Free Handcuffed in Housewares: Tulle and Tulips, Book 3 by Nikki Duncan

without a woman in his life had been, having Leigh show up had him realizing how quiet the last week had been. Making love with her had rocked, but more than that he’d enjoyed talking to her. She brought a spark of life into his house, making it feel a bit like a home.
    “Are you going to stain the floors or clear coat them?”
    “Good question.” Leading the way to the kitchen, he picked some sample blocks of wood up from the bar. “I’m debating between the lighter, more natural-looking pine or a deeper, darker cherry, mahogany or ebony.”
    “You strike me more as a mahogany kind of guy. You’re not light and open, but you’re not dark and secretive either. This mahogany—” she lifted a sample strip, “—is a happy medium and you could make things darker or lighter with your choices in furniture and finishing touches.”
    “Is decorating another one of your talents?” he asked, shifting so his bicep rubbed her shoulder. Warmth and comfort slipped through him. The softness of her scent floated beneath the lingering smell of sawdust.
    “If it involves shopping I’m good at it.”
    “Oh, so you have a standing love affair with your credit card.” After years with his ex he should have recognized the signs. He would have if it weren’t for her conservative appearance.
    Even conservative, there was a polish to her that came from shopping. From the top of her perfect bun to the tip of her pricey shoes. Between top and tip were perfect makeup, crisp clothes, erect posture and an insight into fashion shared with her friends. He’d been blinded by the sensible side of her and by her willingness to rearrange plans to go bowling, an evening that should have been harmless.
    “We’re friends, but I prefer it when someone else gets the resulting bill.”
    “Predictable behavior for most women.” Another thing she had in common with his ex. It wasn’t a shining quality.
    She sat the wood blocks on the counter and looked up to meet his gaze. Her brows curved a little more than normal. It was the same way she’d looked at him when they first met, like she was worlds away from approving of him. That he wanted her approval was a new thing for him. He’d given up on worrying about what women thought of him, but he wanted Leigh to see only the goodness in him. Even if experiences had him looking for the negatives in her.
    “You say that like you think I’m leading people into debt.”
    “Really?” He wasn’t sure if it surprised him more that she sounded offended or that it upset him to hear her sound like he offended her. He wasn’t used to thinking so much about what others thought and felt. “You’ve never once encouraged someone to buy something just because it would look good? You only suggest things that serve a purpose?”
    She turned and looked at him with her head cocked a little. Her voice, when she spoke, carried a bristly tone that said he’d raised her hackles. “By your logic no one would have things like art on their walls or colorful knickknacks. You wouldn’t have gone for the decorative wall sconces in your office when a normal light bulb in an overhead light would have sufficed.”
    “Except that the more decorative sconce is an enhancement that makes the house worth more.”
    Her lips curled. “If your next buyer likes muted light more than direct overhead lighting. It’s all personal preference.”
    “You’re saying you help people define their preferences?”
    “You guide your clients when it comes to updates and building projects. You help them decide what will work in a space and what won’t. And I’m fairly certain your suggestions are sometimes at the higher end of their budgets. I do the same thing for my clients.” She shrugged and turned toward the front door. “Had I known you’d find what I do, and me by extension, so distasteful, I’d have never come here.”
    It shouldn’t have taken an argument to reveal the truth of her character. Being burned was never a