The Other Side - J. D. Robb [122]
“We have to find a way to keep him here. We need to get those two young people alone somewhere, so they can connect.”
“You mean talk?”
He winked. “I mean connect. As in turn up the heat, babe.”
“Why Ted. You romantic. What do you have in mind?”
“You know that upstairs room that we use for storage?”
She nodded. “I used to talk about turning it into a sitting room for Christina, until she took an apartment in the city.”
“Right. Well, now that she’s back home, it’s time to reconsider the remodeling job. I think, with the right amount of persuasion, she’ll think it’s all her own idea.”
“And how do you plan to persuade her?”
He dropped a glossy remodeling magazine onto Christina’s desk, then flipped through the pages until he came to the one he was seeking. “Maybe this will give her a nudge.”
As the workmen put the last of the new cabinets in place under Jake’s careful direction, Christina stood back, admiring the look of them. The dull patina of old wood gave just the right touch of elegance to the room.
Jake turned.
Seeing her there, he walked over. “The marble countertops will be installed tomorrow, as well as the bookshelves on either side of the fireplace. Then I’ll be out of your hair.”
“Maybe not.” She showed him the magazine she’d found on her desk, depicting a suite of rooms very similar to her own upstairs. “Now that I’m living in my family home, I’d like to put the space to better use. Would you mind taking a look at my suite to see if you could do something like this?”
He studied the pictures before nodding. “Let’s take a look.”
As they started up the stairs, Ted grabbed his wife’s hand, and they floated along behind.
“Why are we following them?”
“You’ll see.” Ted was smiling broadly.
“My rooms are over here.” Christina led the way through her bedroom to the sitting room beyond. It was a large open space with a balcony overlooking the gardens.
She indicated the pale lemon-washed walls. “After seeing what was done in this brochure, I like the idea of adding shelves and cabinets. What do you think?”
Jake studied the room with an architect’s eye to size and scale. “I agree. Besides giving you more storage, it will add depth and dimension to a flat space. What sort of wood do you have in mind?”
“Nothing as ornate as the wood you used in my office. Something with cleaner lines, I think. Something bright.”
“Yes. Contemporary. With some built-in lights, and possibly some glass panels here and there for variety. I’ll do a few drawings tonight and see if any of them meet with your approval.” As he turned toward the door, the curtains billowed inward on a gust of wind, slamming the door between the bedroom and sitting room.
Startled, Christina grabbed his arm. “Oh.” She let go at once and gave a nervous laugh. “Sorry.”
“It’s all right.”
As he reached for the handle, Christina stood very still, feeling an awareness that was as startling as the slamming of the door. In that simple touch she’d been acutely aware of the ripple of muscle beneath her fingertips and had experienced a quick sexual tug. In truth, her fingertips were still tingling from the touch of Jake Ridgeway.
“That’s odd.” He glanced over his shoulder. “The knob isn’t turning.”
“It sticks sometimes.” Without thinking, she placed her hand over his. At once she became aware of her mistake. The heat was back, stronger and hotter than before.
She removed her hand as though burned, but not before seeing a hungry look in his eyes that had the breath backing up in her throat.
He attempted to turn the knob again, and again was met with resistance.
He gave her a devilish grin. “You sure there aren’t ghosts in this place?”
She managed a laugh. “Not that I know of. What’ll we do?”
He looked around. “We could phone someone to come upstairs and lend a hand.”
She shook her head. “The phone’s in the other room. And my cell phone is on my desk downstairs.”
He patted his shirt pocket.