fix. Drawing in a deep breath, she turned to him. “I have wine, coffee and tea. What can I get you?”
He truly was handsome. Not flashy, not a pretty boy. No, his looks leaned more toward the rugged side. But it was clear he was one of those guys who’d be as comfortable wearing a tux as he was wearing a tool belt. It didn’t hurt that she found his thick eyebrows over his striking eyes very sexy. Her gaze kept floating back down to his lips, though. They were both masculine and lush. A wonderful combination. And now, they were moving.
“If it’s no trouble, coffee would be great.”
She turned away quickly, not sure if she’d been caught staring. “No trouble at all. Have you been here before?”
“No, I’ve been working on a job for the mayor.”
“Ah.” She smiled at the way he’d worked in that little tidbit. Was she supposed to be impressed? She worked with heads of nations on a regular basis. He’d have to try harder.
“But I think you’ve met my brothers.” Tony had followed her to the kitchen, which consisted of a hot plate, small fridge, microwave, coffeemaker and sink. The area was a bit tight and she hadn’t expected him to move in this close. Just near enough to make her pulse quicken.
Which simply wouldn’t do.
“Yes, of course, Luca and...” She drew a blank. “Forgive me. I don’t remember your other brother’s name...”
“Dom,” Tony said, lips twitching.
“Ah, right.” She couldn’t imagine what he found so amusing. “Dom,” she said. “But it was your father with whom I had discussed the changes to my original contract.”
Something flickered and died in Tony Paladino’s eyes before she had a chance to interpret it, which was odd, because she could read most people in seconds.
“I understand,” he said slowly, with a fair dollop of condescension.
That had to stop, as well.
“Look, I know my father is the best in the business, but he trained me from the time I could hold a wrench. I’m not just taking over the work, but our commitment to excellence. If there was a misunderstanding we’ll fix it.”
Giving him a once-over she wasn’t shy about, Catherine couldn’t decide if she believed him or if she wanted to believe him. The company did have a good reputation. And while she didn’t think they meant to scam her, they were most likely booked up to their eyeballs and couldn’t afford the extra time for the restoration. Tearing down something and then slapping something else back up was quicker, easier and cheaper.
She opened up the coffee canister and started scooping the grounds into the pot. But her thoughts went straight back to Tony.
She guessed him to be in his early thirties, and his looks made it hard to believe he was all work and no play, but he was here and so far hadn’t made any slippery moves. If she didn’t count that sexy mouth of his. Well, it wasn’t as if he’d picked it out of a catalog.
“From what I understand, you and my father talked about restoring as much of the original building as possible?”
That he’d cut straight to the heart of the matter startled her. She nodded, and almost lost count of the scoops. “Yes. The last time we spoke, I explained my wishes explicitly. He said he’d type up the notes and add them to the original contract, and that he’d find the right person to supervise the project. I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with the art deco and art nouveau of the 1930s, and I know there are remnants all over the building.
“Your father pointed out the dumbwaiter, fireplaces, crown molding, old tile patterns, the staircase and some of the door arches. And that was just a cursory look. I’ve seen wall plates and drawer pulls that I want to keep.” She dumped in the last of the grounds and glanced back at him. “Don’t get me wrong, I do want modern conveniences, of course, but if we could bring back the glamour of the bronze and silver accoutrements,” she said, using the French pronunciation of one of her favorite words, “I’d be thrilled.”
Tony looked around the room for a moment, then settled his gaze on her. He didn’t speak, though, and it was becoming a little awkward, but she made it a point not to turn away first.
“All right,” he said, finally, with a mysterious little smile. “I’ll look for his notes, but even if I can’t find them, I’ll make sure you get what you want.”
Catherine sighed with relief. While she was fully prepared to stand up for herself, she didn’t enjoy confrontations. And if she were to be completely honest, she would’ve hated for Joseph or his son to disappoint her. Part of what had drawn her to this small community was the people and their culture. One she’d come to love because of her late nanny.
Belaflore Calabrese had grown up in Little Italy, and had started working for her family as a housekeeper when Catherine’s parents lived in New York. She’d traveled with them to Europe and had practically raised Catherine. Belaflore had told her stories of this very house and Little Italy that Catherine still recalled with great fondness.
“The first order of business will be to take a full inventory of all the architectural details,” Tony said. “We’ll do that while Sal finishes up with the structural repairs. We’ll see what we can find. Not everything hidden is going to be a gem.” Tony frowned, took a quick look at his watch. “My father didn’t give you a quote, did he?”
All her hope and faith vanished in an instant. This was where they had her all tied up in a neat little bow. They could name any price they wanted. A figure so great they would dissuade her from the project, or make a sizable profit even if they had to push back other clients.
Catherine sighed. Much as she hated the thought, it seemed the charming Tony Paladino and his father would disappoint her, after all.
TONY WASN’T SURE what had just happened. A few seconds ago things were warming up between him and Ms. Fox, but then she seemed to deflate.
Money. It was always about money. But she had to know that if she wanted to go all out on the restoration, it wasn’t going to be cheap. “I won’t be able to give you a full estimate until after you’ve made your decisions. My father must have mentioned this kind of restoration could be costly.”
Her nod was cool. Brief. “Yes. I understand.”
“Hey, I’m not trying to discourage you,” Tony said, really paying attention. Wanting her to smile again, the one where her blue eyes crinkled at the corners. “You might have to do some nipping and tucking, but we’ll find a way to stay within your budget.”
“That’s what your father told me,” she said, leading him to the couch, where she sat across from him in the one uncovered chair. They were really close, their knees inches apart. “But he also told me that he would make sure to amend the contract before the renovation crew made their final decisions about plumbing and the electrical system.”
She tugged her skirt down, then met Tony’s gaze again. “Before you ask,” she said, “I’ll still want the rooms to be larger. One thing I disliked about living in Europe were all the tiny spaces. I’m five
