as he was, his aftershave was attacking her senses and causing her not to think clearly. If he didn’t move back, she surely would kiss him.
“I talked to Diane.”
He stepped back. She’d killed the mood, just as planned.
“Did she think you were batty?” Irritation was in his voice.
“Ha ha.” Molly crossed her arms. “And to answer your question, she did.”
Luke laughed.
“Anyway, she brought up a good point and I thought I should discuss it with you.”
“Wait, she agreed?”
“She’s going to discuss it with the seller’s agent, and in a few days I should know something.”
Luke looked genuinely surprised. “OK, go on.”
“If you get to submit your offer, you have to promise not to lowball it.”
“To be honest, it never crossed my mind. I didn’t expect your agent to agree to this.” He crossed his arms and leaned against her car.
“She did, and I need you to promise you’ll play fair.” Molly cleared her throat. “There is a slight problem, though. Others can put in offers as well.”
“What? You don’t seriously want to continue down this path, do you?”
“I’ve taken it this far. Anyway, back to your promise.”
“I’ll promise under one condition.”
Was he serious? “Luke…”
“What, we can’t only play by your rules. What fun is that?”
“I don’t know that I’d call any of this fun, but I’m game. What’s your condition?”
“Dinner at my place, tonight.”
She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Do you think it’s a good idea?”
“Be honest with yourself. You’re attracted to me and I’m very attracted to you. Come to my house and have dinner.”
“No funny stuff.”
He shifted close to her again. “I won’t make a move on you, unless you want me to.”
She gazed into his eyes. That seemed easy enough. All she had to do was get through dinner and then he wouldn’t lowball his offer. It seemed easy enough, but were things ever as easy as they appeared?
Chapter Twelve
Molly slowed her car down to a crawl as she passed the house on Maple Street. To get to Luke’s, she had to drive by it. And seeing it again made her wonder if she was doing the right thing, asking for Luke to put his offer back on the table. It was hers after all. He’d chosen to walk away.
She groaned aloud and then pressed down on the gas and sped off toward Luke’s home. He was located only a few houses down. If he ended up getting it, it would make moving expenses very minimal. She had to move across town if she got it.
She parked her car in his driveway. The home he was currently living in wasn’t as big as the Maple Street property. It was a ranch-style home, long and narrow. She imagined the inside was very spacious. As she walked to the front door, she knew she was about to find out if she was right.
After knocking, she stepped back and waited. It didn’t take long until she heard the clicking noise from the locks. The door opened to reveal Luke in a light blue button-down shirt, untucked over a pair of dark jeans. When her gaze finally made it back to his face, she encountered a warm, welcoming smile. And yes, he had noticed she’d checked him out. She could see that in his eyes.
“Come on in.”
She stepped inside, meeting a fragrance of spice as well as sweet. “It smells really good in here.”
“I just pulled dessert out. It’s a new recipe combining two of my favorite desserts. I hope you like cheesecake and red velvet. Meat’s on the grill too. Come on, follow me out back. After we eat, I’ll give you the grand tour.”
“Good. It smells great—I can’t wait to eat.”
“I’m starving too.”
Molly followed him through the foyer into a huge living room that held sliding glass doors. He opened the screen door, standing back so she could walk through first. On the porch, she saw a small table with two chairs. He had a candle burning on the table, illuminating two glasses of wine. She raised an eyebrow toward him.
“I thought a glass of wine might lighten the evening a bit.”
“It might. But don’t forget, no funny business.”
“And don’t forget I said I wouldn’t do anything you didn’t want me to. You don’t have to drink the wine.”
“What kind is it?”
“Zinfandel.”
“God,