The sketch was like nothing that he’d ever seen before. It was so detailed, from the shingles struggling to hold onto the collapsing roof to the briars threaded throughout the ivy leaves clinging to the walls. She managed to capture every detail, every flaw, and brought it all to life. He turned the page only to forget how to breathe as he took in Blackwood Manor in its former glory.
His eyes were drawn to the bottom of the page to the cobblestone driveway that ran past the right side of the house before the small cobblestone walkway pulled his attention to one of the most beautiful houses that he’d ever seen. Gone were the briars and ivy clinging to the walls, revealing Blackwood Manor’s imposing façade.
He took in the fieldstone foundation, each rock strategically placed, before he took in the porch, the railings that guided the steps up to the front door, where a wrought-iron knocker welcomed guests. He took in the molding, the lantern mounts, shingled roofs, shutters showcasing double-hung sash windows encased in flat classical molding before his gaze slowly made its way to the roof, where the chimneys that fell apart years ago had been brought back to life.
“How are we going to do this?” came the curious question as he turned the page and found himself looking at a sketch of a beautiful foyer with a staircase featured in the center.
“Really fucking carefully,” Quinn said, turning the page to what appeared to be a library with built-in bookshelves lining the walls.
“That’s probably for the best,” Dylan said, only to release a soft sigh.
“As long as we have the element of surprise, Brooke will take her time, savoring the moment so that she can rub it in our faces,” Quinn said, knowing Brooke well enough by now to know that as long as she thought she’d won, she’d take her time, stretching it out so that she could enjoy every minute of their downfall.
There was no doubt in his mind that she would get engaged as soon as possible, needing to lock in that first step, but for everything else…
She would stretch it out, enjoying the spotlight and ensuring that she got everything that she wanted from the perfect engagement party to a lavish wedding, but the moment that she found out that they were married, all bets were off.
“So, no looks of adoration or declarations of our undying love?” the little smart ass asked as he took his time looking through her notebook.
“This is just a deal, Dylan,” Quinn drawled as he took in the sketch she made for the kitchen, blending modern features and appliances seamlessly into the design. “We need to meet the conditions that our parents set out, stay married for five years, and once it’s over, we go our separate ways. I need you to understand that there will never be anything more than this deal between us.”
“I’m listening,” Dylan said with a soft sigh as the sounds of water lapping against the side of the tub reached him.
“We get married this week, the sooner, the better, and we keep it quiet for now,” Quinn said as he took in the sketch showing the back of Blackwood Manor and-
This was going to take a miracle to pull off.
“In exchange for…” Dylan said, getting to the heart of the matter.
“We split B.T. Construction, fifty-fifty and-”
“I’m not interested in B.T. Construction,” she said, making him curious about something.
“You do realize that if you owned B.T. Construction that you’d be able to fix Blackwood Manor, right?” Quinn asked, wondering why she wasn’t interested in B.T. Construction when it would solve all her problems.
“I want to renovate old houses and bring them back to life and that’s not what B.T. Construction does,” Dylan said as the sounds of water sloshing against the tub reached him, letting him know that she was climbing out of the tub and-
“Is…is that a towel warmer?”
“You could change that,” Quinn pointed out.
“Not without destroying everything our fathers built,” she said while Quinn sat there, absently nodding as he thought it over.
“Then, how about this?” he began. “I’ll help you fix Blackwood Manor, and after it’s done, if you’ve decided that you’ve found your calling, I’ll make sure that you have everything you need to start your own company.”
“I don’t need help with Blackwood Manor,” the little pain in the ass said as she opened the bathroom door just wide enough so that she could stick her arm out and make him fucking sigh when she cleared her throat and held her hand out in silent demand.
She really was a pain in his ass.
“You’re going to need help,” Quinn pointed out as he grabbed a B.T. Construction tee-shirt and handed it to her.
“And that’s where the deal comes in,” Dylan said as she took the tee-shirt with a murmured, “Thank you,” before she pulled her arm back so that she could close the bathroom door.
“What’s the plan?” he asked, slowly exhaling as he told himself that he wasn’t making the biggest mistake of his life.
“To save money, I’m going to do most of the work on my own,” Dylan explained as Quinn stood there, thinking about the summer that she worked for B.T. Construction and-
Christ, he still had nightmares.
