Page 98 of Tempting Me

“How many colors are you planning to use in this building?” I ask, keeping to the task at hand as best I can.

We step through the main doors, and the moonlight lights up the room, casting the perfect streak of light over Shay’s sun-kissed face as she smiles over her shoulder at me.

“Do you want to see my Pinterest board of ideas?”

I nod. “Yep.”

She grabs my hand and pulls me to one of the three couches that line the room. The couches are the only things in here that she didn’t replace. With the big windows, it makes sense to have seating areas aside from formal dining, but I see why she wanted to remodel the space so that those sitting in the couches and those eating dinner could enjoy two different experiences without being right on top of each other.

Once I sit, she pulls her knees up and lets them fall over my thigh as she settles right next to me.

“Okay, so I was thinking about these colors.”

Her phone shines back at me with blues, greens, and golds.

“Then I think we could add in bits of soft coral, too.”

She swipes through a few more photos, going on and on about how the coral pillows in this room will be enough and how she’s already got the blue in the hallways and wants to add more plants for the earthy vibe but hasn’t quite figured out the coral or gold for that space yet.

“What if you take pictures from the past years here withyour family, make them black-and- white, and then alter frames in the coral and gold?”

She slowly looks at me, her lips tugging into a smile.

“I think that would be perfect.”

“You could even have a couple of empty ones to fill as the years go on.”

Her lips part on a breath.

My heart immediately beats faster. I reach for her, one hand on her legs, the other sneaking around her back as I lean into her.

“Luca,” she breathes my name on a sigh. “We still have work to do tonight.”

“Well, then, you need to stop what you’re doing.”

She slides a hand into my hair, curls her fingers, and tugs gently just as my lips press to her neck.

“And what am I doing?”

I kiss her neck once more, then her cheek as I whisper into her ear, “You’re tempting me.”

“Am I now?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“What are you going to do about it?”

I move fast, hands on her hips as I pull her fully into my lap, her legs resting on either side of me.

“I’m going to kiss you for a good five minutes at least, then I’m going to get to work, because if I don’t, I’m going to get so lost in you that I won’t be able to focus on anything else.”

“And you’re okay with stopping to work?”

“I am.”

“Oh.”

Her voice is low and her head dips, so I gently touch her chin and force her to look at me.

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