It was an incredibly beautiful house, and Quinn did an amazing job building it, but it just wasn’t what she thought of when she thought of a home. There was no warmth, none of the imperfections that occurred from wear and tear over the years that showed the house had been lived in, that it had been filled with love, had a history, and that it was more than just four walls and a roof.
That’s why she loved older houses. They had character, warmth, and imperfections that gave you a peek into its past. They were designed to feel like a home instead of a showpiece like this house. There was nothing wrong with it, but it just wasn’t what she thought of when she thought of home.
But for now, it would have to do, Dylan told herself as she made her way down the long hallway, looking for somewhere that would work only to sigh as she made her way downstairs to the living room when she didn’t find anything. For a moment,she debated working on the couch only to decide against it and made her way to the large kitchen, where she took in the sterile appliances and bare counters, and sighed.
This wouldn’t work for her.
She made her way back into the living room and glanced from the leather couch to the oversized chair in the corner before her gaze shifted to the door to her right. Knowing that she really didn’t have a lot of options, Dylan made her way into the in-law apartment that Quinn was now calling home and wondered if he realized that this made them neighbors. She’d considered pointing it out to him but decided against it since it would only end with him glaring.
Now this she could work with, Dylan thought with a satisfied sigh as she took in the empty living room and the small kitchen on the other side of the room. She found a spot by the wall and sat down, grabbed a fresh sketchbook out of her bag and resigned herself to the other thing that she’d reluctantly agreed to this morning.
Since she’d already designed the houses for the next ten clients, Quinn wanted her to come up with her own designs that could later be customized to fit each client’s needs. It was a smart move, one that would help attract new clients, Dylan thought as she pulled out a pencil, opened her sketchbook to the first blank page and sighed.
While she actually loved working with clients and helping them bring their dream house to life, coming up with her own designs for modern houses just wasn’t something that she really wanted to do. She wanted to create houses she loved, Dylan thought as she drew the first line. She wanted to work with historical houses, but without the red tape, rules, and hoops that she would have had to jump through in order to save Blackwood Manor if the historical designation hadn’t been removed.
She wanted to create historical houses that didn’t cost a fortune to bring up to code and required her to hire certified specialists when something needed to be fixed, file a permit every time she wanted to change something, or follow a list of rules every time she wanted to paint something in her own house. She-
Knew what she wanted to do.
One kissand he was already losing his fucking mind, Quinn thought as he reluctantly put his truck in park and turned it off while he sat there, wondering what the hell was wrong with him.
After that kiss this morning, and Christ, just thinking about it left him struggling not to lose his fucking mind, he realized that the way they’d set up the deal wasn’t going to work. They needed to set boundaries and he wouldn’t be able to do that with the little pain in the ass underfoot all day.
So, he decided to use her love of baked goods against her. He grabbed all her favorites from Mel’s Bakery, woke her up, and renegotiated the terms of their deal. The new rules for Blackwood Manor were going to happen no matter what. It wasn’t safe and he couldn’t risk something happening to her. She wasn’t happy, but she’d reluctantly agreed to stay away until it was safe.
He waited until she was savoring an apple donut before he told her the next part of the deal, the part that would help save him from losing his fucking mind every day. He gave her busy work and told her that he needed her to work from home. She’d narrowed her eyes on him and snatched the apple fritter from him with a look that dared him to bitch about it.
While she took her time finishing her donut, Quinn explained that his men came and went all day, clients stopped by, as well as vendors and that she wouldn’t be able to work, which was true. His trailer was like Grand Central Station most days, but that wasn’t the problem.
She was.
Dylan was a distraction that he couldn’t afford right now. He was running five sites, not including Blackwood Manor, and was set to start two more next week. He couldn’t afford to be distracted right now, and there was no doubt in his mind that working every day with Dylan by his side would make it impossible to focus.
He’d always been aware of her. He couldn’t explain it, but whenever she was nearby, he couldfeelit. When they were little, it was a prickling sensation that raced down his spine that could only be described as terror, letting him know that the little pain in the ass was about to do something that would haunt him for the rest of his life. As they grew older, the sensation turned into awareness, making him painfully aware that she was close by, drawing his attention and leaving him unable to look away.
Up until now, he’d always told himself that it was out of habit, fear, self-preservation, a hundred different excuses, but now…
Now, he was going to stop thinking about Dylan, go inside, devour the frozen pizza he picked up on his way home, take a shower, and pass out just like he did every night. He grabbed the grocery bag off the passenger seat and headed inside, thankful that the little pain in the ass wasn’t waiting for him when he stepped into the kitchen and-
What was that? Quinn found himself wondering as he slowly inhaled and savored the intoxicating aroma surrounding him. Praying that she hadn’t found a new way to play with hisemotions, he swallowed hard as he made his way to the fridge, telling himself not to get his hopes up and-
“Oh, fuck…”
-was forced to grab onto the refrigerator door when his legs threatened to drop him on his ass.
He…
God, he just…
Swallowing hard, Quinn took in the beautiful sight before him, his once empty refrigerator was now fully stocked with everything from condiments to milk, fruit, vegetables, and…
Oh, God, she was trying to kill him, Quinn realized, releasing a shaky breath as he took in what appeared to be a freshly baked apple pie before he took in the Tupperware containers neatly stacked on the shelf in front of him that held everything from meatloaf to mashed potatoes, corn, and in a small container, cranberry sauce.
He went to grab the containers only to go still when his gaze dropped to the shelf below it, where a plate covered in foil labeled with his name drew his attention. He reached for the plate only to frown when he saw what was next to it, sandwiches neatly stacked alongside two small bottles of soda, two bottles of water, a small Ziplock bag filled with grapes, a large slice of apple pie in a small Tupperware container and another note with his name on it, letting him know that she’d packed him lunch.
There were definitely benefits to being married, Quinn thought, releasing a heartfelt sigh as he grabbed the plate with his name on it and nearly fucking groaned when he spotted the pan of cornbread waiting for him on the counter. He pulled the foil off the plate, and this time, he did groan as he took in the thick slices of meatloaf, mashed potatoes piled high on his plate, and buttered corn.
Curious to see what else she’d been up to today, Quinn placed the plate in the microwave before he made his way back to thefridge and opened the freezer door only to find it packed with ice cream, meat, vegetables, and so many other tasty treats. He tossed the frozen pizza he grabbed on the way home in the freezer before he closed the door and checked the pantry to find it filled with everything from cereal to cookies, flour, sugar, and everything in between.
