the only person in my immediate family I’ve told about the B and B. I wanted to clear the idea of leveling the house with him because his parents built it, as you know, and my dad was born on the kitchen table.”
“Really?” He looked up, surprised. “That’s a cool piece of history.”
“I know, but the kitchen table”—she turned toward the water and closed her eyes—“is gone.”
“Must be awful to lose everything.”
She nodded. “I go through some bad nights, remembering things, and then I say, Hey, we survived. That’s all that matters.”
“But you lost your home.”
“I’m building a new one,” she said with false brightness. “We’ll live in the, uh, resort someone wants me to build.”
He smiled. “I like that.”
“And, honestly, I don’t want you to think we lost some amazing architectural wonder. My grandparents never did anything to improve the house, then they willed it to me, and it was, honestly, on its last…”
“Support beams?”
“Precisely. Or it might have survived that storm. But for the years I lived there, all I could really do was piecemeal repairs. I wanted to do more, promised my Granny Dot I’d do more, but I always had…”
“A reason not to,” he finished for her as he took out a package of colored pencils and began the job of adding blues to the water and browns to the building and just the right colors to capture his vision.
“Bingo.” She pointed at him. “I have a daughter and a small business. Life in general was plenty of reason not to take a huge risk like this. Then the hurricane came and I… faced death.”
“Whoa.” He stopped shading and studied her. “Seriously?”
“Yep. I climbed into a bathtub that is now in a storage facility in Fort Myers, and used a mattress to keep my daughter alive.” Her voice wobbled a little. “After you go through something like that, it seems stupid to worry about antique tables and even stupider not to take some chances.”
The look in her eyes said that chance was on him. And right there, at that angle with the blue-on-blue horizon cutting a perfect plumb line behind her and determination setting her jaw at a defiant angle, Lacey Armstrong was completely lovely, strong, and sexy.
He slid his pencil across the page, a power moving his fingers like he had no control. But he had plenty of control, and he used it.
“You’re drawing so fast.”
“I’m inspired by you.” Low in his belly, a slow burn started. Natural, being this close to a woman he found attractive, but surprising, too. Intimate. Hungry. Hot. “In fact, when I’m finished, we should go skinny-dipping.”
Her jaw dropped in pure shock, then she let out a pretty laugh. “You do? Well, I don’t think that’s part of the job interview. Unless…” Her voice trailed off, but he didn’t take his eyes off the page. The drawing was going too perfectly.
“Unless what, Lacey?”
“Unless you think you’re applying for a completely different job.”
“One for the day, one for the night.” He smiled but kept his head down, his pencil flying. Couldn’t stop now, not even to flirt with her.
“That would be…”
He waited for her to finish. Crazy. Impossible. Unthinkable. What would it be? When she didn’t say anything else, he tore his gaze from the work and met hers.
“That would be what, Lacey?”
“Something new for me.”
“How’s that? No men in your life, ever?”
“Not many, not recently. I just don’t have the time or interest.” She didn’t sound convincing.
“Ashley’s father?”
“I haven’t seen him since she was a baby, and he’s not in the picture.”
“Good, then maybe I could talk you into, you know, my special Architect with Benefits program.”
She laughed. “Pro bono and benefits? I’m starting to wonder if I won the lottery.”
“You like the idea?” Because he did. A lot.
“Maybe.” She brushed a hair off her face; the golden red curl caught in her fingers like her voice caught in her throat. “I’m not going to lie and act like…”
“Like you haven’t thought about it.”
For a long, heavy moment, neither spoke. Then she whispered, “I’ve thought about it.”
“Me, too,” he said, setting down the pencil and slowly turning the pad toward her. “See? I’m thinking about it right now.”
The look on her face was priceless and every bit as beautiful as he’d drawn her.
Chapter Nine
Oh.” It was the best Lacey could do. Just oh.
There was so much to take in. So much to absorb. A tiny structure with a sloping roof and cozy patio faced the Gulf, the beach scene beautifully