possessive glint in his eyes made me quiver. With a quirked tilt to my mouth, I asked, "What? Are you marking your territory?"
"As pretty as you are, I probably need to," he replied with a husky laugh.
"That goes both ways," I murmured, thinking of how damn sexy he was and how many other women would kill to have him.
"You think I'm pretty?"
I rolled my eyes and pinched his arm. "You know what I meant."
"I do." Chuckling, he brushed our mouths together. "Even though I want to take you to bed, I know I have to let you go. You need to get moving if you're going to get to church on time."
"Considering the sinful things we've been doing, I definitely need my dose of the gospel this morning."
Sergei gestured toward the ceiling. "I hear he's rather forgiving."
Sliding off his lap, I pecked his cheek. "For our sakes, let's hope so."
Laughing, he popped my bottom before I moved out of reach. "I'll have that door fixed in a few hours."
"I won't be home until the early evening. Mama and I go out for a nice lunch after church and then she likes to go over to the shop for a few hours."
"I'll take care of dinner."
My heart raced at the idea of spending another night with him. Was I ready for that? We had agreed to try dating but this didn't feel exactly like dating. We were charting new territory for me. I'd never allowed a man to stay over at my place, and this breakfast thing was a first, too. Now he wanted to make me dinner?
"Unless you'd rather I give you some space tonight?" he asked carefully.
"No." The word was out of my mouth before I had a chance to overthink the situation. I decided to go with my instincts on this one—and my instincts urged me to keep him close. "I'd like to spend time with you tonight."
Still seated, he grasped my hand and tugged me back to his side. Cupping my nape, he peered into my eyes. "You're afraid."
I swallowed and nodded. "I blew off all that talk of my prowler during the reception but honestly? It scared me to hear something—someone—walking around my yard in the dark. I liked having you here with me last night. It made me feel secure."
As if making a vow, he pressed his lips to my bared neck. "I'll keep you safe, Bianca."
Embracing him, I inhaled his masculine scent and relished his heat. "I know you will."
Chapter Five
"Well, what do you think?" George wiped his hands on a rag and gestured to the beautiful wooden door they had just finished installing.
Sergei stepped back to admire the stained glass inset in the polished and richly stained wood. "It's perfect. She's going to love it."
"It's damn close to the picture you brought down to my warehouse."
Eerily so, Sergei thought to himself. He had gone to see George hoping the master carpenter would have something left over from one of those multi-million dollar builds that might fit Bianca's house. He had been fully prepared to walk away empty handed and in need of a temporary door from a hardware store. The second George had taken a look at the photo Sergei had borrowed from Bianca's inspiration board, the older man had simply laughed and beckoned Sergei to join him in that massive workshop of his.
"You know," George leaned his shoulder against the house, "I actually put in a job bid here a few months ago."
"For what?"
"Full bathroom and kitchen remodel and the carriage house out back. I got the feeling she wasn't expecting numbers that high. She was really sweet about it but declined to hire us. It's a shame." George ran an appreciative hand along the side of the house. "It's a beautiful old place. I still can't believe she got it for a song at that tax sale."
Sergei suppressed the annoyance that flared within him at the discovery that Bianca had probably gone to every single contractor in the damned city except him for help. "Do you still have a copy of that bid?"
"Sure. You want it?"
"Yes."
George's brow lifted. "You thinking of taking on the work? I thought your guys only did retail."
"They do. It wouldn't be my
"As pretty as you are, I probably need to," he replied with a husky laugh.
"That goes both ways," I murmured, thinking of how damn sexy he was and how many other women would kill to have him.
"You think I'm pretty?"
I rolled my eyes and pinched his arm. "You know what I meant."
"I do." Chuckling, he brushed our mouths together. "Even though I want to take you to bed, I know I have to let you go. You need to get moving if you're going to get to church on time."
"Considering the sinful things we've been doing, I definitely need my dose of the gospel this morning."
Sergei gestured toward the ceiling. "I hear he's rather forgiving."
Sliding off his lap, I pecked his cheek. "For our sakes, let's hope so."
Laughing, he popped my bottom before I moved out of reach. "I'll have that door fixed in a few hours."
"I won't be home until the early evening. Mama and I go out for a nice lunch after church and then she likes to go over to the shop for a few hours."
"I'll take care of dinner."
My heart raced at the idea of spending another night with him. Was I ready for that? We had agreed to try dating but this didn't feel exactly like dating. We were charting new territory for me. I'd never allowed a man to stay over at my place, and this breakfast thing was a first, too. Now he wanted to make me dinner?
"Unless you'd rather I give you some space tonight?" he asked carefully.
"No." The word was out of my mouth before I had a chance to overthink the situation. I decided to go with my instincts on this one—and my instincts urged me to keep him close. "I'd like to spend time with you tonight."
Still seated, he grasped my hand and tugged me back to his side. Cupping my nape, he peered into my eyes. "You're afraid."
I swallowed and nodded. "I blew off all that talk of my prowler during the reception but honestly? It scared me to hear something—someone—walking around my yard in the dark. I liked having you here with me last night. It made me feel secure."
As if making a vow, he pressed his lips to my bared neck. "I'll keep you safe, Bianca."
Embracing him, I inhaled his masculine scent and relished his heat. "I know you will."
Chapter Five
"Well, what do you think?" George wiped his hands on a rag and gestured to the beautiful wooden door they had just finished installing.
Sergei stepped back to admire the stained glass inset in the polished and richly stained wood. "It's perfect. She's going to love it."
"It's damn close to the picture you brought down to my warehouse."
Eerily so, Sergei thought to himself. He had gone to see George hoping the master carpenter would have something left over from one of those multi-million dollar builds that might fit Bianca's house. He had been fully prepared to walk away empty handed and in need of a temporary door from a hardware store. The second George had taken a look at the photo Sergei had borrowed from Bianca's inspiration board, the older man had simply laughed and beckoned Sergei to join him in that massive workshop of his.
"You know," George leaned his shoulder against the house, "I actually put in a job bid here a few months ago."
"For what?"
"Full bathroom and kitchen remodel and the carriage house out back. I got the feeling she wasn't expecting numbers that high. She was really sweet about it but declined to hire us. It's a shame." George ran an appreciative hand along the side of the house. "It's a beautiful old place. I still can't believe she got it for a song at that tax sale."
Sergei suppressed the annoyance that flared within him at the discovery that Bianca had probably gone to every single contractor in the damned city except him for help. "Do you still have a copy of that bid?"
"Sure. You want it?"
"Yes."
George's brow lifted. "You thinking of taking on the work? I thought your guys only did retail."
"They do. It wouldn't be my
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