“Good morning,” she says, as she enters the kitchen while rubbing her eyes.
“Damn,” I mutter when I take in her beauty.
She’s got on a dark faded T-shirt with pictures of cookies on it and pajama pants. Her hair is in a messy bun that’s hanging off to one side, and there are marks on the side of her face from the wrinkles in her sheets.
“Don’t make fun of me. The birds aren’t even up yet,” she says with a yawn. “Do you always get up so early?”
“When I get to spend my morning with you? Always,” I say, grabbing a mug for her and filling it up.
“You’re trying to sweeten me up so I’m not mad at you.” She squints at me.
“I think you’re sweet enough. Plus, I brought donuts for that,” I say, opening the box. “Or biscuits if you’re salty.”
“Is that like Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty?” She smiles at me, and it’s like the sun just rose in the kitchen. “You have any custard filled in there?”
“I had you pegged for a sprinkle girl, but luckily I have a Boston cream I’m willing to give up.”
“It sounds like there’s a condition attached to letting me have it,” she says, eyeing me suspiciously.
“You can have the donut if you let me work on your house and don’t fight me about paying for it.”
She sets her coffee down and crosses her arms over her chest. “Are you serious right now, Barrett? Don’t you think that’s kind of ridiculous? You’re going to do work for free on my house? You don’t even know me.”
“Not for free. For a donut. I really love Boston cream.” I shrug.
“You’re too chipper for dawn. And I can’t take you seriously.” She picks her coffee back up and surveys the work I’ve done so far. “But you do amazing work.”
“I know,” I reply. I think it’s the best I’ve ever done. I want this place to be exactly what she dreamed it could be. “Sit down and hear me out.”
I bring the donuts and the coffee over to the kitchen nook and set them down. It takes her a second, but she finally goes and grumbles the whole way. I kind of like that she’s not a morning person. It just means she likes to stay in bed longer.
“A house like this doesn’t come around often, maybe never for someone like me. Everybody wants new construction, or they want their house renovated. It’s hard to find something so beautiful that needs restoration. I’m stuck in an office most days, and this is something special that I don’t want to let go of.” I stare at her, thinking that I might just be talking about her and not the house. She can read into it all she wants, but the truth is, I want to be where she is.
“What do you get out of this?” she asks, and I can see the willingness to agree right there on the tip of her tongue.
“Genevieve, this house is going to be a showpiece. I’ve done magazine shoots before, but this one would blow all those out of the water.”
“Oh,” she says, and her voice is laced with disappointment.
“The house is why I’d do it for free. It would bring me even more business and would be a project I’d really enjoy,” I say, walking over to her and leaning down close. “But that’s not what I’d get out of it,” I say, and wait for her to look me in the eyes.
“And that would be?” she asks, looking up at me through her lashes.
“Getting to spend as much time with you as I could. And even when you’re not here, being here in your house, surrounded by you.”
Her cheeks redden as she ducks her chin, but I don’t miss the smile. I lean back and then take a seat beside her and nudge the box of donuts her way.
“Now go ahead and take my donut and let’s seal this deal.”
“So you’re going to do what you want to the house and not charge me anything?” she asks as she looks at me and realizes how close we are.
“No. I’m going to give you exactly what you want.” I lick my lips as I inch closer to her. “And I’m going to get exactly what I want in return.”
I’m so close I can feel her breath against my mouth, and I reach out, cupping her jaw. When I pull her to me, I graze my lips across hers, giving her just a hint of what I desire. It’s soft and gentle as she leans into my touch, and I’ve never been more careful in my life. She’s special, and I don’t want to rush this or overwhelm her. So instead of deepening the kiss, I kiss along her jaw and cheek before I pull her into my arms.