Gemma glanced up to see everyone getting out of their seats, filing out of the room and closing the door behind them. She turned to find Callum staring at her. “What’s wrong? You seemed bored,” he said.
She wondered how he’d picked up on it when his full attention should have been on the meeting he was conducting. But since he had noticed…
“Yes, but I couldn’t help it. This room will bore you to tears and I have a bucket full of them.” She glanced around the room. “Make that two buckets.”
Callum threw his head back and laughed. “Do you always say whatever suits you?”
“Hey, you did ask. And yes, I usually say whatever suits me. Didn’t Ramsey warn you that I have no problem giving my opinion about anything?”
“Yes, he did warn me.”
She gave him a sweet smile. “Yet you hired me anyway, so, unfortunately, you’re stuck with me.”
Callum wanted nothing more than to lean over and plant a kiss firmly on Gemma’s luscious lips and say that being stuck with her was something he looked forward to. Instead, he checked his watch. “Do you want to grab lunch before we head over to the house you’ll be decorating? Then while we eat you can tell me why you have so many buckets of tears from this room.”
She chuckled as she stood up. “Gladly, Mr. Austell.”
Nine
“Well, here we are and I want you to tell me just what you can do with this place.”
Gemma heard Callum’s words, but her gaze was on the interior of a monstrosity of a house. She was totally in awe. There weren’t too many homes that could render her speechless, but this mansion had before she’d stepped over the threshold. The moment he’d pulled into the drive way, she’d been overwhelmed by the architecture of it. She’d known when she’d originally seen the design of the home on paper that it was a beauty, but actually seeing it in all its grandiose splendor was truly a breathtaking moment.
“Give me the history of this house,” she said, glancing around at the elegant staircase, high sculptured ceilings, exquisite crown molding and gorgeous wood floors. And for some reason she believed Callum knew it. Just from her observation of him during that morning’s meeting, she’d determined that he was an astute businessman, sharp as a tack, although he preferred sporting jeans and messing with sheep to wearing a business suit and tweaking mission statements.
Over lunch she’d asked how he’d managed to keep up with his business affairs with Le’Claire while working for Ramsey. He’d explained that he had made trips back home several times when his presence had been needed on important matters. In addition, the cottage he occupied in Denver had a high-speed Internet connection, a fax machine and whatever else was needed to keep in touch with his team in Australia. And due to the difference in time zones, six in the evening in Denver was ten in the morning the next day in Sydney. He’d been able to call it a day with Ramsey around five, go home and shower and be included in a number of critical business meetings by way of conference call by seven.
“This area is historic Bellevue Hills and this house was once owned by one of the richest men in Australia. Shaun told me about it, thought I should take a look at it and make the seller an offer. I did.”
“Just like that?” she asked, snapping her fingers for effect.
He met her gaze. “Just like that,” he said, snapping his.
She couldn’t help but laugh. “I like the way you think, Callum, because, as I said, this place is a beauty.”
He shifted his gaze away from her to look back at the house. “So, it’s a place where you think the average woman would want to live?”
She placed her hands on her hips. “Callum, the average woman would die to live in a place like this. This is practically a mansion. It’s fit for a queen. I know because I consider myself the average woman and I would.”
“You would?”
“Of course. Now, I’m dying to take a look around and make some decorating suggestions.”
“As extensive as the ones you made at lunch regarding that conference room at Le’Claire?”
“Probably,” she said with a smile. “But I won’t know until I go through it and take measurements.” She pulled her tape measure out of her purse.