Owen opened the front door for them

Owen opened the front door for them. Nonie entered first, chattering away as she did. Jordan, who’d been examining the carved doorframe, followed more slowly. As she stepped over the threshold, she was stopped by his hand.
Her brows drew together in a questioning frown as she instinctively pulled her arm away from the warmth of his fingers. With an effort, she resisted the urge to rub the spot on her arm that still tingled from the momentary contact. She really wished he’d stop with all this casual touching. “Yes?” she asked.
“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about the awkwardness of the situation. I don’t think Nonie realizes—”
That shows how little you know her. “Please don’t apologize. Your presence makes absolutely no difference to me.” A part of her couldn’t believe how rude she had just been. She wasn’t usually churlish. But few people succeeded in irritating her with so little effort. Indeed, he was so irritating that she decided she wasn’t going to apologize for the remark. Her chin rose defiantly.
If he was offended, he didn’t show it. “Well, I won’t worry then,” he said.
She caught the thread of amusement in the low rumble of his voice. What could he possibly find so entertaining, she wondered, before stifling a gasp as he suddenly leaned forward.
His strong-boned face was far too close. For some reason, though, she stood rooted to the spot, watching as his angled head came even nearer. My God, was he going to kiss her?
Mere inches away from her trembling lips, he halted his progress and simply inhaled. Deeply.
Jordan nearly jumped out of her skin. Had he just sniffed her?
“What … what are you doing?” The words came out in a panicked rush that matched the speed of her pulse.
His smile was as innocent as a choir boy’s. “Nothing. I was trying to identify your perfume.”
“I … I’m not … I’m not wearing perfume.”
His face was still far too close. The gold chips glittered in his dark eyes, brilliant and mesmerizing. They made her system go haywire. She couldn’t move, not even to take half a step backward.
“Are you sure?” He frowned. “How strange, because you smell wonderful.” That he sounded abstracted, as if he weren’t intentionally trying to fluster her, only rattled her more.
“I—” She had no idea what to say.
She was saved by Nonie, who called out, demanding to know what was holding them up.
Owen straightened, a smile playing over his lips. “I guess it’s time to show us what you’ve got, Jordan.”
Okay, now she was truly convinced he was playing some kind of mind game to throw her off balance. Perhaps he was exacting revenge for her earlier comment. Her dislike ratcheted up a notch. And, no, her antipathy had nothing to do with the fact that this man had been able to make her heart stop and then pound like a kettledrum just by bringing his classically carved face a warm, coffee-laced breath from hers.
With a parting glare she turned and strode in the direction of Nonie’s voice, determined to ignore Owen Gage and to dazzle Nonie Harrison. The former now seemed the greater challenge.
Afternoon sunlight poured in through the living room’s twin Palladian windows, illuminating the space and highlighting the restored plaster moldings and decorative columns. Beneath Jordan’s feet the parquet floor was freshly sanded and finished. Its warm honey tones gleamed. She stopped in the center of the room, taking in the airy proportions and the vertical rhythms created by the windows and columns and the large marble fireplace on the opposite wall.
If this were her home, Jordan thought, she’d do as little decorating as possible, letting the architectural details speak for themselves.
But Nonie’s aesthetic was best described as “more and more is more,” so the trick to satisfying her tastes would be to suggest just the right number of knickknacks and patterned silks, without burying the elegance of the interior space under a mountain of visual clutter.
The feat would have been challenging enough without Owen listening in. Stationed by one of the windows, he was peering intently out at the garden as if fascinated by the reddish-green leaves on the still bloomless rosebushes. She supposed she should be grateful that he was attempting to be as unobtrusive as possible, yet somehow she couldn’t muster even a smidge of gratitude. His silent presence was too distracting. And she was furious with herself for continuing to notice him at all—he was the last person she should be thinking about at a time like this.
The time had come to act like the professional she was supposed to be. If that weren’t enough inducement, she reminded herself that the sooner she finished talking to Nonie about design ideas for the cottage, the sooner she could say good-bye to Owen Gage. With luck she’d never see him again.
She took a moment to fish a notepad and fountain pen from her large leather tote. Fixing a bright smile on her face, she said, “The restoration work is simply wonderful, Nonie. I can’t wait to see the other rooms. Let me give you an idea to consider. When I started thinking about the décor for the cottage, I realized it might be neat if we could create a pretty, carefree echo of the style you’ve achieved in the larger house.”
“How interesting. Tell me what that would look like.”
“Well, as the cottage is a smaller version of the main house, I’d like to connect the spirit of the two houses so that when your guests and family are here in this space, it’ll be like an extension, a riff on Overlea.”
Nonie’s brow furrowed, a feat considering the number of botox sessions she’d had. “But I don’t want just a repeat of what I have.”
“Of course not,” Jordan agreed lightly. “The purpose of the guest cottage is very different—you don’t want, for example, to worry about things being broken or damaged here, so we should select pieces and fabrics that are a bit more playful, carefree, and above all maintenance free.”
“And what about colors?”
“Well, I know how much you like lavenders and blues. I think that palette would go especially well in this room. We could work those colors into the fabrics and keep the walls an off-white with an accent trim for the woodwork. The whites will keep your blues and lavenders purer and also enhance the wonderful sense of light and air in the room.”
“I like that. And what about over here by the fireplace?”
“Bookshelves.”
“Bookshelves?” Nonie repeated vaguely.
She nodded. “One of the joys of staying in someone’s home is discovering the library, a wonderful mix of classics and all different kinds of genres, and then curling up with a book in front of the fireplace. We can place two wing chairs and ottomans on either side of the fireplace and have the sofa over there. Your guests will have lots of room to curl up with a book in the afternoon between lunchtime and cocktails—those hours when, as a hostess, you really value your privacy. Remember, the mission of the cottage is that it’s as much for you as it is for your guests.”
Nonie laughed in delight. “You’re so wonderfully clever, Jordan. Isn’t she clever, Owen?”
He turned from the window and his gaze settled on her. “Yes, she is.”
Why did her cheeks have to warm like a schoolgirl’s simply because he hadn’t said her ideas were garbage?
“This is tremendous fun! Now, tell me what you envision for the other rooms, Jordan. And in case I forget, when we get to the bedrooms, I’d want one of them to have a younger look.”
Jordan nodded easily. “Jane Churchill has some exquisite papers and fabrics for children’s rooms. They’re so beautiful and classic an adult would love falling asleep surrounded by them, too. That sort of flexibility is important when you’re decorating a guest house. I brought a sample book of her papers and fabrics to show you as well as some other designers I thought you might like.”
“You are a marvel, Jordan. Truly.”

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

Owen membuka pintu bagi mereka. Nonie memasuki pertama, saling mengumbar berjarak seperti yang dia lakukan. Jordan, yang telah telah meneliti bingkai pintu berukir, diikuti lebih lambat. Seperti dia melangkah melalui ambang batas, ia dihentikan oleh tangannya.Alis nya menarik bersama-sama dalam kerutan mempertanyakan karena ia secara naluriah menarik lengan dari kehangatan jarinya. Dengan usaha, dia menolak dorongan untuk menggosok tempat di lengannya yang masih tergelitik dari kontak sesaat. Ia benar-benar berharap dia akan berhenti dengan semua ini menyentuh kasual. "Ya?" tanyanya."Aku hanya ingin mengatakan bahwa saya menyesal tentang kecanggungan dari situasi. Saya tidak berpikir Nonie menyadari — "Yang menunjukkan betapa sedikit Anda mengenalnya. "Tolong jangan minta maaf. Kehadiran Anda benar-benar tidak ada bedanya bagiku." Bagian dari dia tidak bisa percaya bagaimana kasar dia baru saja. Dia tidak biasanya kelakuannya. Tetapi beberapa orang berhasil menjengkelkan dia dengan sangat sedikit usaha. Memang, ia adalah begitu menjengkelkan bahwa dia memutuskan dia tidak akan meminta maaf atas komentar. Dagunya naik menantang.Jika dia merasa tersinggung, ia tidak menunjukkannya. "Yah, aku tidak akan khawatir kemudian," katanya.Dia tertangkap benang hiburan di rendah gemuruh suara-Nya. Apa bisa dia mungkin menemukan sangat menghibur, dia bertanya-tanya, sebelum mencekik terengah sebagai tiba-tiba ia membungkuk ke depan.Wajahnya kuat bertulang adalah terlalu dekat. Untuk beberapa alasan, meskipun, dia berdiri berakar di tempat, menonton sebagai kepalanya siku datang bahkan dekat. Ya Tuhan, dia akan menciumnya?Hanya inci dari bibirnya bergetar, ia dihentikan kemajuan dan hanya dihirup. Sangat.Jordan hampir melompat dari kulitnya. Telah ia hanya mengendus dia?"Apa yang... apa yang Anda lakukan?" Kata-kata keluar terburu-buru panik yang cocok kecepatan denyut nadi.Dia tersenyum adalah bersalah sebagai paduan suara anak laki-laki. "Tidak ada. Saya mencoba untuk mengidentifikasi parfum Anda.""Aku... Aku tidak... Saya tidak memakai parfum."Wajahnya adalah masih jauh terlalu dekat. Chip emas berkilauan di matanya yang gelap, brilian dan memesona. Mereka membuat sistem rusak. Dia tidak bisa bergerak, bahkan untuk mengambil setengah langkah mundur."Apakah Anda yakin?" Ia mengerutkan kening. "Bagaimana aneh, karena Anda bau indah." Bahwa ia terdengar disarikan, seolah-olah ia tidak sengaja berusaha untuk fluster dia, hanya menyebutkan dirinya lebih."Saya —" ia tidak tahu harus berkata apa.Ia diselamatkan oleh Nonie, yang dipanggil keluar, menuntut untuk tahu apa adalah memegang mereka.Owen diluruskan, senyum yang bermain lebih dari bibirnya. "Saya kira sekarang saatnya untuk menunjukkan kepada kita apa Anda punya, Jordan."Oke, sekarang dia adalah benar-benar yakin ia bermain semacam permainan pikiran untuk membuang keseimbangan. Mungkin dia adalah menuntut balas dendam atas komentar sebelumnya. Ia tidak suka ratcheted membuat takik. Dan, tidak, antipati nya tidak ada hubungannya dengan kenyataan bahwa orang ini telah mampu membuat nya jantung berhenti dan kemudian pound seperti gendang hanya dengan membawa nya klasik ukiran wajah hangat, kopi-laced napas dari miliknya.Dengan silau perpisahan dia berbalik dan berjalan ke arah suara Nonie's, ditentukan untuk mengabaikan Owen Gage dan mempesona Nonie Harrison. Mantan sekarang tampak tantangan lebih besar.Sinar matahari sore dituangkan melalui ruang tamu twin Palladian jendela, penyuluhan ruang dan menyoroti dipulihkan plester cetakan dan kolom dekoratif. Di bawah kaki Jordan's lantai parket segar diampelas dan selesai. Nada hangat madu yang berkilau. Dia berhenti di tengah-tengah Kamar, mengambil dalam proporsi yang lapang dan irama vertikal yang dibuat oleh windows dan kolom dan perapian marmer besar di dinding yang berlawanan.Jika ini adalah rumahnya, Jordan berpikir, ia akan melakukan sebagai dekorasi sedikit sebanyak mungkin, membiarkan rincian arsitektur berbicara sendiri.Tapi Nonie's estetika terbaik digambarkan sebagai "semakin lain", jadi trik untuk memuaskan selera nya akan menyarankan hanya jumlah yang tepat dari pernak-pernik dan berpola sutra, tanpa mengubur keanggunan ruang interior di bawah gunung visual kekacauan.Yang feat akan memiliki telah cukup menantang tanpa Owen mendengarkan. Ditempatkan oleh salah satu jendela, ia adalah mengintip saksama keluar di Taman seolah-olah terpesona oleh kemerahan-hijau daun pada hektar masih bloomless. Dia seharusnya dia harus bersyukur bahwa ia mencoba untuk menjadi seperti tidak mengganggu mungkin, namun entah bagaimana dia tidak bisa mengumpulkan bahkan smidge syukur. Kehadiran-Nya yang diam adalah terlalu mengganggu. Dan dia marah dengan dirinya sendiri untuk terus melihat dia sekali — dia adalah orang terakhir yang dia harus berpikir tentang pada waktu seperti ini.Waktunya sudah tiba untuk bertindak seperti dia seharusnya menjadi profesional. Jika itu tidak cukup bujukan, dia mengingatkan diri bahwa semakin cepat ia selesai berbicara dengan Nonie tentang ide-ide desain untuk pondok, semakin cepat ia bisa mengucap selamat tinggal kepada Owen Gage. Dengan keberuntungan dia pernah akan melihat dia lagi.Dia mengambil waktu untuk ikan notepad dan pena dari nya besar kulit tote. Memperbaiki senyum cerah di wajahnya, dia berkata, "kerja pemulihan itu hanya indah, Nonie. Saya tidak sabar untuk melihat kamar lain. Biarkan saya memberi Anda ide untuk mempertimbangkan. Ketika aku mulai berpikir tentang dekorasi untuk pondok, aku menyadari itu mungkin rapi jika kita bisa membuat gema yang cantik, carefree gaya Anda telah mencapai di dalam rumah yang lebih besar.""Bagaimana menarik. Katakan padaku apa yang akan terlihat seperti.""Yah, sebagai Pondok adalah versi kecil dari rumah utama, saya ingin menghubungkan semangat dua rumah sehingga ketika Anda dan keluarga Anda berada di sini di ruang ini, itu akan menjadi seperti perpanjangan, riff pada Overlea."Nonie’s brow furrowed, a feat considering the number of botox sessions she’d had. “But I don’t want just a repeat of what I have.”“Of course not,” Jordan agreed lightly. “The purpose of the guest cottage is very different—you don’t want, for example, to worry about things being broken or damaged here, so we should select pieces and fabrics that are a bit more playful, carefree, and above all maintenance free.”“And what about colors?”“Well, I know how much you like lavenders and blues. I think that palette would go especially well in this room. We could work those colors into the fabrics and keep the walls an off-white with an accent trim for the woodwork. The whites will keep your blues and lavenders purer and also enhance the wonderful sense of light and air in the room.”“I like that. And what about over here by the fireplace?”“Bookshelves.”“Bookshelves?” Nonie repeated vaguely.She nodded. “One of the joys of staying in someone’s home is discovering the library, a wonderful mix of classics and all different kinds of genres, and then curling up with a book in front of the fireplace. We can place two wing chairs and ottomans on either side of the fireplace and have the sofa over there. Your guests will have lots of room to curl up with a book in the afternoon between lunchtime and cocktails—those hours when, as a hostess, you really value your privacy. Remember, the mission of the cottage is that it’s as much for you as it is for your guests.”Nonie laughed in delight. “You’re so wonderfully clever, Jordan. Isn’t she clever, Owen?”
He turned from the window and his gaze settled on her. “Yes, she is.”
Why did her cheeks have to warm like a schoolgirl’s simply because he hadn’t said her ideas were garbage?
“This is tremendous fun! Now, tell me what you envision for the other rooms, Jordan. And in case I forget, when we get to the bedrooms, I’d want one of them to have a younger look.”
Jordan nodded easily. “Jane Churchill has some exquisite papers and fabrics for children’s rooms. They’re so beautiful and classic an adult would love falling asleep surrounded by them, too. That sort of flexibility is important when you’re decorating a guest house. I brought a sample book of her papers and fabrics to show you as well as some other designers I thought you might like.”
“You are a marvel, Jordan. Truly.”