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He had to suck in a breath. Jordan made up his mind and started walking toward the entrance before he could give it too much thought.
The last of the children were slowly straggling out to their awaiting parents as he reached her doorway.
He cleared his throat once they were alone. “I was—uh...just out taking a walk.” That was the way, fella. Just dazzle her with some witty conversation. He wouldn’t be surprised if she rolled her eyes at him.
“I’m glad you did,” she responded instead. “It gives me a chance to say thank you.” She gestured to the long wooden supply table that housed the flowers. “They’re lovely. But it wasn’t necessary.”
He shrugged. “I’m glad you like them. And an apology was definitely required after...well, you know.”
She sucked in her bottom lip, the small, subconscious gesture sent a strange bolt of heat through his chest. Then she shook her head in disagreement. “No. As far as the first night, you were right. I had no business deciding what to put on your wall. I wanted to tell you I’m sorry.”
Now she was apologizing to him and it made him feel like a complete heel.
She continued, “It was rather forward of me. It’s just, sometimes I get inspired and don’t think things through.”
For someone like him, it was a novel concept. He’d always been one who preferred structure, planned even the most minute details of a project well in advance. So the next words out of his mouth were so surprisingly spontaneous, he could hardly believe he was about to say them.
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.”
She ducked her head, as if chagrined. “Of course. I’ll be sure to tell Marie that someone needs to head down and paint the eggshell white over the castle. Free of charge, obviously. I’d do it myself but—”
Jordan cut her off with a shake of his head. “That’s not what I meant.”
Her gaze narrowed on him when she looked back up. “It’s not?”
“No. In fact, you mentioned that night that the castle wasn’t quite finished. I’d very much like it if you would complete whatever else you meant to add. And this time, you’ll be paid for your work. It’s only fair.”
“Wow, I definitely did not see that coming,” she stammered, clearly shocked at his proposal.
The truth was, so was he.
CHAPTER THREE
IF SOMEONE HAD told her forty-eight hours ago that she’d be back in this house at the request of the new owner to finish her painting, Jess would have asked them if they had a bridge they wanted to sell her. But here she was, outlining in charcoal pencil the rest of the scene she’d had in mind when she’d first imagined it in her head.
Jordan was in the mansion somewhere and she felt his presence fully, kept looking over her shoulder to the hallway in case he walked past. So far he hadn’t. She had absolutely no reason to feel disappointed by that. It pained her but she had to admit to never before being quite so aware of a man. Not even Gary when she’d first met him. It had taken time for her feelings for her former fiancé to develop. Her only other relationship after Gary could only be described as a summer fling, though she’d been woefully naive in believing it might have led to more. That particular gentleman had simply taken off without so much as a goodbye at the end of the vineyard’s tourist season. All the more reason to squash her current attraction to Jordan Paydan with haste.
Jess returned her focus to her artwork. She was simply here to do a job. Once she got lost in a project, the rest of the world would often disappear. She needed that phenomenon to happen right now. Regardless of the fact that a man she felt more aware of than she ever had anyone else happened to be under the same roof.
The sound of footsteps approaching in the hallway broke into her thoughts. She sensed him behind her and her heart did a small leap in her chest.
“So the moat, then. That’s what you needed to complete,” he said in a smooth, low voice that sent waves of electricity over her skin.
“And the drawbridge,” she told him. “That’s next.”
He walked into the room to stand beside her. A tremble suddenly developed in her hand and she had to force herself to steady it or her lines would be shot. She couldn’t even put her finger on why her attraction to him was just so notable, and there was no denying that was what she felt right now—pure, animalistic attraction. But this time was different, much stronger.
