Second Chance at Love(40)

“Can we? I mean whose brownstone is it?” she wondered as Dom led her to the front door.



Delaying answering her question, he assured her it was okay for them to go inside. “This is the project I told you I was working on.” Opening the door, he stepped aside to let her in.



“I’m rehabbing the inside for the owner. He just moved back to the area to be with his fiancée and wants me to get it ready for her as a wedding gift.” Dom was eager to get this project underway. Although he was an engineer, his skills as a contractor were well developed by the summers he worked at his family’s construction business while in high school and college.



“Lucky girl. I’m so jealous.” Putting her hands on her hips, she frowned at Dom. “You suck at surprises.”



He put leather-covered hands to his chest as if offended. “I suck at surprises?”



Karen pouted. “Yes, you do. How is bringing me here a surprise for me?”



Dom dropped his head, pretending to have wounded feelings. “I remember the other night you mentioned you always wanted to live in a brownstone. So I figured I’d bring you to see one.”



Wrapping her arms around his neck, she wished they didn’t have so many bulking clothes on. They made it difficult for her to feel his body against hers. She tenderly kissed his lips apologizing for her playful insult. “You are so sweet.” She kissed him again. “I’d love it if you gave me a tour.”



“Absolutely. But I need to do something first.”



Before she could ask what he needed to do, he covered her mouth with his, kissing her deeply. The kiss had them both moaning. Between the passionate fire of the kiss and all their clothing they both began to sweat. Karen moaned disappointedly when he broke the kiss.



She smiled up at him while sliding her hand in his. “Show me the way Mr. Tour Guide.”



The door from the spacious vestibule led directly into a large living room with shabby hardwood floors and a marble fireplace. The windows, baseboards and crown molding appeared to have the original wood work. The ornate wood work of the banister leading to the second floor was gorgeous. Next, he led her to the dining room, which was nearly the size of a small ballroom. “I bet the previous owners entertained a lot in here,” she commented as she stood in the middle of the room, surveying it.



“Probably so,” Dom agreed as he moved her on to the kitchen.



Karen let out a low whistle. “I sure hope you do something spectacular with this kitchen for this guy’s fiancée.”



“Like what?” he asked curiously as he studied Karen. He could see the interest in her eyes as she was imagining how she would design the kitchen.



Walking to the sink, she said, “You should rip this thing out and put one of those huge double stainless steel numbers in here.” Pointing to the old, broken down refrigerator she wrinkled up her nose as if something smelled awful. “And you can most definitely get rid of that and replace it with one of those gigantic double door refrigerators.”



Dom attentively listened and nodded his head as she suggested he put in a six burner stove and oven. A center island large enough to hold another sink with a pot rack overhead was a must. Karen winked at him. “And of course, she must have granite countertops and some type of natural tile flooring.



Karen thought she had died and gone to heaven when she stepped into the master bedroom. “Oh my gawd! This is like three times the size of my bedroom. And it has a master bathroom! I am so jealous of this chick!” Swirling around on Dom she stated, “This could really be a master suite. I’m talking walk in closets and a spa-like bathroom so fierce you would never want to leave it.”



He just had to rub it in when he mentioned there were two full bathrooms one on the second floor, the other on the third, in addition to a powder room on the first floor near the small office and another in the basement. Dom chuckled when she all but stomped past him grumbling, “I sure hope this chick realizes she has a good man.”



After touring the six bedrooms, three on second floor and three on the third floor, Dom took her down to the unfinished basement and the fenced in backyard. Karen couldn’t believe the backyard was actually large enough to host summer events for family and friends.



Although the house needed lots of work, Karen saw the potential it held.



“Thanks for showing me your project. I would love to see it when you’re all done,” she told Dom as they headed down the front stairs of the brownstone.



Dom smiled down at Karen. “I think that could be arranged.”