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Maddie scowled. “I’ll speak to him.”
She didn’t want to tell him what to do with his own house but why ask for her help in ensuring the house was restored properly if he was just going to throw her plans to the wind? She stepped into the kitchen and spotted the cans of paint. She bent to inspect the label and picked up the invoice.
An arm looped around her waist, drawing her attention away from the paint. Warm lips met her neck and she shivered.
“Missed you.” Sawyer nuzzled her ear.
“It’s only been two days.”
He’d driven to meet with his publisher and she had to admit, she had missed him too. It was hard to believe how quickly she’d grown attached to the man who had hurt her so badly, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. In some ways, it was as though they hadn’t been apart for twelve years and in others, she could see how much he’d grown as a person. If only he’d tell her about his books. He was awfully mysterious and it was beginning to frustrate her.
He twisted her around and kissed her swiftly. She drew back to eye his paint-splattered shirt. “Been getting your hands dirty?”
His eyes glinted. “Not yet.”
Maddie shook the invoice at him. “I need to sort out this paint problem.”
“What’s the problem? It’s practically the same.”
She eased out of his hold and put the paper on the plastic-covered countertop. “I ordered Dawn Shimmer not Sunset blush. I’ll have to call them.” She shoved a hand through her hair. “This will put us back a few days.”
“So leave it. Who cares?”
“I care! It’s the wrong colour. I spent ages figuring out what colour the house used to be and that was the closest match.”
Sawyer backed up a step. “Everything doesn’t have to be perfect. There’s no point in stressing about it.”
She pressed out a breath between her teeth. He didn’t get it. It did have to be perfect. What was the point in doing something if you weren’t going to do it properly? This was typical old Sawyer. Too laid back. “The locals will hate it.”
“Damn it, Maddie, it’s just a paint colour.” He jabbed his finger at the invoice. “It’s too much hassle to send it back.”
“You can’t paint it that colour. You just can’t. What will everyone say?”
“I don’t give a damn what everyone will say.”
“But you should. You can’t live in a place like Ballicliff and not care what everyone thinks.”
“Who says I’m even going to live here?”
“But I thought...” Did he intend to leave then? Her heart gave a sorrowful pang. Why had he been pursuing her? Talking of marriage? Kissing her?
He pressed a breath through his teeth. “You need to worry less about what people will think, Maddie. You always did care too much. Live a little.”
“Oh like you do?” She folded her arms over her chest. “Turning up, telling a woman you want her back, that you want to marry her, before leaving again? Is that how I should live?”
Sawyer eyed her, his gaze intense. “I never said I was leaving.”
“Then what? You’re happy to kiss me and talk about marriage but you’re not even willing to consider you might like it here—that perhaps you even belong here.”
“I’ll never fit in, the sooner you come to terms with that, the better. As for the kissing...” he gave a half-shrug “I can’t help it. Can’t seem to resist you.”
She blew out a breath. That wasn’t what she wanted. Her anger about a paint colour was stupid, illogical. But it wasn’t the paint that bothered her. It was him. She had to know before she got deeper. What if she all but gave her heart to him and he left again?
“This was such a mistake. I can’t believe I got carried away thinking...”
“Thinking what?”
“About marriage... you...I’m so dumb to think that—”
