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Her lips tightened as she pressed them together, and then she nodded.
“I can’t handle you being upset with me,” he murmured.
“I’m not upset with you.” She sighed.
“So it’s the situation,” he said. “I knew you wanted a place, Sage. You act like there’s no rush, but there is. That’s not fair to me either.”
Her eyebrows went up. “I—there’s no rush.”
“But there is,” he said, the key still sitting there in the unlocked knob. He gestured back to the car. “You kiss me like that? You’re nervous, and you want this place to be perfect, and you’re upset that if it is perfect, you might not be able to get it.”
He couldn’t believe all the words pouring from him, but he’d said them all. Couldn’t take them back. “So there’s a rush.”
“There’s this one property,” Sage said.
“But if there’s no rush, sweetheart, then why does it matter if this one doesn’t work out? We’ll just wait until another comes along. And then another.”
She folded her arms and settled her weight on one hip. “I don’t like the apartment.”
“Just admit there’s a rush.” He started to smile at her. “I actually wish you would, because then the tension I feel about not being able to find you the castle of your dreams would make sense to me. As it is, I’m stressed all the time and checking the listings, and I don’t even know why.”
He definitely knew why. It was so Sage would kiss him with as much passion and enthusiasm as she just had. That was why.
“Fine, I would like to find somewhere,” she said, her defenses falling fast. “Especially now that Thelma has a place and will be moving out.”
“The apartment might feel bigger,” he said.
“There’s nowhere for Gypsy,” she said. “There’s nowhere formeto grow there.”
He studied her, really trying to hear what she meant behind the words. “All right,” he said. “I’m looking, Sage. I really am. No, this property isn’t on the market, but my friend made it sound like we could probably get it. I don’t know what it will take, but that’s just part of the negotiation process.”
She said nothing, and Ty reached for her again. “Okay?” he murmured as she let him pull her closer.
“Okay,” she whispered back, practically in his mouth right before he kissed her again. This time, it was slow and meaningful and tender, and he enjoyed this union just as much as the more frantic, passionate one.
He took a breath and stepped back. “Okay.” The doorknob twisted easily, and the front door opened into a lobby of sorts. “I did get to see the floorplan,” he said. “And it’s basically a long rectangle, split into fourths.” He was trying to take in the cool gray tile, the eggshell-colored walls, the South Carolina art, and all the square footage at the same time as her.
“Straight ahead, you get to the back half of the house, which hosts the kitchen, living room, and an office, all of which boast those amazing views of the water.” He could see it glistening from here, and he could definitely see why someone would hope this would turn into the next big real estate investment property. “It’s gorgeous,” he whispered.
“Look at that.” Sage moved by him on her quest toward the back half of the house. He closed the door behind them and followed her. The house was furnished, and he wondered if all of that would stay or not. The kitchen sat to his left, and it had been equipped with granite and dark, smudge-proof appliances. A pot rack hung above the stovetop, which had been built into the island.
This was a far cry from a fixer upper, and Ty gritted his teeth. He wasn’t sure Sage could afford something like this, and Steve had made it sound like the house wasn’t that great. From what Ty could see, it was pristine.
No carpet; only a rug in the living area, which held a sectional that faced the water view. A doorway stood in the wall to his right, which held a fireplace, and he went and peered into the office while Sage still stood at the back sliding doors, looking out.
“Nice space,” he said as he returned to her. “The master suite is behind the office and living area here. Private bath, big bedroom, closet.”
She finally turned, and simply by the look on her face, he knew she wanted this place. He reached for her, and she threaded her fingers through his. “Come look at the actual house, sweetheart. You can’t live standing at the windows, dreaming.” He grinned at her, and she ducked her head and smiled shyly back.
“I like dreaming,” she said.
“I love that you like dreaming,” he said as he opened the door that led into the master suite. “Oh, look at this. It’s got a sitting area out front. That’s a nice touch.” It also separated the bedroom further from the living room, so she could get some privacy when she had guests.
The guest bathroom and bedroom on this level bore the same blonde-gray wood floor, the same color of walls, and linens in cool, crisp blue, white, green, and gray. Upstairs, the guest suite did the same job.
The whole house had been built to look east, out into the strait of ocean between the mainland and the island of Hilton Head. Just coming down the stairs could be treacherous, because Ty forgot to watch his footing as he stared out at the glorious water.
He took her outside, and the fenced area was bigger than he thought. “You could put a shed on this side,” he said. “Or here in the back, or on the south side.”
