The thought of seeing her again after so long filled him with a sense of anticipation, and he exhaled a deep breath to try and dispel the jittery sensation in his stomach.
Nolan pushed his hands into the front pockets of his pants as he stared up at the fifteen-thousand-square-foot building in front of them. "I can't believe that this place is finally going to be developed into something other than the eyesore it's been for as long as I've been alive."
Kyle silently agreed. Piedmont, the former owner, had been a hoarder and a hermit and a miser who'd died leaving his only offspring with the small fortune he'd amassed. Now his son, Louis, was in the process of finally liquidating all his father's assets, just to rid himself of the possessions he had no interest in keeping. This building in particular was old and run-down and in need of serious repair after decades of neglect, but Kyle could easily see the potential for what the structure could develop into with a full renovation.
Dan Briggs, the auctioneer in charge of today's sale, arrived and took his place in front of the small crowd. Less than a minute later, Kyle caught sight of Ella walking out of the connecting market, a bright, self-assured smile on her face and a sassy pep to her step, as if this piece of property was already hers and this auction was just a formality. His gut clenched at what he was about to do to her, but he couldn't let himself be deterred by an emotion such as guilt.
Without looking at who was gathered to watch the sale, she walked up to Dan and spoke to him for a few moments, even laughing at something he said, though Kyle couldn't hear their conversation. But he did have a clear view of Ella, and he took advantage of the opportunity to really study her without her guard being up, as he knew it would be as soon as he topped her first bid.
It had been years since the last time he'd seen her. In high school, she'd been a pretty girl, with a lithe body that had tempted him to indulge in all sorts of sin. She'd had a sweet innocence about her that had effortlessly drawn him in. She was still slender with graceful long legs, but her curves were more pronounced and womanly. Her fitted jeans emphasized the alluring dip of her waist along with the tight shape of her spectacular ass. She was wearing a light blue T-shirt with Fisher's Grocery printed across her chest, and it didn't escape Kyle's notice that the breasts that had once been small swells of flesh were now firm and full and would overflow in his big hands in the best possible way.
Her delicate features had matured, but she still possessed that natural beauty that didn't require any cosmetics or enhancements. Judging by the loose braid hanging halfway down her back, she'd let her once-shoulder-length style grow quite a few inches, and he found himself wondering how those chestnut strands would look completely unconfined, and if her hair was still as soft and silky as he remembered.
Something in his belly tightened, and he recognized it as attraction and desire, even after all this time. If Ella were anyone else, or a woman he'd seen at a bar in the city, he would have already been working his way toward her to introduce himself and to see if the chemistry was reciprocated. And from there, he'd buy her a drink, they'd talk a bit, and he'd get a feel for if she was up for a mutual night of pleasure.
Kyle killed that line of thinking. As much as Ella still tempted him, he was pretty certain that she'd knee him in the balls before she'd ever date him again. Especially after she learned he was going to be her new business neighbor.
"It's time to get things started," Dan announced.
Ella took a few steps back to give the man some space to deliver the standard spiel that preceded most real estate auctions. She was so confident that she was the only one interested in the building that she didn't even glance over her shoulder to search the gathering of people behind her.
Dan cleared his throat. "Okay, first let's get all the nitty-gritty details of the auction out of the way. The owner has requested that this be a cash-only sale, and no loans will be accepted. Twenty percent of the winning bid must be paid immediately upon purchase, and the balance must be satisfied in full within twenty-four hours of the sale, or the property is forfeited and another auction will take place. There are no liens on the property, and the building will be sold in an ‘as is' condition. Are there any questions before we begin?"
Since all the information for the auction and property had been posted online, Kyle had already done his research on the terms and conditions of the sale and purchase of the property. Here, in a small town where a run-down building wasn't something that normal investors flocked to, the rules were a bit more lax. Still, he'd arrived with a lot of cash in his pocket for the down payment, a notarized statement from the bank certifying the available funds in his personal savings account, and the ability to wire transfer said funds to the seller within a twenty-four-hour period.