Total pages in book: 15
Estimated words: 13826 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 69(@200wpm)___ 55(@250wpm)___ 46(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 13826 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 69(@200wpm)___ 55(@250wpm)___ 46(@300wpm)
“Fine, I’ll go inside,” she said, too ungraciously, she knew. But she was scared—of letting him seduce her, of liking it too much, of allowing her heart to get more involved than it already was.
“Good.” His smile lit his entire face, making him even more handsome.
“Lead the way.” She gestured with a sweep of her arm.
He took her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. The gesture felt intimate, sweet, and right, and her heart fluttered harder inside her chest.
No, no, no, she warned herself. Emotions separate from sex.
He led her to the house. Kate had been in the old cabins before, but as she stepped over the threshold of Nick’s, she realized she’d never seen anything like his. The cabin was a mixture of old-world wooden charm and state-of-the-art modern conveniences.
From the authentic fireplace and hearth to the built-in flat-screen television on the wall, the gleaming dark hardwood floors and what looked like handmade furniture, time, love, and appreciation had gone into every detail.
“Like it?” Nick asked, coming up behind her.
She turned to face him. “It’s gorgeous. You built the whole thing?” Like his father before him, Nick was not only a construction worker and builder but also owned land in and around Serendipity.
“I gutted the house that was here, designed and built it from scratch,” he said, no small amount of pride in his voice. “It took years because I had to pull crew from other jobs when I had the chance.”
“And the furniture?” She couldn’t help but notice the intricate carving on the wooden chair and table legs.
“Been working on it in my spare time. Also took years,” he said gruffly as if the admission came from somewhere deep.
“Wow. I’m . . . in awe. Truly.”
“There’s more.” He hadn’t dropped her hand, and he tugged lightly now, pulling her to the back end of the cabin toward what she knew in her gut was the master bedroom.
So not a good idea. “Umm . . . Nick—”
“Humor me,” he insisted and led her into the room.
The huge bedroom appeared as remarkable as he was. A large, also intricately carved, sleigh bed, sat in the center of the room, surrounded by lighter wood but no less beautiful nightstands. Other matching pieces had been strategically placed. A massive television hung on the wall, and surround sound speakers were mounted nearby. She looked up to find a beamed ceiling with skylights directly over the bed so there’d be a view of the stars each night.
“I have a remote control for the moving cover on the ceiling so it’s easy to sleep in or wake up early to the sun.”
“Stunning,” she said, her awe only growing for his talent, foresight, and depth this man possessed.
He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He felt good, warm and solid, his woodsy smell arousing every one of her senses.
He cuddled her against him like she belonged there and warning bells went off in her brain. “Why did you bring me here?” she asked, her breath coming in uneven spurts.
“Isn’t that obvious?”
He settled his chin on her shoulder and kissed her neck.
A delicious shiver rippled through her. “I’m beginning to see that you’re a detail-oriented kind of guy.”
“Mm-hmm.” The sound vibrated against her skin. “I leave nothing to chance. Especially when I want something. And Kate, I want you.”
She sighed and forced herself to turn around and meet his gaze. This had the unfortunate effect of aligning their bodies and proving his words to her in full and thick detail. Her body weakened, melted, and a rush of desire coated her underwear.
How was she supposed to think straight, let alone keep her distance, when he acted so sweet? “Nick—”
“Don’t say a word.” He brushed her hair off her shoulder. “We’re going to eat dinner and enjoy each other’s company. Give me that, at least.”
She sighed. “Do I have a choice? You had Faith kidnap me, remember?” Now that she was over the shock, she had to admit it was kind of sexy.
He clenched his jaw tight before releasing the muscles to answer. “You always have a choice. If you don’t want to be here, I would never make you stay.”
Her cheeks heated with embarrassment. “I didn’t mean it that way. I would never think that of you.” And she had to stop being such a bitch. He’d gone out of his way to arrange this night and her snarky replies only made him feel bad, something he didn’t deserve.
He visibly relaxed.
“When is Faith coming back for me?” she asked, wanting to know the plan.
“She’s not. But I’ll take you home if that’s what you really want.” He sounded sincere… and disappointed that she’d make that choice.
He’d put in a lot of effort to get her here. He had dinner for them. And he’d been kind in the face of the sarcastic way she protected herself.