Redeeming The Billionaire (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 5) (9 page)

Wonderful, not only do I look like an idiot but I insulted him, too.
“It’s not that. I do but—”

A deep rich chuckle filled the car. “I’m giving you a hard time, Addie. Relax. You look about ready to jump out.”

In front of them a minivan cut them off without using a directional and Trent swore his voice barely audible.

“I hate when people do that,” she said, grateful the other car had distracted him from their conversation.

“You and me both.” Trent reached out to adjust the temperature on his side of the car. “So does your cousin live with you?” he asked, starting up another conversation.

***

Trent stopped the car in front of the three-story mansion. From the outside it looked pristine, nothing like it had during his last visit more than a year ago. Thanks to the maintenance company he’d hired, the exterior received regular maintenance now. He assumed the inside looked just as flawless. After updating Marty on the situation, he’d hired a service to come in and clean the interior from top to bottom in anticipation for Addie’s visit.

Salty ocean air washed over him when he got out of his car and he paused for a moment just to savor it. There was just something about the air near the ocean. It brought back memories of his childhood long before his mom died, when he’d run around Cliff House with his brothers and cousins or visit Martha’s Vineyard and spend hours outside while his mom tended her flowers.

“It looks like you’ve already done work here,” Addie said when he opened the car door for her. “In the pictures I saw the house looked a little run-down and the grounds overgrown.”

The house’s exterior had suffered from years of neglect, which was most likely why it had been on the market for several years before he purchased it the year before. “I had all the exterior projects completed last summer, but went overseas before anything could be done inside.” He led her up the front steps and unlocked the door. “After you.”

A quick glance around the entryway showed that the maid service he’d hired had done a fabulous job. Sunlight from the windows gleamed off the polished wood as well as the granite tiles. Not a single cobweb or speck of dust showed on the light fixtures and the barest scent of sandalwood permeated the air.

“Do you have any idea what you’d like done?” Next to him, Addie looked around the empty space.

“Not a one. Honestly, this is the first time I’ve been in here since I bought it.” He held a hand out toward her. “Why don’t we take a tour and then come up with some ideas.”

It took a second or two before she accepted his hand. “You haven’t spent any time here?”

In the past year he hadn’t stepped foot in this house or the condo he owned in Aspen, but he kept that to himself. While she knew exactly who he was, he didn’t want to reinforce the differences between them. Doing that could backfire on him and ruin his plans before he even got started. “My previous job required a lot of travel.” Before he’d accepted his current position within Sherbrooke Enterprises, he’d spent only a handful of weeks in the US. With his hand still wrapped around hers, he led her to what had once been a library.

A large fireplace with an intricately carved mantel, a large gilded mirror above it, filled the far wall. Built in bookcases, which stretched from the floor to the ceiling, filled two of the walls while windows facing the manicured lawns took up the last one.

“Other than furniture, I wouldn’t touch this room.” Addie pulled her hand away and stepped closer to the fireplace. “It’s gorgeous just the way it is.”

He agreed. The room held a classic beauty that time hadn’t ruined. “I think you’re right. Let’s see what else we have down here.” He took her hand again and led her across the room.

Hand in hand, they went through every room on the first floor and then headed up the stairs. “In the description I read, it stated that the house contained separate his and her suites,” Addie said as they entered the first of the large second-floor bedrooms. Light pink silk wall coverings lined the walls and all the woodwork was painted white. “This must have been for the wife.” She released his hand and walked toward the full-length mirror mounted on the wall. “It mentioned that the door leading to the bathroom is hidden behind a mirror. This must be the one.”

“You know more about this place than me.” Trent’s eyes followed her every move as she searched for the latch behind the mirror.

“I like to know all I can before I start a project.” Her hand stopped; then she leaned closer to the space behind the mirror. “Found it.” Addie looked over her shoulder at him, a triumphant smile on her face. “There’s a small release right here.”

From where he stood he saw nothing. “Let’s see what’s on the other side.” He crossed the room and when she pushed on the small release the door swung open.

Light from the bedroom spilled into the hidden bathroom. Unlike the rest of the house, dust covered the built-in makeup table, and the mirror mounted on the wall contained a thin layer of dirt from years of neglect. A large claw-foot bathtub sat in one corner of the room while a pocket door remained partially open revealing a toilet in its own private space.

“This is fantastic. I love these old tubs.” She paused next to it. “When you remodel this room you have to keep this tub.”

The old fashion tub did add a certain charm to the room. Without even trying, he could picture Addie soaking in it, her hair draped over the back and bubbles all around her body.

“You’re the expert here. If you say it needs to stay, then it stays.”

Addie moved away from the tub and pulled open another door in the wall revealing a long closet. “Unless you knew about this room, you’d never guess it was here.” She pulled the chain hanging from the ceiling and the overhead light switched on. “If what I read is correct, this closet will lead us to the bathroom in the husband’s suite.”

Trent followed her further into the closet and past the shelves to the door at the end. Coming up behind her, he reached around her and opened the door before she could. Sure enough, the door led them into a masculine version of the room they’d just left. It even contained an identical tub.

“You really didn’t know about this?” she asked, looking back at him.

“No. I bought it with the assumption I’d gut most of the interior, so I did only a quick tour before I made my offer and I never opened the original plans they gave me. I brought them with me today. I thought maybe you’d find them useful.”

“You can’t gut this house. It has too much character.” Alarm echoed in her voice. “Sure it needs some updates and a few changes here and there, but it would be a shame if you got rid of everything.”

Now that he’d taken his time and gone through the home, he agreed with Addie’s assessment. The home contained too much classic elegance to scrap everything. Taking Addie by the elbow, he led her toward a door he assumed would bring them into the bedroom.

“Why don’t we finish our tour? Then discuss your thoughts over dinner.”

“Sounds like a plan to me. I already have a few ideas in mind.”

Unlike on his last visit, Trent took his time exploring the second floor with Addie. In addition to his and her suites, the second floor also contained three guest bedrooms, a bedroom that had once been a nursery judging by the mural painted on the ceiling, a small office and access to a balcony that ran the entire length of the house, providing an unobstructed view of the ocean.

“I could stand out here all day and look at this view,” Addie said as they both stood at the railing looking out at the rolling waves that crashed onto the small strip of beach at the end of Trent’s property.

“Do you like the beach?” He turned away from the ocean view, more interested in the way the breeze played with Addie’s hair than the waves.

“It’s okay. I don’t spend a lot of time there, but this view is unbelievable. I wish I had my sketch book with me.”

The wind blew several strands of her hair across her face. Before she could react, he reached out and tucked them back behind her ear, the back of his fingers brushing against her cheek. At the contact Addie turned away from the view and met his eyes.

“You draw?” he asked as she kept her gaze locked on his rather than turn back to the ocean.

“It’s kind of like a hobby. Some people knit, I draw and paint.” Once again the breeze blew some of her hair toward her face. This time before he could react, she pulled all her hair back in a ponytail and held it in place. “I should have tied my hair up today. I didn’t consider how breezy it might be near the water.”

“Why don’t we go inside and check out the third floor? Then we can have some dinner before we head back to your house.”

***

Situated at the beginning of Newport’s famous cliff walk, The Spiced Pear remained a popular five star restaurant that welcomed anyone who could afford its pricey meals. Over the years, he’d taken a few women to the exclusive restaurant partially because it provided its clients with privacy. Members of the paparazzi never made it past the front entrance thanks to security guards stationed near the valet parking stand. But the privacy of the restaurant wasn’t the main reason he’d picked it tonight. Instead, its romantic atmosphere had been first and foremost on his mind when he’d made the reservation.

“It is nice to see you again, Mr. Sherbrooke,” the maître d’ greeted when they walked inside. “If you’ll please follow me, I’ll show you to your table.”

Placing a hand at the small of Addie’s back, he followed the maître d’ into the main dining room. Although on the early side, several couples sat at tables, already enjoying drinks while they waited for their dinners.

“I hope this table is satisfactory.” The maître d’ stopped at a table near the windows overlooking the Cliff Walk. A single candle sat in the center of the table and a red rose had been placed in front of one chair.

“Perfect, Pierre. Thank you.” Before the other man could do so, he pulled out a chair for Addie and gestured for her to sit.

“Your waiter, Allen, will be right over.”

With a slight nod, Trent took the seat across from Addie. “Is something wrong?” Uncertainty clouded her expression as her eyes darted around the restaurant.

When he spoke, her eyes swung toward him. “When you said dinner I thought you meant one of the restaurants on Thames Street, not here.”

Trent let his forearm rest on the edge of the table. “The Spiced Pear is my favorite restaurant in Newport, but if you’d prefer somewhere else we can go.”

Addie’s eyes swept across the room one more time. “No, this is fine.”

Her feeling uncomfortable here hadn’t crossed his mind, but evidently it should have.
Time for a distraction.
“What are your initial thoughts for the house?”

Across the table, she took a sip from the water glass she’d just picked up. “I know you had other ideas, but in some of the rooms I wouldn’t do anything more than redecorate.” She placed the glass back on the table, but her fingers remained on the stem. “The house contains a lot of character. I think it would be a shame to tear it apart. That said, there are some areas where I’d make major design changes, starting with the kitchen. Its layout may have made sense in the 1900’s but it’s poorly laid out for today. There is a lot we can do in there.”

Even as a person who spent little time in the kitchen, he’d noticed the antiquated design. “I agree with you. Any other thoughts?”

“The bathrooms. Although I wouldn’t change everything. The clawed-foot tub and built-in makeup table in the woman’s master must stay, but I’d include a shower stall and additional cabinets. I’d leave the connecting closet to the other bathroom but reduce the number of shelves so it’s not so narrow.”

As the evening progressed and they enjoyed dinner, Addie went through each room, listing what she believed needed to remain and what needed to be changed. With each suggestions she made, she listed her reasons, demonstrating just how well educated she was on the matter.

“You’re the client, so if you want me to do some designs for the entire home I will, but I believe it’d be wrong to destroy what you already have.”

He speared the final piece of tenderloin on his plate. After his tour of the home that afternoon, he’d noticed many fine details that he’d missed on his previous walk-through. “I agree with you. Can you start on designs for the kitchen and bathrooms and at the same time come up with less drastic changes for the rest of the house?”

Addie blinked a few times as realization dawned on her face. He was offering her an opportunity at a million-dollar project, and she knew it. “Yes.” Her voice resonated with excitement. “I’ll need proper measurements and a few ideas of what you may have in mind, but I can start right away otherwise.”

Much like a current of electricity, Addie’s excitement traveled across the table and zapped him. “Like I said, I have the original architectural plans with me. You’re welcome to them. If they’re not sufficient we can head back to the house after dinner.”

Across from him, she placed her fork down beside her plate. “I’ll take the plans, but if you don’t mind I’d like to go back and get some photographs as well.”

By the time they walked into his home again, the sun had begun to set, casting shadows across the main entryway. “Let’s start in the kitchen since that’s the room that requires the most work. Then if I don’t finish before it gets dark I can come back and get more pictures later.”