Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 83368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
She had absolutely felt that chemistry too. And, as she jumped back into her car and headed to the hotel to pick up her newest client, she was all too aware of the little spurt of excitement in her belly at the prospect of seeing the most attractive man she’d met in a long time. Some clients were better than others, but she rarely felt this excited about taking one to look at a few houses.
Since Mila was a woman who was always aware of time, she noted with approval that Herschel was waiting outside his hotel when she pulled up. He got points for that. He also got points for the cute chinos that bore the crease of an iron and a crisp short-sleeved blue shirt that showed off his seriously impressive arm muscles. He’d made an effort, and it wasn’t going unnoticed. He smelled good, too, she noted as he got into the passenger seat, and he had a leather folder and pen with him. He was taking this seriously, which she appreciated.
“Hello,” he said as he shut the door and carefully clicked his seat belt.
“It’s good to see you again,” she replied, trying to hide as best as she could just how good it felt. “I’ve got three homes I want to show you today.” Promising herself to remain professional, she gave him her standard spiel about how today was really just about getting a feel for his likes and dislikes and giving him an idea of the market. She never liked people to think she could find them a house in one day, even though she sometimes could. He nodded and smiled at her, and she felt her stomach flip again. He really was dreamy.
* * *
Herschel settled into his seat as soon as he confirmed that Mila was an excellent driver. He didn’t make a habit of being driven by other people, and it felt strange to hand control over to someone else. However, the perks of being a passenger meant he could watch her profile as she drove. Mila had an elegant face, a determined jaw. He liked how natural she looked, skin glowing and lips shining, and he could smell the ocean in her hair. That salty scent should have repelled him, but oddly, he found it attractive.
Her vehicle was some kind of SUV that had room for surfboards or clients, depending on which activity she was doing that day. It was neat and clean, but he noticed a tiny trickle of sand on the floor of the driver’s side that revealed the other part of her personality. He’d seen her in her wetsuit, and he’d seen her dressed for an art show, and now he saw her in her business garb. She looked cool and professional. Her hands were strong and capable on the wheel, and the watch on her wrist was both expensive and the kind that divers wore when plunging to some ridiculous depth in the ocean.
She said, “I think all three of these homes give you most, if not all, of what you’re looking for. But houses are like people, in my opinion. You have to meet them and get to know them, and they either work for you, or they don’t.” She smiled at him. “Sometimes you have to date a lot of people before you find your match.”
His heart beat a little quicker. Was she flirting with him? His eyes were steady on hers as he said, “And sometimes it’s love at first sight.”
He didn’t even know what had made him say that, but her reaction was immediate. Her green eyes opened slightly wider, and maybe her breath caught, and then she laughed, but that one moment hold told him everything. She was flirting with him. She felt the connection as strongly as he did. He wondered for a second if she had entertained the fantasy of them married, the way he had. He’d have to make it very clear that marriage was not in the cards for him. Every time he headed off on a mission, he was well aware he might not come back. He wouldn’t put the people he loved at risk like that. Long ago, he’d decided it was a sacrifice he was willing to make for his career.
A few minutes later, they pulled up to the first house on her list. Hersch tried to not feel disappointed. He recognized it from his earlier online search and had decided it was pretty run of the mill. He’d been hoping Mila would perform some kind of real estate magic. But he decided to keep an open mind. If she thought there was something worth seeing here, well, then, he trusted her judgment.
Mila parked, and they stepped out of the car. She told him that the owners were on vacation for a couple of weeks, and so it had been easy to get an appointment on Saturday at dinnertime. She consulted her notes. “The house has been on the market for a couple of months, so I think they’d be flexible on the price. I’m not sure what they’re looking for as a closing date, but we’d push for an early one. Often, if you present sellers with a really attractive offer, they’ll be more flexible about things like closing dates.”