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He gave me a hesitant smile and settled in against my side. “Well, good. I bet work’s way more satisfying when you know in your heart that the project is worthwhile, right? I mean, it is for me.”
“Yes. Definitely. And to be fair, it’s not like most of the stuff Sterling Chase is working on currently isn’t also great. Not everything is the CaffApp—” I gave him a side-eyed look that made him laugh out loud.
“Is there a TeaApp in the works, too?” he teased. “A CocoaApp?”
“No, Sassypants,” I growled, poking his side. “One of the projects Sterling Chase is working on right now is amazing. Very tied in to the ETC program.”
“Really?” He lifted his head, and his excited eyes met mine. “Okay, that’s legitimately great because I know for a fact that there’s so much more that can be done with emergency services. You know I… Ah…” He blinked and shook his head, his smile dimming a fraction. “I’m really pleased Sterling Chase is working on that.”
I wondered at his change in attitude, but I decided not to call him on it. He was probably thinking of his sister. “The project was developed by one of our own employees, which makes it even more exciting, on a personal level.”
“And does that mean only Sterling Chase will profit?”
I snorted. “Sterling Chase will make bank, yes.” I didn’t explain that this meant only me and the others on the board and that none of us were particularly money-motivated anymore.
Rowe’s mischievous grin was like sunshine breaking through clouds. “Well,thisSterling Chase isveryproud of you for making me a profit, my boy,” he said, pulling out his drawling Sterling voice.
I spluttered out a laugh. “Oh, thank you so much, sir.” I reached over to pull his bare feet into my lap. “Does this mean I get a prize?”
Rowe yelped and laughed as he nearly spilled the snack bowl. He quickly hugged it to his chest and leaned his head back on the arm of the sofa.
“Sterling Chase might buy you a new polo pony… after I splash out with some undercarriage lights for my old Corolla and some new Anchor-Hocking casserole-ware for my mother, of course.”
I let out a low whistle. “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous right there. And you could always pick your dad up a six-pack of the fancy stuff while you’re at it.”
“Budweiser instead of Pabst?” His eyes danced. “That’s a bridge too far, Bash. Way too expensive.”
I tickled the bottom of his foot until we were both sprawled against each other, breathless with laughter, smiling sappily.
“You’re a really great guy, Bash,” he said softly. “Not everyone wants to do the right thing the way you do.”
Hearing those words from him meant a lot. Way too much for someone I’d known for less than a day.
“What would you do, if you had money?” I asked without thinking. “If you won the lottery, let’s say. Enough to fund your own project idea, with a ton left over after.”
I’d expected Rowe to smile or laugh, but instead, he frowned seriously, like the very idea was insane. “I don’t know. Not worth thinking about, really.”
“Isn’t it? You’d take care of your parents, right? And then what?”
He hesitated, not as though he didn’t know the answer, but as though he wasn’t sure he should share it. “This is going to sound ridiculous.”
“Nobody’s dream is ridiculous,” I said softly. Hell, it was the tenet of my life’s purpose.
“I like decorating houses.” Rowe studied the half-empty beer bottle on the table like it might contain the secrets of the universe. “I haven’t actually done it, other than my own family’s house, which doesn’t really count since we didn’t have a budget worth shit. But…” He darted a glance at me like he was making sure I wasn’t going to make fun of him, then went on. “I’ve studied it so much, and I have hundreds of notebooks full of sketches. Bobby gave me a good deal on a used iPad, and I downloaded design software onto it. It’s my favorite thing to make up a room in the software and then decorate it. I have hundreds of Pinterest boards for my made-up clients. So, yeah, I’d design beautiful spaces for people if I could do anything I wanted. And not just rich people, either, because everyone deserves to enjoy their home.”
Ugh. How was it that every word this man spoke made himmoreattractive? Somehow, every unexpected answer just made me want to know more.
“Would you ever want to share some of your designs?”
He glanced up at me, and I saw his cheeks were flushed again, hopefully from excitement rather than insecurity. “With you? They’re probably horrible compared to the things you’ve seen. I’m sure your house was decorated by a big New York stylist.”
It was true, but that didn’t mean I loved it. “Well, I have… more than one place, actually. But my Hamptons housewasdone by a big New York stylist, and I hate it. The entire thing is done in modern minimalism.”
Rowe’s fingers twitched. “Oh. Yeah. The Hamptons is the beach, right? You don’t seem like the kind of person to want something so reserved. Especially for a place you’re meant to relax in.”
I imagined taking Rowe to my beach house and showing him around. Getting him naked and holding him in the swimming pool at night. Taking him to my big bed and making love to him in front of the giant windows overlooking the ocean at night.
The idea should have been ludicrous—I rarely had guests in my space, let alone hookups—but instead, it stuck in my brain.
