The Tycoon's Defiant Southern Belle Page 0,8
for you.”
He smiled slightly, his finger so close to the fly-away wisps of her hair that they tickled his fingers. “You will.”
She dared to look up at him. “And what makes you so sure that I will?”
He chuckled at her challenge. “Because if you don’t, I’ll just live here in the house as it is now. I have a feeling that every cell in your body will cringe at the idea of someone living in this kind of neglect.”
“Why in the world would you do something like that?” she asked, horrified just at the idea. Which, in effect, confirmed his statement. Damn him!
“And secondly,” he said, the backs of his fingers gently caressing her jaw almost absently, but she knew it was completely intentional, “because you’re the only person that you know will do the work properly.”
She clamped her mouth shut, refusing to confirm that second part. She didn’t want him to always be right. But in this case, he was. She knew the history of this house better than anyone. That’s why she was the only one who would dare to go inside as a kid. She knew that the ghosts that reputedly haunt the hallways and towers were actually long, lost lovers and not angry people who died an untimely death. In fact, the legend say the ghostly lovers can only be free when a new love inhabits the house.
“Is that all?” she asked, not daring to think about the myth of the lost lovers.
“There’s a third reason, but I don’t think you want to hear about it.”
She sighed and pressed her lips together, bracing herself. “Okay, let’s get it all out there. Give me the third reason you’re so sure I’m going to take on this project.”
“We’re going to be lovers. And you won’t want to make love in that tiny bed you have at your place. Your room is beautiful, but you can’t see me in that bed with the flowers all over it. The contrasting rose pillow cases would unman me and you don’t ever want that to happen.”
She sat there in stunned silence for about five seconds, then burst out laughing. She knew he was completely serious, but it was so deadpan, she couldn’t help but laugh.
She pushed the door open, still chuckling at his teasing. “Thank you,” she said softly, coming around to the front of the car to meet him halfway. “That was very funny. I needed something to break the tension.”
Angelo got out of the car as well, then came around to her side and looked down at the woman who affected him so powerfully. He hadn’t been joking about the two of them becoming lovers or the bed. Hers was pretty small. It was most likely perfectly acceptable for her personal use, but when he got her into bed, he wanted a larger space. He knew that they would tear up the bed once he finally got her in it. “Let’s go eat,” was all he said, putting a hand to the small of her back and leading her to the back of the house. “We’ll eat first, then you can tell me about the house and your ideas after dinner. Will that work?”
“Sounds wonderful,” she replied, not sure what or how they could possibly eat in this house. The rooms were badly deteriorated and she knew that none of the appliances in the kitchen worked any longer. The stove was one that had been top of the line more than sixty years ago, but she wasn’t even sure how to use the contraption, even if it did work. There wasn’t a fridge, just a small ice box in the kitchen as well as a cool basement where food had been stored for parties and dry ice was brought in to help keep things cold or frozen. Other than that, there were broken cabinets and rusty faucets, but nothing that could be used without serious health concerns.
As they turned the corner to go out onto the lanai, she gasped in delight at the lovely scene that was laid out. Despite the chipped tiles, there was a beautiful, linen covered table with pink roses in the center, candles on the table as well as several places around the walls and in the old fashioned sconces. Two chairs had been brought in and filled up with cushions for comfort and somehow, the whole area felt cooler than it should be after the heat of the afternoon.
“This is amazing,” she said as she