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He shifted his weight, and I was struck again by his uncertainty. “Oh. Well, let me give you the tour. It’s short because this place is small.” He held out his hand, indicating the tiny living room. “Living room.”

He had a comfy looking dark green couch and large TV. Neither of those were surprising for a bachelor, but I hadn’t expected the intricately patterned throw pillows and blanket in a matching motif. The centerpiece of shells and candles on the coffee table was also a surprise.

“Wow. Your place is amazing. Did you decorate yourself?”

He paused. “Ah. Yes.” He flushed. “I really like home improvement shows. Without a home of my own, I’m restricted to small bits of decorating.”

On the bad habit/hotness scale, if a DIY addiction was the worst hobby he could throw at me, then I’d hit the jackpot with Jimmy. He moved closer to gesture me toward the hall, and I inhaled the hints of sage and male skin. I couldn’t help leaning in. It was worth the loss of a little independence for financial security and Jimmy. Lisa’s voice in my head was urging me to marry him,yesterday.

With pink cheeks, he showed me back to the bedroom. Now that he’d prepared me, I was expecting something out of a magazine. The room didn’t disappoint. There was a queen size bed with a fluffy gray comforter you could probably sink into a full foot. No taxidermy here. The bed frame looked like a rustic DIY project, possibly handmade from a stained barn door. By comparison, my apartment was sparse and resembled something decorated by a drunk thrift store shopper.

“Wow. This is beautiful.”

“Thanks. I refurbished the headboard myself.”

It was gorgeous. The dark wood grain gleamed under the soft light filtering in through the gauzy window panels. The bed frame appeared incredibly...sturdy. I swallowed and shifted my gaze to features that wouldn’t shoot my temperature up. My gaze caught on Jimmy’s large hands. His rough palms had sanded and stained to create the masterpiece in front of me, and I moved on quickly to avoid the images of the two of us flashing through my mind. His body, covering mine, our hands intertwined on that very solid headboard.

As I took in the rest of the room, I noticed more unexpected touches. He had a collection of family photographs on his dresser. One showed a young Jimmy with what I presumed was his family, an older man, woman, and young girl. Jimmy was tall and stringy, downright skinny compared to his build now. I held back my grin at his braces and awkward haircut. He was a brave man for putting that photo on display in his bedroom. The other picture showed Jimmy and another young man in graduation gowns and caps. He’d filled out in the intervening years. The two scrawny men had their arms over each other’s shoulders. “Who’s this?” I asked.

He smiled. “My buddy Chase. We’ve known each other a long time. He’ll stand up with me at the wedding.” His smile faded and he cast me a sideways glance. “Assuming that’s something you’re interested in.”

Lisa wouldn’t hesitate, and really, my decision had been made when I saw his headboard. If he took half as much care with our relationship as he did with his craftsmanship on that project, I had nothing to fear. The butterflies in my stomach were absolutely not fear. Nope. Excitement. And okay, maybe a smidge of fear. I was right to be nervous. I believed my intentions and Jimmy’s were good. We were helping each other out. Companionship and a house for financial support. Testing out his headboard would be a bonus. I could marry him and give my dreams a boost. Marrying Jimmy didn’t have to change my goals.

I took a shaky breath. “It is.”

A grin overtook his face, making his brown eyes sparkle with good humor. “Just wait until I feed you. It’ll seal the deal.”

My stomach growled audibly, and heat spread up my cheeks as his smile widened. I couldn’t help but tease him. I quirked a brow and did my best to cover. “I thought agreements were usually struck with more than food.”

Jimmy swallowed. “More?”

His gaze traced my lips and slid down toward my cleavage. Yep. Boob man. I twisted my lips before answering. “Yes,more.” I tucked my hair behind my ear then let my fingers dance along the edge of my neckline,“Like a hard...handshake.” His gaze swung back up to mine, and I watched as color flushed his face. His big body leaned back against his bedroom wall. I wanted to believe he was turned on enough that he needed it for extra support. We stared at each other a moment before he cleared his throat and pushed upright.

“Well, I’m sure that can be arranged. After dinner. Let me show you the rest of the apartment.”

His response was cool, but I’d seen the fire in his eyes as I traced the soft swell of my breast. I should be glad he was all business, since we hadn’t settled anything yet. But having him push me up against the wall wouldn’t have been a bad way to convince me. My hunger pangs were about more than dinner.

He showed me a tiny bathroom. It smelled like lavender. I spotted a small vase over the toilet with dried lavender poking out. Even if I wasn’t planning on marrying him, I’d still be asking him to help me redecorate. Jimmy had created a welcoming home in his apartment. My own space was more of a hodge-podge of styles and he had me itching to do something different.

He walked down the hall to the kitchen, and I followed, pausing to check out the framed photos on his walls. More family photo collages, and more pictures with Chase. They must be close. The ratio of photos of Chase equaled those of Jimmy’s family. He and Chase river rafting with a group of other guys. One of the two of them with a peewee soccer team. The team photo was freaking adorable, and not just because most of the tiny players couldn’t hold a pose to save their lives. Jimmy and Chase towered over their charges like gentle giants.

The kitchen smelled heavenly, and my mouth watered. Garlic, sage, and lemon scented the air. If he was as good a cook as he was a decorator, I was in for a treat. If he wasn’t a good cook, I was choking it down anyway to avoid hurting his feelings.

“Have a seat. Let me pour you a glass of wine, and I’ll put the finishing touches on dinner.” He looked at me. “You can drink with your medication?”

I nodded. “Yes, I can have a small glass, and I brought wine if you want to open that bottle? I’ll go get it, I left it at the door.” I wandered back into the kitchen and placed the bottle on the counter. “Corkscrew?”

He grabbed one from the drawer in front of him. “Will you do the honors? I’m trying to keep an eye on these greens.”

I removed the cork. “Glasses?” He nodded toward the cupboard next to me, and I pulled two down. Of course, he had beautiful wine glasses. No plastic Dick’s BBQ cups for him. By comparison, I was a fraud as an adult. Somehow, I couldn’t see my bright yellow plastic cups with their fading lettering in a cupboard next to his fancy stemware. What was I doing? I barely knew Jimmy. Granted, what I did know, I liked. But was it enough?

“Breathe, Nemitz,” he said. I startled and glanced at him. Of course, he knew my last name from the hospital. “It’s going to be okay. Wine is supposed to help you unwind, not wind you up. What’s wrong?”

I sighed. “I’m not sure we fit.”

He looked at me cautiously. “What makes you say that?”

I gestured to his glasses. “You’re stemware, and I’m plastic.”