All That I Need (Grayson Friends) Read Free

made a terrible mistake.
    *   *   *
    Fallon caught herself admiring Lance’s muscular build, the easy way he moved—all right, his butt—and quickly turned away. Now wasn’t the time to go all girlie over a good-looking man. Lance had been gentleman enough to overlook her bad manners in the past, and she had a story to do.
    However, twenty minutes later she wasn’t so sure anymore. The house was as fantastic inside as it was outside, the furnishings beautiful. Thaddeus’s wife had liked English antiques, and so had their daughter. There was none of the heavy masculine stuff Fallon had half expected. The only leather she had seen was in the game room, a pool table. To do the story, she needed to be able to talk about specific pieces of furniture and what they meant to the family.
    If she had had her mind on the article instead of on a certain part of Lance’s anatomy, she wouldn’t have forgotten that important detail. There was only one way to correct matters. She started down the elegantly curved staircase with a mahogany handrail and didn’t stop until she was in front of the door Lance had indicated. She knocked.
    “Come in.”
    Plastering a cheerful smile on her face and hoping she wasn’t disturbing him, she opened the door. He sat behind a massive desk in a room filled with bookshelves. This room had been the Yates library.
    Lance lifted his dark head, his gaze direct and his expression patient. On either side of him were undraped floor-to-ceiling windows. Framed by sunlight, he was gorgeous. The thought ran through her mind that he didn’t smile as easily as the man she’d met weeks ago. A pity.
    “Yes?” His voice, once warm and tempting, was now coolly professional.
    “I’m sorry to disturb you, but were there any diaries that might put significance on the individual pieces of furnishings or household articles?” she asked, crossing to stand in front of his desk. “As I said, Mr. Yates was said to be sentimental. The house is a showcase, but I want my readers to know the why and the how.”
    “Yes. Thaddeus Yates and his daughter left notes, but they’re part of the auction and I’d rather they not be handled,” Lance explained, removing his eyeglasses.
    Disappointment slumped her shoulders. “I see.”
    He seemed to hesitate, then came to his feet and around the desk. “’I’ve read the notes and am familiar with everything. If you’d like I could give you a brief tour.”
    “Lance, thank you.” He really was a nice guy. “That would be wonderful.”
    “We could start in here.” He turned toward the built-in bookcases on the walls. “Thaddeus had these made in New Orleans. Some people just purchase books to fill out a library because of their binding or size, but Thaddeus loved to read and so did his wife and daughter. Each book was selected by one of them.”
    Fallon lifted her camera and took a couple of shots, then walked over to the shelf and pulled out a slim book. “ Wuthering Heights . I wonder, was the mother or the daughter the romantic?”
    “Safe to say it wasn’t Thaddeus. Men know better.”
    Fallon frowned. “You don’t believe in romance?”
    “Not many practical men would.” Lance opened the library/office door. “We can continue upstairs. You’ll note that, although extensive remodeling has been done, the original wood molding around the fireplaces and walls remains. This way.”
    Fallon wasn’t ready to leave the conversation on romance, but she wasn’t given a choice. Replacing the book, she turned to follow Lance.
    *   *   *
    As they went through the house and as she listened to him talk, she realized he cared about the furnishings. It wasn’t just money to him. He seemed to understand what the house meant to the mother and daughter who had acquired most of the furnishings.
    Back downstairs, Lance led her to the dining room. “Surrounding this late Georgian dining table is a suite of Empire chairs. It can comfortably seat twelve.