james dutton

Madison pushed off the window & walked past Jamie brushing their shoulders & planting her hand on his chest to give him a little rub before dragging her hand away. “Let’s sit down & talk business. I’m sure we can work something out.”

The next thing she did was walk around taking notes on her pink pad of paper. Then they sat down & she she crossed her legs under the table. “Okay, so, this place is really cute. Lots of potential, but it’s kinda beat. You tell me the price range you are comfortable paying, & your max. Normally I’m not flexible. However…. This place would be a long project, it would look very good on my portfolio, & like I said, maybe we can work something out. Like… if I spent the night a few times a week on busy nights, I can be accommodating.”

Blue eyes blinked softly and he squinted at her for a moment before watching her shuffle past him, his eyes immediately drawn down to the hand that patted comfortingly at his chest. Her touch was electric and a shiver ran down his spine and the sheepish smirk returned to the corners of his lips again. He followed her like a lost puppy at first, wandering quietly around with her- sometimes peeking at her notes and other times trying to figure out how to get his hammering heart to slow down when he’d catch the sun sparkling on her lashes or warming the profile of her skin in golden daylight- painting her like an image he didn’t want to soon forget. He didn’t know how he could be a grown man experiencing the butterflies of a middle school boy with a complete stranger; it threw him off entirely. And as a lawyer; well, hell- even as a former Attorney General he’d been in the company of incredible power and never once faltered.

he blinked himself back to the present when Madison fluttered her lashes at him, only half coming out of his zoning to force his brain to process what she’d just said. “What? Oh, right um,” he rubbed his hands on his pants and inhaled again, giving the place another glance around. “I can put a pretty big stake into this place if I’m being honest. I can go 150… I’m willing to go 200 if I have to. I’ve already got the structure and property surveyed and inspected. There’s no integral damage so- it’s really just, bringing it up to code now and making sure people don’t feel like they’re walking into a conjuring house when they pull up.” He cleared his throat and leaned back, running his hands through his thick hair and messing it up out of nerves.

Though she was let really looking for an answer because she continued walking & looking around.

“So, this is like a bed & breakfast right? Multiple rooms. Large kitchen. What are you looking to do? Do you plan to turn this into a business? What kind of price range are we looking at?” She stepped over to a nearby window & leaned over looking out at the yard. There was no intention of giving him any kind of view, but when she bent at the hips, her figured was a bit more noticeable.

“Spend the night here? W/ you?” She looked over her shoulder & eyed him up & down. Madison didn’t say a word, she just smirked then turned away to keep looking around. Ah, so he was that kind of guy. She knew what men like him wanted. They wanted pretty little thing to work for them, smile, bat their lashes. Eye candy.

Well if it paid her well, she would gladly be someone’s eye candy.

“Well it’s nice to know in a fan favorite in town.” They made their way back to the kitchen & Madison handed James her portfolio. “These are some of the projects I’ve worked on, I do mainly interior decorator but I’m not afraid of a little hard work. If the price is right, I don’t mind getting dirty.”

When he didn’t open the notebook immediately she leaned over to flip it open for him. “Big companies. Mom & pop. Homes. I have a good background. But I am pricy. Atleast I’ve been told. But if you want me, I won’t disappoint.”

Though it was kinda funny she did her best to turn her face away when she cracked a smile seemingly not wanting him to see her laugh at his expense. Instead she cleared her throat scrunching her nose little a little bunny when he extended his dirty hand out to her.

Not bothered by the dirty & taking his offer as a challenge, she reached back out taking his hand giving him a firm hand shake. “Madison Claire, but you can call me Miss Claire.”

Her hand pulled away & she stepped around him to continue forward, “so this is your place huh?” She looked at the old wood, the cracked windows, the ugly landscaping. “It’s cute.”

Madison casually wiggled her hand trying to rid it of the mud & dirt he hand left behind. “Are you going to show me around? Or are you gonna stand there looking silly james?” Despite the little jab, there was a soft tone in her voice & she was smiling at him. Her hand already reaching for the front door, “this place looks rather big for one guy.” Madison quirked her brow, “you’re not tryna lure me inside & chain me down stairs in your basement are you?”

So when she got a call from —James was it?— she was actually a little surprised the address he had given her was only a few miles away. The way he spoke over the phone, she imagined being tall, lanky, glasses, bald, no fashion sense, maybe even a bit of a dork.

“Well, usually I do a free consultation w/ potential clients. I have a portfolio you can look at, & a website, after we meet & talk, we can talk business if you like me.” Madison smiled to herself already walking to her closet looking at potential outfits. “I can come by Friday to see what we are working w/ & we can talk.”

Friday rolled around, Madison slipped into a tight black pencil dress, heels & plastered her customers service smile over her face.

Unfortunately, that smile dropped when her little red mini cooper pulled up to what truly did look like haunted house. “Oh… wow.”

She stepped out biting her bottom lip waiting outside was a man she could only assume was already hired help. There was no way THAT could be James.

So she slipped out, notebook in hand & stalked over w/ bold clicking heels. “Goodmorning, do you know where I can find James? I’m meeting him here today.” She approached & from 15 ft away the soft smell of her expensive perfume was noticeable. It wasn’t heavy, it was fruity, something delicate for a dainty looking lady.

Despite things looking a little less than lovely, Madison took a deep breath. This place had potential. It was cute. It was…. Cozy.

She was small but in a petite way and cute but clearly confident and that made his heart thump hard. Strong women were always his weakness- that and whatever scent was floating off her body and entrapping him in a web he never wanted to escape from. When she spoke it was like drowning in sticky sweet syrup and instinctively he pressed his hands over the front of his jeans in case anyone came up to say hello. He didn’t think he was that susceptible to pretty girls, boy was he wrong.