The Ivy House (A Queensbay Novel) by Stein Drea

Author:Stein, Drea [Stein, Drea]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: FICTION/Romance/Contemporary
Publisher: Barn Hill Media
Published: 2013-03-09T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

“Is that a hard hat?” Phoebe stopped in surprise, looking at what Chase had in his hands.

“Yes, it is. Safety first.” Phoebe looked up quickly to see if he meant anything by that. There it was, just that sexy-as-hell Chase Sanders grin.

“But it’s pink,” Phoebe said.

“Well, it is for a girl.” Chase said. He took a step forward and she saw that he was dressed casually in faded jeans and a v-neck t-shirt that clung to his chest and abdomen, which showed off how flat his stomach was and the nice taper up to his broad shoulders. Stop thinking about his shoulders, she reminded herself.

“A girl?” Phoebe turned her attention back to the hard hat that Chase was still proffering. “Excuse me… For a lady,” he corrected himself.

“A lady.” Phoebe put down her bag on the scarred wood floor and took the helmet from Chase.

“You said the other day you were going to fix the old lady up, so I thought I’d give you a little housewarming present. And see if you needed a hand.”

“You can fix houses?” Phoebe heard the doubt creeping into her voice. She glanced around the room. Chase had found her in her studio, the light flooding in from the bank of windows. She had picked up some paint samples at the local hardware store, and there were large squares of them on the wall so she could decide between Café au Lait and Creamy Blond.

“No, but I know people around here who can. I would be happy to recommend some names to you. All good guys.”

Phoebe nodded. She had wondered if she’d have to resort to looking through Yellow Pages to find the names of plumbers and electricians, and the thought had filled her with dread. Taking a recommendation from someone was a much better move. Still, it was a lot of interest on Chase’s part for a house he professed to have no interest in.

“Do you treat all of your business acquaintances this way?” she asked, trying to keep her voice light. Right now, the room had one wall of built-in shelves, with cabinets on the bottom. She examined the hard hat more closely.

“I told you, we’re partners now. Hopefully, very profitable ones,” he countered.

Phoebe hefted the hard hat. It was heavier than she expected. “They really make pink ones?”

Chase laughed. “Not many. It’s a special order, but I know a guy in the business.”

“I’m sure you do.” Phoebe took a sip of her coffee, still looking at the helmet. She wasn’t sure what to do with it. Just how much demolition did Chase think the house needed?”

“You don’t think I’m going to need it, do you?” she asked, trying to see if he had an opinion.

“You never know,” Chase answered, still grinning.

“But…” Phoebe felt her mouth go dry. She thought about some new paint and curtains, but not any actual demolition.

Chase took a step closer to her and held out his hand. She wasn’t sure what he wanted, but then he reached out for her coffee cup.

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