“You’ve got a lot of room here,” she said, appreciating the high ceilings and spectacular views of the city beyond the wide windows surrounding them.
“Yeah,” Callan said from his position in the kitchen.
Realizing he was getting her the baggie, she followed him over to the walk-in pantry and watched him dig one out of a box. She tried not to stare at the shelves full of food that served as stark reminders of her own bare shelves.
“What’s the square footage?” she asked.
He gave her a strange look as he handed her the baggie.
“It would be helpful to know what you’ve got here as we begin exploring listings,” she explained as she took the baggie. “Thanks for this.”
“Oh. Sure.” He stepped out of the pantry and closed the door. “This is a little over fifteen hundred square feet. But it’s just a two bedroom with a den. I’d like a couple more bedrooms in a house.”
“Okay.” She finished sealing the baseball and storing it in her bag. “Would you mind showing me around? I’d like to get a sense of your taste, what furniture you’ll be moving into a new home, and what fixtures and conveniences you’re used to.”
“Actually, most of this came with the condo,” he said. “I’ve been renting furnished places to make it easier between moves.”
“I see. Is there anything here that’s yours?”
“My clothes and accessories, of course. And I guess most of the stuff in the den, but it’s not really relevant to what I want in a house.”
“You might be surprised,” she said.
He shrugged. “Okay.”
She hung her bag over the back of one of the bar stools at the kitchen island and followed Callan down a second hallway. She spotted what appeared to be a guest room to the right as they entered the hallway. To the left was a full bath. A second turn in the hallway led to the closed door that she assumed was the den.
Callan opened the door, reached in to turn on the light, and stepped aside to allow her to enter. She smiled to convey her appreciation as she moved past him and took a look around.
Then she just stared.
The room was filled with hockey memorabilia. Framed jerseys and collector’s prints hung on the walls. Special wood and glass boxes highlighted with pin lights displayed signed hockey sticks, pucks, helmets, and various pieces of hockey gear. Three of the four walls had simple bookcases filled with trophies, framed photographs, and medals. As she got closer to them, she realized all of the awards were Callan’s. The photos were photos of him receiving the awards.
Her gaze fell on a glass case in the corner standing on its own pedestal. “Is that…?”
“An Olympic silver medal,” he said.
He hadn’t moved into the room, she realized. She also realized that she should have done more research on him that involved more than just hunting for sexy photographs on Google.
She reached up and pressed a finger to her temple as she thought about what it must have felt like for Callan to see her fan-girling over Javy and the baseball. She hadn’t once thought to ask him for his autograph. Doing so now would just be pathetic.
But she really wanted to.
“I’m impressed, Callan,” she said, turning to face him. “And this actually does help. All of this deserves a place on honor in your new home.”
He shrugged again. “There’s that, I suppose.”
She sensed his discomfort. Was he uncomfortable being praised? That didn’t seem like the Callan Murphy she’d come to know. Where was his arrogant swagger?
Was it just her? she wondered. Was he regretting hiring her?
Time to get things back on track. “All right,” she said, approaching him as she went to exit the room. “You also mentioned your clothes and accessories. Is that all you typically bring with you from city to city?”
He didn’t move like she expected him to. She ended up much closer to him than she intended. Only a few inches separated them. His attention shifted to her mouth.
“I also bring my bed,” he said in a voice that made her pulse jump for joy.
Without her consciously thinking about it, her body drifted even closer to his. “Do you?”
“Yep. I’m a big guy. I need a mattress that can accommodate me. My bed is really comfortable. We can go test it out if you’d like.”
Her lips curved. There was that swagger.
She reached up and gave him a light shove, making him chuckle. “I’ll take your word for it, Mr. Hockey.”
They headed back to the family room. She walked over to her bag and pulled out the tablet she had bought as one of her first new investments in her career. She carried it everywhere.
“Why don’t we chat a little more about what you want in a new home?” she suggested.
“All right. Can I get you anything to drink?” Seeing her look, he tacked on, “Non-alcoholic since we’ll be driving to the listings soon.”
That was one of the reasons she had wanted to meet at his condo. It was closer to the listings than her apartment or office.
“I’ll take some water, thanks.”
“Sure.”
She walked over to the couch and sat down. The leather was definitely real, she thought as she ran her hand over the buttery softness of it.
“Is this modern style something you like?” she asked as she watched him move around in the kitchen.
“It’s all right, I guess. Suits my needs.” He paused to fill a couple glasses with ice and water, then carried them into the family room. “But if you’re asking my preferred style,” he said as he handed her a glass, “this isn’t it. I’m more partial to the Cape Cod stylings of my youth in Boston.”
She thanked him for the water and took a sip before opening her tablet and making a couple notes. “How interesting. I would never have guessed that looking around here.”
“I get that. It’s another reason I’m interested in finding a place to call my own. Put my own personal stamp on it.”
“Absolutely. Does that mean you’re open to a fixer-upper?”
“I’m not sure about that. Once the season starts, I won’t be around much to deal with all of that. I guess I could hire someone, though. Might work out all right having someone renovate while I’m away.”
An unexpected pang struck her over his mention of being gone once the season started. As unconventional as things had been between them so far, she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t been enjoying her time with him. She actually thought she’d miss him once he was playing and traveling for road trips.
Wasn’t that something?
“Well,” she said, “I don’t want to color your judgment before we even leave, but I’m fairly certain none of the listings I pulled are going to be exactly what you’re looking for. Are you sure you still want to go running around the city with me?”
His slow smile had that fire burning low in her belly. “I sure do, Roxy. You never know what might happen.”
And with those words, she knew she was doomed to once again break her no-sex pact in the very near future.
Chapter Fifteen
They headed down to the parking garage a short while later.