When in real life the man who owned and decorated (or oversaw the decoration) of a place such as this would have zero tolerance for a clueless heroine he had to train. Instead, he’d only have eyes for a woman confident in every aspect of her life. He would also never end up in a trendy country setting that was actually a suburb. He might eventually end up in a mini-mansion much like mine or a country house that had already been completely refurbished so he could start raising horses without delay, but never a trendy country setting.

And if he adopted a dog, he’d pick whatever breed struck his fancy, as long as it wasn’t too happy-crazy-bouncy and the dog was fine with either going with him everywhere he went like a hot guy canine sidekick or being chill hanging out and waiting for Dad to come home.

These thoughts inanely running through my head, I glanced around noting they’d used the raw materials of the warehouse beautifully. Nick’s space being a bachelor pad for a man with money and taste. But a woman could easily make the space feminine and marvelous.

Too bad he lived in that building. I would be in the market for something (hopefully soon, though no offer from the second viewing and actually no additional viewings from anyone) and I could work with a space like this.

I felt his eyes on me and looked up to him at my side.

“Impressive,” I noted.

“I can die happy, you approve,” he muttered, but there was no sting to his words because even in the subdued lighting of his space I could see his eyes were amused.

He was teasing.

I ignored that and declared, “Though, I feel I must inform you that the La-Z-Boy skews your aesthetic.”

My flippant remark was a mistake.

The biggest one I’d made in my life.

Because the second I finished uttering it, Nick’s arm shafted up. Before I knew what he intended, he’d hooked it around my neck, using it to yank me to him. I collided with his long, solid frame just in time to hear and feel him burst out laughing.

His laughter was as deep and pleasant as his voice.

And then some.

A lot of some.

So much of some I wanted the sound and feel of it to last a lifetime.

Unfortunately, it did not. His arm at my neck released some pressure and I felt him shift so I looked up at him to see he’d adjusted to look down at me.