Deadly Proposal(50)
“Those can be replaced,” James said. “Tell me more about the house.”
“There’s a formal dining room and a huge, open living room.”
“I like that,” James said, turning onto a side street. “What makes this house so exciting to you?”
“It’s what’s behind the house that I like so much,” Mandy admitted.
James glanced at her, cocking an eyebrow. Her face was flushed with excitement. She could sell him a shack right now and he would buy it. “What’s behind the house?”
“Well, it’s actually on four lots, so there’s a lot of room,” Mandy explained. “There’s an in-ground pool with one of those hot tubs at the end that overflows into the pool with a waterfall.”
James liked the idea of a hot tub. In fact, naked Sundays in a hot tub sounded pretty darn appealing. “I like that.”
“There’s also a guesthouse.”
“A guesthouse? What are we, the Clampetts?”
“Who are the Clampetts?”
“The Beverly Hillbillies,” James said. “You need to watch something other than horror movies. They’re rotting your brain.”
“Yeah, like The Beverly Hillbillies is quality entertainment,” Mandy scoffed.
“Fine,” James said, sighing. “Tell me about this guest house.”
“Well, it’s two stories,” Mandy said. “The ground floor is – and I think you’re going to love this – designed as an old western saloon.”
James pondered the statement. “Why will I love that?”
“It’s got a hand-carved old bar,” Mandy said, her eyes sparkling. “The room is huge. I was thinking it would make a great television and game room. We’ll need a spot for the pool table.”
James pursed his lips. She’d given this a lot of thought. “What’s on the second floor?”
“It’s an open loft,” Mandy said.
“And what are we going to do with that?”
Mandy bit her lower lip. “I’ll tell you when we see it,” Mandy said. “I think you may need visuals.”
James sighed. She was already in love with this house. “Okay,” he said. “I want you to just … rein it in, baby. We need to see it before you move us in.”
“I know,” Mandy said, jutting her lower lip out into the pout James loved.
James checked his GPS again, confirming the address, and then pulling into the driveway. He put the Explorer into park, leaning back into his seat as he took in the spectacle in front of him.
The house was large and rectangular, a privacy fence at the back hiding Mandy’s selling point. James reached over to pull her hand into his. “For the love of all that’s holy, please keep your excitement to a minimum unless we’re alone. If the real estate agent smells blood in the water … .”
“I got it,” Mandy said, leaning over the console to give him a kiss. “Aren’t you excited?”
She was excited. That’s all that mattered to him. “Let’s go and look at a house.”
The real estate agent waiting for them was young, about Mandy’s age. She had long auburn hair, and she was tall and shapely. James waited for Mandy in front of his Explorer, linking his fingers through hers when she joined him.
“And how do you know her?”
“Her name is Tanya,” Mandy said. “She was my roommate in college.”
“You don’t have to go to college to be a real estate agent,” James said.
“She went to college for acting,” Mandy supplied. “It didn’t take.”
“Huh. You can’t become a famous actress at a mid-Michigan college? I’m shocked. How long did it take her to figure that out?”
“Seven years.”
James scowled. “And she’s our real estate agent?”
“Be nice,” Mandy chastised him. “Please. For me?”
James sighed, leaning over and giving her pouty mouth a quick kiss. “We’re not buying this house today. You know that, right?”
“I know.”
James wasn’t sure she did. He let her lead him up to the front door of the house, reluctantly letting her hand go as she squealed and embraced the auburn-haired woman waiting for them. After a few breathy exchanges, Mandy introduced them. Tanya looked him up and down, her gaze appreciative.
“Well, aren’t you just … something.”
James was uncomfortable under her scrutiny. “It’s nice to meet you. Mandy has told me a lot about you.”
“And how did you two meet?” Tanya asked.
“We grew up in the same town,” Mandy explained, clearly missing the predatory look on Tanya’s face. James figured out pretty quickly that she saw money and sex when she looked at him, a combination he wasn’t thrilled with.