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I nodded slowly. “The Devil is in the details.”
“You’re positive we didn’t miss something?” he asked, clinging to my wrists.
I stroked his cheek with my thumb, making sure my voice stayed low and even. “Since the house will be uninhabitable during renovation, you’re not required to live here. There isn’t a judge within a hundred miles who would say otherwise.”
“You’re right.”
“I always am.” I gave him a wry grin and slipped my arms around his neck, pulling him against me. “Your most pressing concern now is selecting what wallpaper you want.”
He nodded again, his arms tightening around me.
I pushed him away gently, keeping my hands on his shoulders. “Now, let’s go get that fucking desk out of the doorway and let Dorian work his magic.”
Dorian was sitting on said desk when we returned to the east wing, tapping away on his cell phone. He shoved it in his back pocket when we appeared and jumped to his feet. “Are we good?”
Leander nodded mutely, meanwhile I smirked at Dorian and gave a suggestive glance to the desk. “You want top or bottom, big boy?”
Dorian shook his head with a mock glare. “You’re an asshole. You know that?” He hopped on top of the desk and stepped off into Irene’s bedroom.
Chuckling, I bent down and picked up my end of the desk. With Leander’s help, we were able to maneuver the thing through the doorway and down the hall. Once the movers were back from dropping off our personal effects at the teal Victorian across the river, they could take the desk and deposit it in the basement with the rest of the shit from Irene’s room.
“Now thatthatis done...” Dorian dusted off his hands and strolled back inside the master bedroom.
The three of us stood in the middle of the empty room, surveying the massive space. Dorian started pacing around, darting from one side of the room to the next, muttering to himself and holding his hands up every once in a while like he was a filmmaker lining up a shot.
Leander stared at the floor while Dorian discussed various wood densities and undertones. I couldn’t help but notice the particular spot that held my husband’s attention was where the bed had been. There was a large, circular area, a shade lighter than the rest of the floor.
“Teak is always lovely in a library. The leather smell, combined with the books.” Dorian exhaled in delight. “It’s also period appropriate.”
“If you’re basing your decision on smell, then why not rosewood?” I asked with a smirk, keeping an eye on Leander in my periphery.
Dorian snorted. “How about sandalwood, then?”
“While you’re working your way down the endangered species list, why don’t you go poach an elephant for an ivory inlay?” I challenged.
Dorian considered it for a moment, probably weighing the cost and the legal headache. “It would be historically accurate…” Biting his lip, he looked at me and raised his brows. If I gave the go-ahead, he was one-hundred percent onboard. We burst out laughing together until Dorian shoved me out of the way. “I’ll go get stain samples,” he said, still chuckling.
Shaking my head, I turned to Leander, eyes narrowing briefly. He’d been quiet throughout this whole process. Too quiet. I knew he was worried, but usually he was better at hiding it in front of strangers.
“Is everything alright?” I asked, cocking my head to the side as I studied him.
“Mhmm.”
“Then why won’t you look at me?” He did, defiance hardening his jawline. “Hardly convincing,” I said, trying not to sound too bitter.
“You two seem… close.” Leander fixated on the floor again, his hands clasped behind his back.
I leveled a look at him, knowing damn well he could feel it. And here I thought I was in the clear of his suspicions. “We were. Once upon a time.”
“I see.”
“Do you?”
Instead of answering, he chewed on the inside corner of his mouth and let his glare turn up to the ceiling. Just like the floor, there were areas of plaster that were a touch lighter than the rest. It must have been pretty impressive cast-off spatter, but I wasn’t about to give him kudos when he was sulking.
When he finally faced me, it was with a frown. “I’m sorry my early arrival disrupted your plans.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
