Page 8 of Snowed In With the Maverick
In the photo that he’d found of her online, she was wearing a white button-up dress shirt, her hair pulled back in a tidy bun. He’d been immediately struck by her beauty, not to mention her credentials. But when he called the museum to ask how he could get in touch with her, the receptionist informed him that they had no contact information or forwarding address. He couldn’t find any other place of employment and so had given up looking for her.
He listened to the sink running upstairs, then the opening and closing of doors, and moments later, Andrea reappeared at the bottom of the staircase wearing black jeans, a snug pale blue button-up and her hair loose around her shoulders.Brainsandbeauty, he thought, trying not to stare at the drop-dead gorgeous woman who was also the key to putting his plan into place.
He didn’t have time to get distracted by the rush of heat pooling in his chest. Not if he was going to keep his focus and play this right.
“Kitchen’s through this way,” Andrea said. “Leave your shoes on. It’s dusty.”
Seth followed her down the hallway to a bright, if slightly outdated kitchen with windows framing a breathtaking view of vast, rolling plains, dotted with sparse clusters of trees and the distant silhouette of rugged hills. Once she got the place modernized a bit, it really would be quite the property. Not the kind of land he was looking for—the water mains and electrical lines in this area weren’t built to support anything more than the few properties that existed there—but for a small guest ranch, it was pretty darn near perfect. “Feel free to have a seat.” She nodded toward the kitchen table. “What do you take in your coffee?”
“Just black is fine, thank you,” he said, and sat down at the small oval table, which was covered with paint swatches and fabric samples and stacks of interior design magazines. So she had a decorating eye as well.
Seth watched as she poured two mugs of coffee from the countertop percolator, then added some milk from the well-organized fridge to hers.
“Thanks,” he said, as she passed him a mug, then took a seat across from him. He took a sip of the hot coffee, then cleared his throat. “I don’t want to take too much of your time,” he started.
Andrea looked at him expectantly from across the table. She was hospitable and polite, but there was something no-nonsense about her, and he knew he was intruding. Time to make his case. “But as I mentioned, this project I’m considering embarking on could be an exciting one. The first thing I’d like to do is assess the area and determine what else is hiding under that ground. Would you consider coming out to the site to have a look? Talk me through what you think we should do as next steps?”
“And what exactly are you planning on doing if any more fossils are discovered?” Andrea asked.
Seth took another sip of his coffee. “Over a decade ago, there was talk of building a tourist attraction in the area. An immersive experience, with exhibits and activities and ways for people to learn about dinosaurs in a fun and engaging way. It never ended up happening, but I’m considering investing in something similar. I think the only way to get it off the ground would be to confirm that this area of land we’re on was a hotbed for dinosaurs, and that the fossils are from this very place. Like I said, I have a hunch that they’re under there, and I want to get started as soon as possible on breaking ground.”
He tried his best to read Andrea’s expression, but she wasn’t giving him anything but a quiet intensity that shot straight through him. Between that and his excitement for this project, he’d be wise to put this coffee down now, and not take another sip.
“It’s no small thing, an excavation like the one it sounds like you’re picturing,” Andrea said. “I’m not sure who owns the land, but the permitting could take a while, especially if it’s with the Bureau of Land Management or the National Parks Service. Even if it’s private property—”
“Which it is,” Seth said.
“Fine. But there will still be the matter of setting up the legal arrangements for the ownership and handling of any fossils discovered.”
Seth found himself hanging on her every word. Even talking about something as dull and dry as drawing up contracts, Andrea Spence was mesmerizing. “I’ve thought all that through,” he said. “I’m more interested in the viability of the dig and then moving forward as soon as possible before the ground freezes. Will you come have a look?”
Seth noted a flicker of hesitation in her eyes, a flash of distrust. Why was she so reluctant to get involved? He knew that renos were a lot of work, but surely a paleontologist would have at least a passing interest in the discovery of bones, not once but twice in the same area. “I would, of course, compensate you for your time,” he said, but he sensed that wasn’t what was holding her back.
The sound of a phone ringing from the hallway interrupted them. “I should get that,” Andrea said. “It might be one of the electricians I called to come by and do an estimate.”
“No problem at all,” said Seth.
* * *
Andrea plucked her phone off the workbench and hesitated for a moment before answering. Look where answering an unfamiliar number had landed her already this week. She hit the button to send the call to voicemail, then took a moment alone in the foyer to gather herself before returning to the kitchen.
Seth Taylor was probably the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen, and while he spoke and moved with confidence, he didn’t possess the same arrogance as Harold, who seemed to believe the world revolved around him just because he had beautiful eyes and hair that waved just so.
Seth was smart, and genuine. And the way he spoke about the site and the potential plans for a dig stirred something in her. She might have walked away from her job, but her passion for her field and the curiosity about a potential discovery were too tempting to deny.
When she reentered the kitchen, Seth was at the sink, washing his mug with the sponge. He’d taken off his leather jacket and hung it over his chair. “Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” she said, noting the broadness of his shoulders and the perfect cut of his button-up shirt, his sleeves rolled up to reveal thick, toned forearms. Andrea swallowed.
Seth placed the mug on the drying rack, then looked up at her, his deep blue eyes sending a ripple of pleasure right through to her core. “So, what do you say?”
“I’ll come look,” Andrea said.
“Tomorrow?” Seth said. “I’ll pick you up.”
“I’m busy tomorrow. But I can do Friday,” she said. No need to be too available.
Seth nodded, the corners of his mouth turning up in a slight grin. “It’s a date,” he said.
It’s most certainly not a date,Andrea wanted to say, but instead, she showed Seth back to the foyer, and shook his hand again, this time without leaving his palm covered in dust.
