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“Let’s cut the bullshit, Isabella. I know a lot more than the owner probably likes; I do my homework when it comes to any prospective purchase. He owes some bad men a lot of money, which means he needs to offload this place to keep his legs intact. What’s his bottom line?”
The gaudy diamonds in her ears glimmered through the glossy golden locks of her hair as she gave him a sidelong glance. “I was told you weren’t an idiot. You’re not the only one who did their homework.”
Evander’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re not just a realtor.”
“No. I’m a little bit of everything—realtor, personal assistant, attorney. My employer owns this property amongst others, and he’s distrustful of using outside connections to handle his private business.”
“The right-hand woman.”
“Quite.” She gestured to the expanse of nature around them. “The price has been significantly reduced already by over three million. The current asking price is more than fair for what you’ll get. After renovations, you stand to gain a sizeable profit from resale.”
It was none of her business what he did with it once it was overhauled to his specifications, so he didn’t correct her. “Until I inspect the buildings, I can’t comment on that. It could be rotten down to the foundations and require complete demolition.”
“We have nothing to hide.”
Sunlight glinted off something metal down the road; some of the tension in his shoulders relaxed as he tracked the moving object. Callie and Elias were almost here.
Isabella made a soft sound. “This must be who we’ve been waiting for. You’ve been pointedly avoiding the walkthrough since you got here,” she pointed out when he lifted a questioning eyebrow. “There’s only so much natural beauty you can stare at before boredom kicks in.”
Spoken like a true city girl, he thought. Spring, summer, fall, or winter, the ranch promised to grant serenity to every visitor. There was something soothing about an early morning walk after a satisfying night in the sheets.
He made a mental note for the landscaping team to map out pathways, seating areas, secluded nooks for kinks of the outside kind.
“My partners for this project,” Evander told her.
“I see. Well, I have a few phone calls to make. Would you like an escort around the buildings or would you prefer some time alone with your partners?” Isabella tilted her wrist, gauging the time. “I need to leave in about an hour, but I have business I can attend to if you want some privacy.”
“I’ll walk through with my partners. An offer will be in your hands before you leave.”
Isabella nodded, obviously satisfied he knew enough about the process to take himself through it without her guidance. She wafted a hand toward the nifty, electric blue sports car she’d arrived in. “If you have any questions, I’ll be in the car.”
“Thank you.”
His attention wasn’t on her bare legs as she sashayed away in her mid-length skirt, nor was it on her ass. It was focused solely on the dark SUV barreling up the track, bringing his girl where she belonged—right by his side.
Waiting patiently cost him, but he was the epitome of a calm, collected Dom by the time Elias drove carefully into the yard and stopped mere feet away. The engine idled for a moment before it cut off, and the rear door closest to him burst open, spilling a dark-haired imp and her stuffie almost into his arms.
Taking a step forward, he let her tumble against his chest. “Morning, sweetness.”
Her arms banded around him, the stuffie dropping to the ground. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too. I’m glad you decided to come.”
She mumbled something into his jacket.
“Didn’t quite catch that, Callie. Have you been a good girl for Elias this morning?”
His friend’s quiet snort didn’t bode well, speaking volumes without a single word. “Someone’s attitude and self-confidence issues earned her a punishment before she was fully awake.”
“You spanked her?”
“That would be inappropriate, Sir. I left the honors for you.”
Of course, he had. Elias couldn’t be inappropriate—during work hours, anyway—if his life depended on it. “I see. And how many spanks did my naughty girl rack up?”
“Fifteen, Sir, across numerous infractions.” Was that a sadistic gleam in those blue eyes? Yes, yes it was. “I was hoping she’d make it twenty on the ride over here, but she wisely held her sass in check.”
Evander tsked. “Well, that’s something to look forward to when we return to the hotel.” Sliding his hands down Callie’s back to her ass, he gave her cheeks a firm, threatening squeeze. “Fifteen should pinken this bottom to perfection.”
