Redeeming The Billionaire (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 5) by Christina Tetreault Page B

sat parked in front of her condo. Her windows remained open and when he approached the front door he heard the sound of country music. During their few meetings they’d never discussed music preferences, but he’d pegged her as someone who listened to the latest pop music much like his sister. Country music hadn’t even crossed his mind.
    After knocking on the door, Trent waited and took in the neighborhood around him. All the homes on both sides of the street looked identical. Originally built at the turn of the twentieth century for the factory workers and their families, the narrow two-floor homes had at some point in the past decade or so been updated and sold as individual condos. Much like her neighbors on either side of her, she’d added some personal touches to make her home somewhat different from the rest. She’d painted her front door a vibrant red and hung a wreath on it. She’d also added solar lights on either side of her short walkway and hung a wind chime from the overhang above the door.
    His eyes had just finished their sweep of the houses nearby when he spotted the sedan driving down the street. While much like the other cars in the neighborhood, Trent got the sense that this one didn’t belong here. True, its slow speed could be due to the driver who wasn’t familiar with the area looking for a specific house number, but something told him the driver had other reasons for being around. As Trent continued to watch, the car pulled to the curb three units down and the driver remained inside.
    “Hi, Trent,” Addie said appearing at the door. “Come on in.” She pushed the screen door open for him.
    He glanced over at the sedan one last time, then turned his full attention to Addie. This evening she had on a white sundress that reminded him a great deal of the one Marilyn Monroe wore in the iconic picture of her from The Seven Year Itch . The snow-white color emphasized her sun-bronzed skin. She’d pulled all her hair up, leaving her neck exposed, and damn if he didn’t want to touch her to see if her skin was in fact as smooth as it looked. Stepping forward, he entered the house and placed a kiss on her cheek. “These are for you.” He held out the bouquet of roses.
    Her eyes widened, but she didn’t make a move to take them. Then she smiled and accepted the bundle, bringing the flowers toward her face.
    “They’re beautiful.” She inhaled the scent of them, her eyes drifting closed. “Give me a minute to put them in water and then we can go.” She looked back up at him, her expression telling him so much. She wasn’t accustomed to receiving gifts from men, flowers or otherwise.
    “Okay. We’re in no rush.”
    “I’m all set except for this,” she answered, turning and leading him down the narrow hallway to the kitchen.
    Like her arms and face, the skin on her back looked smooth and sun kissed. No tan lines marred the bare flawless skin, and he wondered if she lay out in her backyard topless. With no effort on his part, an image of her in her tiny fenced backyard sprang up. In his vision she relaxed on a padded chaise lounge, her hair tied up much like it was now wearing the bottoms to a string bikini and nothing else. A pair of sunglasses protected her eyes while country music played in the background.
    “I’ve never seen roses this color.” Addie pulled a glass vase from a cupboard near the stove. “They’re really gorgeous, but you didn’t have to bring me flowers.”
    Trent’s fantasy image evaporated. “I wanted to.” He watched as she trimmed the pink champagne-colored roses. “I made us a reservation at Lucerne. Have you ever been?”
    Addie shook her head, the tendrils she’d left free swaying as she arranged the roses in the vase. “No, but I’ve heard about them. The Phantom Gourmet ranked them as one of the best restaurants in New England last year.” She stuck the final rose in the vase and then admired her work. “All set.”
    “After dinner I thought