“Of course.” He lifted his hand and cupped her chin sending her heartbeat wild. “I would be honored to do your bathrooms for you, and I can start tomorrow. I managed to finish my townhouses this week and clear my desk of the mountain of paperwork waiting for me, so I’m all yours.” He leaned in and dropped a featherlight kiss on her mouth.
“Uh, well…um, that’s just fine then.” The mere touch of his lips left her flustered.
He moved away and held out the papers. “Shall we go into the garden and have a seat?”
Into the garden where we first made love? That might be a little bit too much for my senses to take today, considering I haven’t seen you for so long.
The words remained unspoken for fear of sending him away. “How about we sit out front at the little setting I bought? Then we can walk through the house if you need to explain anything to me, because I’m not really that technical when it comes to building terms, R.P.”
“Fine. Lead the way.”
She took his hand and led him down the hall, letting him pause to scope out the magnitude of her work over the last week. The bedrooms had all been painted, glass replaced in the windows where needed, blinds or curtains ordered, and carpet measured, waiting to be laid when the bathrooms were finished. One of the rooms held furniture stacked against the wall, to be placed in the rooms as soon as the carpet went down. They stepped out through the front door onto the rickety veranda boards, and she showed him the setting placed in the corner. “What do you think?”
“I like it. Lulu does nice work, and it’s a feature out here. Once I lay the new boards, this will look even more amazing.” He let go of her hand and took a seat, resting his back against the chair once he’d tested the comfort, looking as though he thought it might break under his weight.
Sassie sat opposite and held her hands in her lap, waiting for him to speak. She could listen to his voice for hours. Perhaps that had more to do with the way she felt about him than it did with his accent.
“I did a search on the bathroom issue, and you don’t have to have one for every room if you don’t want to. Although it would be nicer for your guests, having one main bathroom will be sufficient, but you do need to add one more to pass the board regulations if you’re renting out four of the bedrooms.”
“I still think a bathroom for each room is the way to go. Nothing wrong with sharing, but for me, the privacy of your own room makes it seem more luxurious. What else do I have to do?”
“You need wheelchair access to the house, so I’m suggesting a ramp down this end of the veranda. The back door is accessible, and I allowed for one of the bathrooms to have any necessary fittings, so that won’t be a major hurdle. The kitchen needs to comply with fire and safety regulations, so there is a list here for that. Mainly fire extinguishers and fire blankets. You should have fire exit signs in every room with extinguishers as well and a fire escape plan where all your guests can see it.”
Sassie nodded. R.P. seemed to be in his element, and she loved listening to him talk.
“The new kitchen covers any health and safety concerns, so that takes care of that room. An electrical inspection is a must, and you need to hand in an electrical certificate of compliance from a reputable company. Once you do that, you can apply for a permit, attend a meeting with the board, and when they are happy with everything, I get to sign it off.”
“I look forward to that day. Is there anything I should be doing to make sure the board will pass the house?” She watched the war in his eyes. She’d not meant to make it sound so suggestive; the words just slipped out that way and it was too late to take them back.
“I’ve already told you sleeping with me won’t make any difference.”
“I know that, and it wasn’t what I meant at all. What I meant to say was, is there anything that would make the board look at my proposal more favorably than if I only do everything to the letter?”
“You could always promise to use as many local suppliers as possible. That might have some sway. I only concentrate on the technical stuff, which is what I have here. From what I understand, supporting the local economy is a pretty good drawing card for a couple of the members. Seems half the town is in love with you anyway, so I can’t see them turning you down if you get this stuff right.”
The only one I care about is you, R.P. Cooper, but I dare not tell you that. “Well, that wouldn’t be a hardship at all. I already buy locally, and why not indeed? So many nice craftspeople in this town. Liza has offered to supply me with preserves and jams, which I must chase up. I’ve brought a heap of furniture from dear old Sam in town, as well as what I’ve found in Lulu’s shop. I have the best builder and new friends already, what more could a girl ask for?”
A man who wanted more than the emotionally unattached fling we’re having now. Now why did that thought cross her mind? Sassie could only imagine what would happen if she said those words aloud after agreeing to an uncommitted relationship. After all, she had been the one who had insisted on no strings. It was still the safest way to go even if her heart
