Finally, they were walking back toward him. He tried to look nonchalant, but feared that the huge grin splitting his face was probably ruining the effect. Lacey's shy smile was confirmation enough that Serena had straightened out the problem, whatever it was. And that was good enough for him, for now. He would get the whole story from his cousin later. Right now, the woman he was completely hot for with was within touching distance, and he wasn't going to waste another second. Hopefully he could pretend to be civilized long enough to convince her to see him again.
"Jay, you remember Lacey Ferguson from the Open House last weekend, right?" Serena asked with a wicked sparkle in her eyes as they climbed the steps toward him. "I know you don't like anyone bothering you out here in your super secret lair, but I thought you might make an exception in her case. Why don't you show us around?"
Jack glared at Serena and held out his large hand to her companion as she reached the top of the stairs. "Hi, Lacey," he said, gruffly, shaking her hand. "I'm Jack Kingston. Serena didn't mention she was bringing you out. It probably doesn't look that impressive without the floors installed." He gestured toward a large pile of cherry-stained planks to his left, just inside the door. "If you come back next week, it should be completely done."
Reluctantly, Jack let go of her hand, but not before noting that the chemistry between them was just as potent as he remembered. Just the gentle brush of her fingers against his made him feel a bit dizzy as the blood drained from his head and settled in his groin. Today she was wearing some kind of light and fruity scent that was adding to the dizzying effect.
"Hi Jack. I'm already impressed, so don't worry about the floors. Where's the rest of your crew?" Lacey asked, following Serena into the front hall where Jack had been sanding the oversized door earlier.
"Crew? Sorry. No crew. Just me." He smiled, pleased with this opportunity to impress her.
"You mean you're doing this all by yourself?" Lacey asked incredulously. Why did this knowledge make her knees weak with arousal? There was just something so freaking sexy about a man who was capable of building something from nothing. Not to mention, good with his hands. As if the practically transparent T-shirt he was wearing wasn't stimulating enough. She could actually see the dark outline of his chest hair through the material. Oscar the Grouch had never looked so provocative.
"Pretty much. I mean, I didn't do the plumbing or electrical work, or pour the concrete for the foundation. But the actual construction and dry-walling and painting and stuff, that was me. Now I'm going to lay the floors."
Hmmm.... that sounded so dirty when he said it, Lacey thought. "Are you serious? How do you know how to do all that? I mean, I know you and your brothers own a construction company, but I kind of thought you contracted people to do the work, and then you just sort of stood around, supervising the project."
Jack laughed. "We do that too. But that's not all we do. My dad started this company 35 years ago, and my brothers and I have all been raised on construction sites. At some point, all four of us have done our time doing just about every task connected with building a house. My mom has a picture of me hanging in her kitchen. I'm 11 years old and I just dry-walled my first house. I'm covered in dust, but grinning ear to ear. I loved getting my hands dirty, even then." He held out his saw-dust covered hands for her inspection.
All she noticed was that her mom was right about the size of his hands. "Sounds like you enjoyed it, even if your dad was using you guys for cheap labour," Lacey said with a grin, charmed by the idea of him as a junior handyman, following his dad around, soaking up knowledge and learning his destiny at such a young age.
"We only worked weekends and summers. It wasn't like we were home-schooled slaves or anything. And I enjoyed it. Still do. He just wanted us to learn the business. His philosophy was that we couldn't know if someone else was screwing up unless we'd done it ourselves, so we'd be better at supervising a build if we actually weren't talking out of our asses. He didn't put it that way, but that was what he meant."
"He sounds like a smart man."
"He was. He died a few years ago. Heart Attack."
"I'm sorry. You must miss him."
Serena interrupted. "Jay, are you going to show us your masterpiece or what? Uncle Jack would have told you to quit wasting time and show the buyer what she came to see."
"Yeah, yeah. You're right. I was just giving Lacey some background, and showing off a little. No harm in that, right?"
"Like your ego needs anymore stroking. I don't think so. Let's move this along. I have to get back to town in an hour, so that gives you twenty minutes to show us the highlights, okay?"
"Man, you are impatient. But twenty minutes is plenty of time. The place isn't very big."
*****
They were done with the tour within ten minutes. There really wasn't much to it at all. The cottage consisted of a huge open concept living area, a large bedroom with walk-in closet, and a ridiculously oversized bathroom with a glass-tiled shower big enough for an entire basketball team to share comfortably. Basically, it was over-the-top luxury done on a very small scale. And it was Lacey's dream place, but not out in the middle of the country.
"Do you live here, Jack?" Lacey asked as they walked back into the living area. She looked around at the small signs of life, like the take-out containers on the granite countertop, and the towels beside the sink.
"No, but I will when it's done." He omitted the fact that he currently didn't really "live" anywhere, though officially his address was the huge mausoleum they'd passed on the way to the cottage. "After the floors, I just have the kitchen island to install and then I have to bribe Serena here to pick out some furniture for me, and I'm all set. Instant bachelor pad in the woods."
"You'd like that wouldn't you, you old hermit," Serena said, punching him in the shoulder. "Living in the woods with no one bugging you. Maybe you should just buy a couple of ugly recliners and embrace your man-cave lifestyle."
"Well, I am hoping to have a few very special guests," Jack said, smiling warmly at Lacey. She looked away, but not before he saw the delighted little smile turn up the corners of her gorgeous mouth. "So something more inviting than a giant TV, a Wii game console and a Lazy Boy would probably be more appropriate."
"He's talking about his brothers' places," Serena said in a stage whisper to Lacey. "Each and every one of them is single and living the ultimate bachelor dream. Last time I was at Jason's, the youngest, there wasn't even toilet paper in the bathroom, just a stack of coffee filters sitting on the bathroom counter. Disgusting."
Lacey laughed merrily and Jack was struck again by what a joyful person she was. He felt better when she was around than he had in years. Maybe ever. Even talking about his dad's death hadn't caused him to spiral into a black mood as was typical for him when the subject came up. Obviously, she had a positive effect on him. If he could just figure out a way to spend time with her without getting too emotionally attached, life would be so much better.
He knew he wasn't capable of anything serious. He couldn't even pretend he was ready for more than a physical connection with another woman after Deborah. It would probably be years before he could put the past behind him enough to really be willing to share his life. Maybe not even then. Just the thought of a traditional courtship made him panic. How could he go on dinner dates, make polite conversation and plans with someone new after what had happened? He couldn't do it. He just couldn't. It felt like a betrayal.
But sex he could definitely handle. Idly, he wondered if Lacey would be open to a casual relationship. Would he blow it if he suggested such a thing? Or maybe she was looking for something without strings too? Looking at her, he doubted very much that she was that open-minded.
He wasn't very good at guessing women's age, but he estimated her to be in her late twenties or very early thirties. But somehow her innocence seemed somewhat intact to him. Not virginal exactly, but definitely not experienced. Bold looks aside, she seemed unnerved by his attention, alm
ost skittish. Like she wasn't used to men wanting her. Or she didn't believe that anyone could be interested in her. He couldn't quite fathom how she had escaped male notice. She was exotically beautiful, quick-witted, sweet, and beyond sexy. Everything a man like him lusted after, and yet she didn't seem to trust that his desire for her could be sincere. Either she had been living in a convent, or the only men she came in contact with had to be gay. That was the only way she could remain so oblivious to the effect she had on his gender, and especially him.
Her innocence both delighted and horrified him. On one hand, the thought of her with anyone else sent him into a jealous rage, so he would be relieved if she hadn't been with a lot of other men. But, if she was relatively inexperienced, it was unlikely she would want to be with someone who was incapable of any kind of emotional connection.
If he was really lucky, like lottery-winner lucky, then she would be innocent and adventurous. What were the odds of that? He was pretty sure this phenomenon never happened outside of really bad porn. But this was exactly what he needed at this point in his life. If there was even a chance Lacey could deal with his limitations and still wanted to explore her sensual side with him then he really needed to broach the subject with her. He would be kicking his own ass if she got away from him again.
Until Lacey had walked into that Open House he'd thought his libido was dead. But apparently it had just been dormant. Now that it was active again, his lust was like a constant hunger in him that refused to be ignored. He was used to keeping that side of his nature in check. Even while married, he had learned to repress it. But all his usual tricks, like cold showers and exhaustion, weren't working anymore. He needed to let the beast loose.
He was a deeply sexual person, but Deborah had not been an enthusiastic lover. She had barely tolerated his touch, and yet he had remained faithful, even when it was obvious that their marriage was over. He had pushed his body and mind to the limit of his endurance with work and exercise, and yet it would still be there. That need. He had hated that weakness in him. Despised his inability to control his thoughts and the way his mind would shift into a fantasy world of women, usually not his wife, when he was not diligent in repressing his impulses. He never acted on them, but his fantasies were vivid and he feared that they would take over if he ever gave them an outlet.
Man, would he love to play out some of those fantasies with this woman. He had many years of frustration to make up for. If only she was willing to buck traditional values and have some fun. He would do everything he could to ensure she didn't get hurt. They were adults. They could be honest about their needs and what they hopefully both wanted. He didn't see why they couldn't enjoy each other without getting too heavily involved. Now, if he could just figure out a way to bring it up without sounding like a complete scum-bag.
"Okay," Serena said, looking down at her watch. "This is what I propose. Just give me three minutes, and then take a day to think about it before you guys react, okay?" She waited for Lacey's vigorous nod, and Jack's impatient, "move this along" gesture before she continued.
"Jay, you know that big old house on Elm you're currently working on? You were going to put a gatehouse sort of building out back, right? Well, I was thinking why don't we have it rezoned as two properties, and then we could build something like this for Lacey." She spread her arms to indicate the cottage.
Jack couldn't help it. Serena's idea was ridiculous. He needed to interrupt before her big ideas got out of hand. "Ess, you know that's not possible. When you brought her here to see the cottage, I thought she already had purchased the land for us to build on. What you're talking about is a very expensive piece of real estate. If the row-house was out of her price range, then your idea is way, way beyond her means." He looked apologetically at Lacey. "I'm really sorry. You have no idea how much I hate disappointing you, but Serena's plan is totally unrealistic."
"That's okay. I totally get it. I kind of had a feeling it was too good to be true," Lacey responded, trying not to let her profound disappointment show.
Serena stomped her foot in impatience. "What did I say? Give me three minutes, and then react. Just listen for another two minutes, and then you can both go back to shooting down my idea before you even give it a chance." She glared at them and then continued. "What I was thinking is that the market is changing. Look at Lacey, she's single and childless. Sorry, Lacey, but you are. Usually someone like her would be restricted to an apartment or a small townhouse. But she also has a dog, which kind of limits her ability to live in either. Right, Lacey?"
"Yup, the neighbors complain if he makes any noise, so I leave him at my mom's house with her during the day while I'm at work."
"See. Lacey doesn't need a lot of space, but she needs some separation from her neighbors. And it's the same for a lot of single moms. They want a yard for their kids to play in, but can't afford your standard three bedroom house. But what if we created something new? A community of very small, detached houses, with all the luxuries people want, but on a very small scale."
Serena smiled, knowing she had their attention, and gestured toward the front of the house. "If you used a similar floor-plan to this place, you could put a small bedroom or den there, with an attached en-suite. For guests or for a kid. Or you could build a loft over the living area."
She waved her arm toward the back of the house. "I know what you're thinking. It would still be pricey. But it wouldn't have to be this customized. I mean, I'm sorry, Jay, but that shower is ridiculous. And why do you need a front door that's ten feet tall? Do you guys see it? And how about seniors? Their population is skyrocketing, and they want to downsize. Many of them don't like apartments after living in houses for fifty years, and townhouses aren't an option because of all the stairs. Do you see the potential?"
Jack was looking at her speculatively. "I don't know. It seems like a gamble."
"It totally would be, if we were going to create the whole huge community at once. But what if we started off with just one unit? One very special place that would pilot the whole project. We could build something Lacey would love, at a discount that she could afford, and in return, she would let us use it as a Presentation Centre for a potential new development, just for a month or two. If there's no interest in it, then we could forget about the whole thing. But if it revolutionizes the real estate market, as I think it will, then we'll all be wildly successful and you'll have me to thank. Now, what do you think?"
"Wow. I'm speechless," Lacey said, looking at Jack. "What do you think? Is it possible?"
Jack rubbed his chin, and looked thoughtful. "I think Serena knows that it's not quite that easy. You can't just show people a property that may or may not be built somewhere else. It's vaguely fraudulent. But the idea itself has merit. A community of small scale detached houses. Hmmm....I wonder where you came up with that?"
"I know. I totally stole the idea from Lacey. That's why I wanted her to be a part of it. She got me thinking about options for single professionals and how they are a huge untapped growth market."
"I'll admit it. It has some merit." Jack said. "But I need some time to think about it, work out the logistics, and maybe, just maybe, if I can get my idiot brothers onboard with it, we can talk about it."
Serena squealed and hugged Jack fiercely. "Oh, and since it was my idea, I get a big chunk of the profits, plus my commission, right?"
"We'll talk about it." He turned to Lacey, who was looking a little shell-shocked. "What do you think, Lacey? Would you consider it? I mean, if we decide to go ahead with it. You and I might have to spend some time together, going over plans, and deciding on where we can cut costs. Could you handle that?" He held his breath, waiting for her response.
If this actually happened, then it was the perfect opportunity to get to know her better and see if she might be open to a strictly physical relationship. Otherwise, he was going to be forced to be direct, and that didn't really feel like the right approach. Asking a sweet woman like her if she wanted to b
e his sex toy seemed unlikely to get a positive response. It might even get him a slap. Maybe prolonged enforced contact with him would take care of the awkwardness and things would just happen naturally. He wasn't a saint. If a little seduction was required, then he was certainly up for it.
"I really don't know," Lacey said, shaking her head. "I'm totally overwhelmed. The thought of my own place, especially something this lovely, in the perfect neighborhood, and in my price range, didn't even seem like a possibility before. I feel like I really shouldn't get my hopes up. Or there's going to be some kind of nasty string attached. I'm not going to have to parade around naked out front to attract buyers or something, am I?"
"Personally, I think that is a great idea. Let's write that into the contract," Jack said, only half kidding.
"You're a pig," Serena said to Jack, but smiled as she said it. She turned to Lacey. "I can't make any promises, but I think this might actually happen. And if I know Jack, it will happen fairly quickly. He prides himself on being a man of action. So, you need to decide if you want to be a part of it. You gave me this idea, so I really do want to return the favor. Take tonight, and think about it seriously. This is kind of an unorthodox proposition so I get it if you're hesitant. Change can be scary, even if it's positive. But let me know soon, okay? This is an opportunity to have exactly what you want, and that doesn't happen all that often. All you have to do is say the word."
Was it just Lacey's imagination or did it seem like Serena wasn't talking about real estate anymore? "I really don't need to think about it. If your plan is really possible, without going outside my budget, then I am totally up for it. What's a few hours a week as an Open House compared to twenty years in my own home." Wow! Her own home. That sounded so wonderful to her, she could hardly believe it. And even if Serena's plan didn't work out, at least there was chance that she might get to spend some quality time with Jack. Serena was right. How often did an average girl like her get to spend time with her dream guy while building her dream home? She'd be a fool not to jump at the opportunity.
Open House (Kingston Bros.) Page 6