Folding her arms, she pinned him with a direct look. “Ideas for the apartment, Kam?”
“A mirror and table just inside the door. Maybe with a bowl or something to drop my keys and change. New bedding? I don’t know. I never much thought about pillow shams and all that goofy shit but seeing your place so polished put the ideas in my head.”
“You don’t have nice bedding at Addie’s?”
“A navy blue corduroy bedspread, probably ten... no, thirteen years old.” Mouth twisting to the side, he admitted, “It was a big deal when I got a full-size bed instead of the twin I’d been sleeping on.” And that had been better than anything he’d had before coming to live with Addie and Tanner. “Addie went all out, getting me new sheets and pillows. Damn, those pillows were big and soft.” Such a great memory, one he hadn’t thought of in a while. “I can still remember that first night, settling my head back, pulling up that soft corduroy spread... I was on top of the world.”
Somehow, his reminiscing brought her back to him, now with her gaze soft and misty. “I love seeing your life in the way you tell it.” Her small palm settled over his heart. “I can almost feel it with you.”
Seeing her like this did crazy things to him. It was such a contrast to his first impression of her, when she’d seemed too perfect, icy and untouchable. “How was it when you first moved in with Callie?”
The gleam faded from her eyes. She ducked her head, hiding her face from him. “They were really kind. Before I ever got there, they converted the guest bedroom for me. It was this huge room with a massive walk-in closet and my ownbathroom. Everything was brand new. I could smell the newness, know what I mean?”
Just as she’d felt his description, he felt hers, and his heart cracked a little at what sounded cold, too formal, and detached. To lighten the mood, he asked, “Was everything pink and fluffy?”
“Of course not. It was stylish, like something out of a designer magazine. Beige with accents of black and gold.”
For a kid’s room?
“It was really beautiful... but it kind of overwhelmed me.”
“Were your folks well-to-do like Callie’s?”
“No.”
The simplicity of that answer said a lot, all of it adding to the ache in his chest. “Did you—”
Stepping away from him, she faced the living room and asked with a deliberately brightened tone, “So what are you envisioning here?”
Never call him insensitive. Questions bombarded his brain, but he put them on hold so she could relax. “I couldn’t pull off anything as nice as what you’ve got going on at your place, but I wouldn’t mind some finishing touches.”
“You’re the one who put it all together for me.”
“Not all of it.” Just a few things she’d already bought but hadn’t gotten around to unboxing.
“I could help you.” Diving in with enthusiasm, she started a tour around his space. “It would be fun, right? You can tell me your ideas, your preferences—”
“In bed?”
This time, she only said, “Ha!” and proceeded into his bedroom to gaze at the white walls and a window. “I’m guessing you’re a neutral color scheme kind of guy, but pops of color are always great.” Turning to him with eagerness, she asked, “What’s your favorite color?”
“I’ve never really thought about it.”
In response to that, she touched his chest. “You wear dark green a lot.”
Did he? At the moment, with her looking at him like that, he couldn’t recall.
“T-shirts, sneakers, even a few button-down shirts.”
“Noticed that, did you?” How long had she been noticing him?
With a nod, she glanced around again. “I have some great ideas.”
“Hate to break it to you, babe.” His hand over hers kept her close. “We have very different budgets.”
“I understand that, but that’s another thing we could work on.”
Skeptical, he asked, “What?”
