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The house’s exterior had suffered from years of neglect, which was most likely why it had been on the market for several years before he purchased it the year before. “I had all the exterior projects completed last summer, but went overseas before anything could be done inside.” He led her up the front steps and unlocked the door. “After you.”
A quick glance around the entryway showed that the maid service he’d hired had done a fabulous job. Sunlight from the windows gleamed off the polished wood as well as the granite tiles. Not a single cobweb or speck of dust showed on the light fixtures and the barest scent of sandalwood permeated the air.
“Do you have any idea what you’d like done?” Next to him, Addie looked around the empty space.
“Not a one. Honestly, this is the first time I’ve been in here since I bought it.” He held a hand out toward her. “Why don’t we take a tour and then come up with some ideas.”
It took a second or two before she accepted his hand. “You haven’t spent any time here?”
In the past year he hadn’t stepped foot in this house or the condo he owned in Aspen, but he kept that to himself. While she knew exactly who he was, he didn’t want to reinforce the differences between them. Doing that could backfire on him and ruin his plans before he even got started. “My previous job required a lot of travel.” Before he’d accepted his current position within Sherbrooke Enterprises, he’d spent only a handful of weeks in the US. With his hand still wrapped around hers, he led her to what had once been a library.
A large fireplace with an intricately carved mantel, a large gilded mirror above it, filled the far wall. Built in bookcases, which stretched from the floor to the ceiling, filled two of the walls while windows facing the manicured lawns took up the last one.
“Other than furniture, I wouldn’t touch this room.” Addie pulled her hand away and stepped closer to the fireplace. “It’s gorgeous just the way it is.”
He agreed. The room held a classic beauty that time hadn’t ruined. “I think you’re right. Let’s see what else we have down here.” He took her hand again and led her across the room.
Hand in hand, they went through every room on the first floor and then headed up the stairs. “In the description I read, it stated that the house contained separate his and her suites,” Addie said as they entered the first of the large second-floor bedrooms. Light pink silk wall coverings lined the walls and all the woodwork was painted white. “This must have been for the wife.” She released his hand and walked toward the full-length mirror mounted on the wall. “It mentioned that the door leading to the bathroom is hidden behind a mirror. This must be the one.”
“You know more about this place than me.” Trent’s eyes followed her every move as she searched for the latch behind the mirror.
“I like to know all I can before I start a project.” Her hand stopped; then she leaned closer to the space behind the mirror. “Found it.” Addie looked over her shoulder at him, a triumphant smile on her face. “There’s a small release right here.”
From where he stood he saw nothing. “Let’s see what’s on the other side.” He crossed the room and when she pushed on the small release the door swung open.
Light from the bedroom spilled into the hidden bathroom. Unlike the rest of the house, dust covered the built-in makeup table, and the mirror mounted on the wall contained a thin layer of dirt from years of neglect. A large claw-foot bathtub sat in one corner of the room while a pocket door remained partially open revealing a toilet in its own private space.
“This is fantastic. I love these old tubs.” She paused next to it. “When you remodel this room you have to keep this tub.”
The old fashion tub did add a certain charm to the room. Without even trying, he could picture Addie soaking in it, her hair draped over the back and bubbles all around her body.
“You’re the expert here. If you say it needs to stay, then it stays.”
Addie moved away from the tub and pulled open another door in the wall revealing a long closet. “Unless you knew about this room, you’d never guess it was here.” She pulled the chain hanging from the ceiling and the overhead light switched on. “If what I read is correct, this closet will lead us to the bathroom in the husband’s suite.”
Trent followed her further into the closet and past the shelves to the door at the end. Coming up behind her, he reached around her and opened the door before she could. Sure enough, the door led them into a masculine version of the room they’d just left. It even contained an identical tub.
“You really didn’t know about this?” she asked, looking back at him.
“No. I bought it with the assumption I’d gut most of the interior, so I did only a quick tour before I made my offer and I never opened the original plans they gave me. I brought them with me today. I thought maybe you’d find them useful.”
“You can’t gut this house. It has too much character.” Alarm echoed in her voice. “Sure it needs some updates and a few changes here and there, but it would be a shame if you got rid of everything.”
Now that he’d taken his time and gone through the home, he agreed with Addie’s assessment. The home contained too much classic elegance to scrap everything. Taking Addie by the elbow, he led her toward a door he assumed would bring them into the bedroom.
“Why don’t we finish our tour? Then discuss your thoughts over dinner.”
“Sounds like a plan to me. I already have a few ideas in mind.”
Unlike on his last visit, Trent took his time exploring the second floor with Addie. In addition to his and her suites, the second floor also contained three guest bedrooms, a bedroom that had once been a nursery judging by the mural painted on the ceiling, a small office and access to a balcony that ran the entire length of the house, providing an unobstructed view of the ocean.
“I could stand out here all day and look at this view,” Addie said as they both stood at the railing looking out at the rolling waves that crashed onto the small strip of beach at the end of Trent’s property.
“Do you like the beach?” He turned away from the ocean view, more interested in the way the breeze played with Addie’s hair than the waves.
“It’s okay. I don’t spend a lot of time there, but this view is unbelievable. I wish I had my sketch book with me.”
The wind blew several strands of her hair across her face. Before she could react, he reached out and tucked them back behind her ear, the back of his fingers brushing against her cheek. At the contact Addie turned away from the view and met his eyes.
