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She laughed and so did he. “I’ll try to control myself.”
“Good.” He stood, took a step toward her, and lowered his lips to her forehead.
Closing her eyes, she felt her heart flutter and her belly clench. Then, it was gone. He was gone. Leaving her sitting at the table alone.
* * *
What the hell was wrong with him?
The sound of the door closing, signaling Ali leaving the house, had him both breathing a sigh of relief and wanting to hit something. If he didn’t have a meeting to get to in less than an hour, he would have had a nice, long run on the treadmill. Or maybe he’d spend some time pounding out his frustrations on the punching bag his youngest had insisted he install.
What had possessed him to touch her? That was the million-dollar question. The one that would be eating at him for the rest of the day.
He’d done it on impulse. She’d been upset about spilling half the milk and he’d wanted to vanquish the worry from her eyes. The urge to touch her again had been overwhelming. And then the way she’d smiled at him...he couldn’t resist.
Groaning, he stalked to his study, logged onto his computer, and tried to lose himself in facts and figures. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know the specs on the building he was seeing today. He did. Like the back of his hand. Going over them was merely a way to kill time.
Fifteen minutes later, he realized it wasn’t working. Logging off, he set the alarm and headed to his meeting. If all went well today, he’d be the proud owner of a three-story commercial building. It already had long-term tenants, which was appealing, and the price was fair given its location.
His property manager and the current owner were already waiting for him in the lobby. Rebecca saw him first. “Good morning, Mr. Ross.” Normally, he and his property manager weren’t so formal, but Mr. Birch was an older gentleman in his seventies, who liked such things.
“Good morning, Ms. Clawson. Mr. Birch, it’s nice to see you again.” He extended a hand to the man.
Mr. Birch took Daniel’s hand, giving it a firm shake. “Are we ready to get started with the tour?”
“Lead the way,” Daniel said, motioning for Mr. Birch and Rebecca to go first.
The walk through took a little over an hour. Whenever he purchased a new property, he wanted to see everything. It was often the less viewed areas of buildings where issues were hiding, unaddressed, but overall, the property was sound.
They ended their walk around in the basement. The furnace looked to have been replaced within the last few years. That was a major expense he shouldn’t have to worry about for a while. “How long since the roof was replaced?”
Mr. Birch didn’t have to think about it. “Eleven years ago.”
Daniel nodded, impressed by the man’s quick recall. As they’d walked around, he’d asked about windows, carpets, elevators, and even electrical and plumbing. There was a small leak in one of the bathrooms, but he thought that would be an easy fix. The only major expense he foresaw were the elevators. They were at least fifty years old. While they functioned fine for now, they were a potential expense he had to prepare for.
Offering his hand again, Daniel thanked Mr. Birch and told him they would be in touch.
“Always a pleasure,” Mr. Birch said. “Call me with any questions.”
Rebecca followed Daniel out to the parking lot. They didn’t speak as they got into their cars and drove to his office downtown. This was a routine they’d practiced many times before.
His assistant looked up from what he was working on when Daniel and Rebecca walked through the door. “How’d the walk-through go?” Kevin asked.
“Good.” Daniel took the stack of papers Kevin handed him, not bothering to flip through them. There would be time for that later. Plus, it would give him something to do to keep his mind off what happened this morning with Ali. “Anything promising?”
Kevin shrugged. “There are a couple that have potential, but only if they come down on the price.”
Tucking the papers under his arm, he strode toward his office. Rebecca followed behind him.
Daniel took a seat behind his desk, setting the stack of property listings off to the side. Rebecca closed the door and took a seat opposite him.
His property manager was tall, about five-ten, and blond. She looked good in her business suit. It hugged her waist, accentuating her curves. She was pretty. They’d been working together for five years and got along well. And at forty-seven, she was more suited for him than Ali ever would be.
But he wasn’t attracted to Rebecca. Setting aside the fact that she worked for him, she didn’t spike his heart rate or have his cock straining against his pants. For the last two years, there was only one woman who did that for him.
“I think it’s a good investment for you,” Rebecca said, pulling him out of his thoughts.
He cleared his throat. “Yes, it seems to be. We need to run some numbers on the elevators, though. They’re older than I like to have in my buildings, and I want to be prepared.”
