A terrific fantasy but a terrible i

A terrific fantasy but a terrible idea. He was keeping his hands and his mouth off Jordan, just as she’d said she wanted.
So although he could have taken the measurements for the bathrooms without Doug’s help, his contractor’s presence served as a much needed safety barrier. With Doug around, Owen could act like he wasn’t at all affected by her, or remotely inclined to kiss her. In fact, he’d pretty much resolved the night before while tossing and turning on the mattress in the master bedroom that he wasn’t going to touch Jordan again. At least, not until she asked him to.
But a resolution like that was a lot easier to keep when she wasn’t in the same room. What amazed him was that she didn’t even seem to be aware of her effect on him. She was just being herself. It was small consolation that he wasn’t the only one falling under her spell. From the way Doug was acting, it was clear he would happily rip up any number of rooms just to make Jordan smile.
By all rights he shouldn’t have had to worry about Jordan’s effect on Doug. The man was on his second marriage, with kids from both wives. At least he’d warned Jesse off. As soon as Owen caught that appreciative gleam in his carpenter’s eye, he’d made sure Jesse understood Jordan was in a different league from the local women he invariably became “friendly” with when he was on a job.
Never particularly territorial, Owen found it strange that he should feel possessive about a woman who not only wasn’t his, but who had gone so far as to tell him pointblank that she wasn’t interested in enjoying any kind of intimacy with him.
Thank God it was Friday. After work, he’d ring up Fiona and see whether she was free this weekend. There was a woman who wasn’t afraid to express her interest in a man.
Finished with the kitchen, they worked their way through the butler’s pantry and then started on the bathrooms, measuring and debating design ideas, with Owen sketching in the details of the layout that he would later enter into a CAD program. They were on the second of the three and a half baths when Owen caught Jordan glancing at the slim watch on her wrist.
“Time to pick up the kids?”
“Yes, in about fifteen minutes,” she said, “I’m sorry I can’t stay longer. My babysitter is off early today so I can have her all day tomorrow.” Her explanation trailed off as if she knew how little interest the topic of babysitting schedules held for him.
“That’s all right. Let’s just finish laying out this bathroom. It’ll only take a few minutes. No need for you to stick around, Doug. I think I heard Jesse’s truck pull up a few minutes ago. Probably back from his run to Braverman’s.”
“Lunch sounds pretty good right now. Want me to bring your sandwich?”
“No, I’ll eat after I’ve checked out the chimney on the east side of the house. And, Doug, remember to request liners for both chimneys.”
He nodded. “I’ll call Donahue. Well, it was nice meeting you, Jordan. See you next week.”
Jordan shook his hand. “It was nice to meet you, too, and thanks for all your help today.”
After Doug left, Jordan watched quietly as Owen, leaning over the sink’s counter where he’d balanced his pad of paper, roughly sketched in the bathroom’s layout. “So you think we should have the bathtub here and the walk-in shower over here?” he asked, pointing with the tip of his pen.
She moved closer. “No, I think the tub should be angled away from the window, like this,” and she drew her finger across the paper. The gesture caused her hair to fall forward, the curling end of one auburn lock grazing his forearm.
The sound of his indrawn breath was magnified in the tiled bathroom. She felt Owen go stock-still beside her, and for a second everything inside her went still as well … except for the racing of her heart. As if abruptly finding herself on the edge of a precipice, she took a hasty step back and tucked the wayward lock of hair behind her ear.
Owen remained where he was, his gaze fixed on the graph paper. Then, in a tone that betrayed nothing, he asked, “And the sink over here?”
“Yes,” she replied. She told herself she was relieved he was behaving so professionally.
She waited, this time keeping a careful distance from him, while he finished the floor plan. When he capped his pen she picked up her leather tote and said brightly, “Well, I should be going.”
With a nod he stuck his notepad under his arm. “I’ll walk you to your car.” But as they left the bathroom, crossed the sunlit bedroom that adjoined it, and then started down the hallway to the stairs, he said, “Jordan, aren’t you forgetting something?”
She stopped, patted her bag and opened it, double checking. “No.” She shook her head, then said, “Oh, thank you! My folders for the kitchen are downstairs.”
His mouth twitched and then that smile, which had such a devastating effect on her, appeared. “I was actually thinking of money. You haven’t told me what you plan to charge me yet.”
“Oh! That’s right.”
They descended the wide staircase and went to the kitchen where Jordan had left her files. As she gathered them into her arms, he said, “So?”
Her cheeks went warm at the amusement in his simple prompt.
She met his gaze reluctantly. “This is much harder for me than selecting bathroom hardware. I’m rotten at figuring out what I should charge for a job I love doing.”
“Loving your work is immaterial. You still need to be paid for the hours you’re going to spend working your fanny off, which I know you’ll be doing because this place offers a great opportunity to showcase your talent. I’d just like to know what it’s going to cost.”
She hesitated. “Seeing that your firm already has accounts set up with retailers and distributors, I guess a flat fee commission would be appropriate.”
“That sounds reasonable. And?” he prompted.
“Right.” She drew in a breath. “How about four thousand dollars?”
He gave a bark of laughter. “That’s ridiculous,” he said, shaking his head.
“Ridiculous? I—”
“You should be charging twice that.”
“Twice that?” she gasped. “That’s insane. Four thousand is already double what I was going to charge Nonie.”
“Stupid of you. You’d have spent an easy thousand on aspirin alone to deal with the headache of working with Nonie.”
She fought back a smile. “No, because to do that, I’d have to be popping aspirin around the clock and I don’t believe in going past the recommended dosage.”
“You’ve never worked for Nonie.”
The smile won. “Nevertheless, I can’t charge you eight thousand dollars.”
He cocked a dark brow. “Why not?”
“It’s too much.”
“I promise you by the time this house is decorated you’ll have earned every penny.”
She shook her head. “Doubtful, but even so, it just doesn’t feel right to ask that much money until my reputation as a decorator is established.”
“Okay. Then consider this. Though you may be doubling your original fee, it’s only a third of what we’re billing Nonie.”
An appalled laugh escaped her.
“You may laugh,” he said, grinning himself, “but there are certain advantages to charging a higher figure, and to prove I’m a nice guy I’ll share my wisdom with you, my rookie competition. First, if you charge too little, people will instinctively wonder why and assume it’s because you’re not good enough to charge more. They’ll pass you over when they’re collecting bids for a job. Second, if you don’t charge enough and have the misfortune to land someone like Nonie Harrison as a client, she’s going to start adding to her wish list until suddenly you find you’re not just decorating the cottage, but redoing the main house, too. And you can forget about renegotiating your fee. You’ll be lucky to get five hundred more dollars from her. A higher commission fee keeps shameless opportunists like Nonie in line. So while it may seem like hubris to charge a little more, it’s actually a sound business principle.”
“All right, you’ve convinced me. Eight thousand it is. Even Jade’s going to be impressed with that princely sum. Thank you for being so generous.” Her smile slipped for a moment. “By the way, I’m really sorry to have to cut out so soon today.”
“Don’t be. We got a good amount done and we can finish up the remaining bathroom and powder room on Monday. Unless you want to come by tomorrow.”
Owen couldn’t believe he’d just proposed they work on a Saturday, when he had every intention of going back to Alexandria for the weekend and, with any luck, never straying far from Fiona Rorty’s bed. He blamed his insane suggestion on the fact that he could still feel where the ends of her hair had grazed his skin. The thought of her glossy auburn hair wrapped around his fists as he tasted her again, having it brush against his naked chest as she moved over him, was enough for him to add, “I really would like to get the bathroom layouts finished as soon as possible.”
She shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t tomorrow. Margot, Travis, and Jade are taking some of our horses to a show down in Lexington, so I’m in charge of the barns with Ned and Andy.”
“Oh. That’s okay.” He ignored the pang of disappointment.
“I could come over on Sunday, though I’d have to bring the kids with me. Max and Kate are very curious to see the house. Of course Max would be happiest if every single one of your crew was on site so he could watch them at work. He’s a bit tool-obsessed.”
Having her kids underfoot was not what he’d envisioned. Keeping in mind how much Jordan liked them, he crafted a carefully noncommittal response. “I may have to be in Alexandria on Sunday—”
But something about the amused smile that lit Jordan’s face had him adding, “But feel free to bring them over another time when Max can see the crew in action.” It’d be far better if there were lots of other people around to entertain them.

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

Fantasi hebat tapi ide yang buruk. Ia adalah menjaga tangannya dan mulutnya off Jordan, sama seperti dia berkata dia ingin.Jadi meskipun ia bisa saja mengambil pengukuran untuk kamar mandi tanpa bantuan Doug, kontraktor nya kehadiran menjabat sebagai yang sangat diperlukan penghalang keamanan. Dengan Doug di sekitar, Owen bisa bertindak seperti dia tidak di semua terpengaruh olehnya, atau jarak jauh cenderung untuk menciumnya. Bahkan, ia telah cukup banyak memutuskan pada malam sebelumnya sementara melemparkan dan berpaling di kasur di kamar tidur master bahwa ia tidak akan menyentuh Jordan lagi. Setidaknya, tidak sampai dia bertanya kepadanya.Tetapi resolusi seperti itu jauh lebih mudah untuk menjaga ketika ia tidak di kamar yang sama. Apa kagum dia adalah bahwa dia bahkan tampaknya tidak menyadari nya efek pada dirinya. Dia hanya menjadi dirinya sendiri. Itu adalah penghiburan kecil bahwa ia tidak hanya satu jatuh di bawah mantra nya. Dari cara Doug bertindak, itu jelas ia akan dengan senang hati merobek atas sejumlah kamar hanya untuk membuat Jordan tersenyum.Dengan semua hak dia seharusnya tidak harus khawatir tentang efek Jordan's Doug. Pria itu di pernikahannya yang kedua, dengan anak-anak dari istri kedua. Setidaknya ia telah memperingatkan Jesse off. Segera setelah Owen tertangkap kilauan menghargai itu di mata Nya carpenter's, dia telah memastikan Jesse mengerti Jordan dalam Liga berbeda dari wanita-wanita setempat yang ia selalu menjadi "ramah" dengan ketika ia masih pada pekerjaan.Tidak pernah sangat teritorial, Owen merasa aneh bahwa ia harus merasa posesif tentang seorang wanita yang tidak hanya tidak nya, tetapi yang telah pergi begitu jauh dengan menceritakan pointblank bahwa dia tidak tertarik untuk menikmati jenis keintiman dengan-nya.Terima kasih Tuhan itu Jumat. Setelah bekerja, ia akan menelepon Fiona dan melihat apakah dia adalah gratis akhir pekan ini. Ada seorang wanita yang tidak takut untuk mengungkapkan minatnya dalam manusia.Selesai dengan dapur, mereka bekerja dengan cara mereka melalui butler's pantry dan kemudian mulai di kamar mandi, mengukur dan berdebat ide-ide desain, dengan Owen sketsa dalam rincian tata letak bahwa ia akan kemudian masuk ke dalam sebuah program CAD. Mereka berada di kedua dari tiga setengah pemandian ketika Owen tertangkap Jordan melirik menonton ramping pada pergelangan tangannya."Waktu untuk mengambil anak-anak?""Ya, di sekitar lima belas menit," katanya, "Aku menyesal aku tidak bisa tinggal lebih lama. Babysitter saya dari awal hari ini sehingga saya dapat memiliki semua hari besok." Penjelasan dia membuntuti seolah-olah dia tahu betapa sedikit menarik topik Penjagaan jadwal diselenggarakan untuknya."Itu adalah semua benar. Mari kita hanya selesai meletakkan keluar kamar mandi ini. Itu hanya akan mengambil beberapa menit. Tidak perlu bagi Anda untuk tetap tinggal, Doug. Kurasa aku mendengar Isai truk tarik up beberapa hari lalu. Mungkin kembali dari dijalankan ke Braverman's.""Makan siang Kedengarannya cukup baik sekarang. Ingin saya untuk membawa sandwich Anda?""Tidak, aku akan eat setelah saya telah memeriksa cerobong asap di sisi timur rumah. Dan, Doug, ingat untuk meminta liners untuk kedua cerobong asap.Dia mengangguk. "Saya akan menelepon Donahue. Nah, itu senang bertemu Anda, Jordan. Sampai minggu depan."Jordan mengguncang tangannya. "Itu bagus untuk bertemu Anda, juga, dan terima kasih untuk semua bantuan Anda hari ini."Setelah Doug kiri, Jordan menyaksikan diam-diam Owen, bersandar counter wastafel di mana ia telah seimbang nya pad kertas, kira-kira digambarkan dalam tata letak di kamar mandi. "Jadi Anda pikir kita harus di sini dalam bak mandi dan pancuran walk-in di sini?" Dia bertanya, menunjuk dengan ujung pena.Dia bergerak lebih dekat. "Tidak, saya pikir bak mandi harus miring dari jendela, seperti ini," dan ia menarik jarinya melintasi kertas. Gerakan ini menyebabkan rambutnya jatuh ke depan, akhir curling satu kunci auburn merumput lengan bawahnya.Suara nafasnya indrawn diperbesar di kamar mandi keramik. Dia merasa Owen pergi stock-still sampingnya, dan untuk kedua segala sesuatu di dalam dia pergi masih juga... kecuali balap hatinya. Seolah-olah tiba-tiba menemukan diri di tepi jurang, dia mengambil langkah terburu-buru kembali dan terselip patuh kunci rambut di belakang telinganya.Owen tetap tempat itu, dengan tatapan yang terpaku pada kertas grafik. Kemudian, dengan nada yang mengkhianati apa-apa, ia bertanya, "dan wastafel di sini?""Ya," jawabnya. Dia mengatakan dirinya ia lega ia adalah berperilaku sangat profesional.Dia menunggu, kali ini menjaga jarak berhati-hati dari-nya, sementara dia selesai denah. Ketika dia capped Penanya dia mengambil nya kulit tote dan berkata dengan ceria, "Yah, aku harus pergi."Dengan anggukan ia terjebak notepad nya di bawah lengan. "Saya akan memandu Anda ke mobil Anda." Tapi ketika mereka meninggalkan kamar mandi, menyeberangi dipekirakan kamar tidur yang terhubung itu, dan kemudian mulai menyusuri lorong untuk tangga, katanya, "Jordan, tidak Anda melupakan sesuatu?"Dia berhenti, menepuk tasnya dan membukanya, mengecek. "Tidak." Ia menggelengkan kepalanya, kemudian berkata, "Oh, terima kasih! Folder saya untuk dapur turun."Mulutnya twitched dan kemudian itu tersenyum, yang memiliki efek yang merusak pada dirinya, muncul. "Aku adalah benar-benar berpikir uang. Anda belum mengatakan apa yang Anda berencana untuk menagih lagi.""Oh! Itu tepat."Mereka turun tangga lebar dan pergi ke dapur tempat Jordan meninggalkan file nya. Seperti dia mengumpulkan mereka ke dalam tangannya, dia berkata, "Jadi?"Pipi pergi hangat di hiburan di prompt sederhana nya.Dia bertemu dengan tatapan enggan. "Ini jauh lebih sulit bagi saya daripada memilih kamar mandi perangkat keras. Aku busuk di mencari tahu apa yang harus saya biaya untuk pekerjaan yang saya suka lakukan.""Mencintai pekerjaan Anda imaterial. Anda masih harus dibayar untuk waktu Anda akan menghabiskan bekerja fanny Anda, yang saya tahu Anda akan melakukan karena tempat ini menawarkan kesempatan besar untuk menampilkan bakat Anda. Saya hanya ingin tahu apa yang akan biaya."Dia ragu-ragu. "Melihat bahwa perusahaan Anda sudah memiliki account mengatur dengan pengecer dan distributor, saya kira rata biaya komisi akan sesuai.""Hal itu terdengar masuk akal. Dan?"Dia diminta."Benar." Ia menarik dalam napas. "Bagaimana tentang empat ribu dolar?"Dia memberikan kulit tawa. "Itu konyol," katanya, menggelengkan kepala."Konyol? Saya — ""Anda seharusnya pengisian dua kali itu.""Dua kali lipat? dia terkesiap". "Itu gila. Empat ribu sudah dua kali lipat apa yang akan biaya Nonie.""Bodoh dari Anda. Anda akan menghabiskan waktu ribu aspirin sendiri untuk berurusan dengan sakit kepala bekerja dengan Nonie mudah."Ia berjuang kembali senyum. "Tidak, karena untuk melakukan itu, aku harus muncul aspirin sepanjang waktu dan aku tidak percaya pada akan melewati dosis yang dianjurkan.""Anda tidak pernah bekerja untuk Nonie."Memenangkan senyum. "Namun demikian, saya tidak dapat diisi Anda delapan ribu dolar."Ia mengokang alis gelap. "Kenapa tidak?""Itu terlalu banyak.""Aku berjanji pada saat dihiasi rumah ini Anda akan mendapatkan setiap sen."Ia menggelengkan kepalanya. "Doubtful, tapi bahkan Jadi, itu hanya merasa tidak benar untuk meminta uang sebanyak itu sampai reputasi saya sebagai dekorator didirikan.""Oke. Kemudian mempertimbangkan ini. Meskipun Anda mungkin menjadi dua kali lipat biaya asli Anda, itu adalah hanya sepertiga dari apa yang kita penagihan Nonie. "Tertawa terkejut melarikan diri Nya.“You may laugh,” he said, grinning himself, “but there are certain advantages to charging a higher figure, and to prove I’m a nice guy I’ll share my wisdom with you, my rookie competition. First, if you charge too little, people will instinctively wonder why and assume it’s because you’re not good enough to charge more. They’ll pass you over when they’re collecting bids for a job. Second, if you don’t charge enough and have the misfortune to land someone like Nonie Harrison as a client, she’s going to start adding to her wish list until suddenly you find you’re not just decorating the cottage, but redoing the main house, too. And you can forget about renegotiating your fee. You’ll be lucky to get five hundred more dollars from her. A higher commission fee keeps shameless opportunists like Nonie in line. So while it may seem like hubris to charge a little more, it’s actually a sound business principle.”“All right, you’ve convinced me. Eight thousand it is. Even Jade’s going to be impressed with that princely sum. Thank you for being so generous.” Her smile slipped for a moment. “By the way, I’m really sorry to have to cut out so soon today.”“Don’t be. We got a good amount done and we can finish up the remaining bathroom and powder room on Monday. Unless you want to come by tomorrow.”Owen couldn’t believe he’d just proposed they work on a Saturday, when he had every intention of going back to Alexandria for the weekend and, with any luck, never straying far from Fiona Rorty’s bed. He blamed his insane suggestion on the fact that he could still feel where the ends of her hair had grazed his skin. The thought of her glossy auburn hair wrapped around his fists as he tasted her again, having it brush against his naked chest as she moved over him, was enough for him to add, “I really would like to get the bathroom layouts finished as soon as possible.”She shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t tomorrow. Margot, Travis, and Jade are taking some of our horses to a show down in Lexington, so I’m in charge of the barns with Ned and Andy.”“Oh. That’s okay.” He ignored the pang of disappointment.“I could come over on Sunday, though I’d have to bring the kids with me. Max and Kate are very curious to see the house. Of course Max would be happiest if every single one of your crew was on site so he could watch them at work. He’s a bit tool-obsessed.”Having her kids underfoot was not what he’d envisioned. Keeping in mind how much Jordan liked them, he crafted a carefully noncommittal response. “I may have to be in Alexandria on Sunday—”But something about the amused smile that lit Jordan’s face had him adding, “But feel free to bring them over another time when Max can see the crew in action.” It’d be far better if there were lots of other people around to entertain them.