Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 99797 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99797 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
“Wow,” she whispered as her fingers ran along the white marbled quartz counters. “I love the white cabinets.”
“So do I. Makes everything look clean and simple.”
She turned to me. I could see it in her eyes…she knew I had designed this kitchen like the one we used to talk about. With a slight smile, she walked to the alder wood door.
“Let me guess. Pantry?”
I nodded. She did remember.
She opened it and stepped into the large walk-in pantry. “Tripp, there is no food in this pantry and it’s as big as my office at the clinic!”
Laughing, I pulled her out of the pantry.
“A quick tour, then I’m taking you to bed.”
She giggled. “What happened to your plan?”
“I’ve changed it.”
“I see.”
Pulling her behind me, I walked into the living. “Dining room. Living room.”
I turned the corner and walked down another hallway that brought us to the formal dining room. Harley gasped when she saw the table.
“Christ above! That table is huge. Is that from a real tree?” she asked.
“Yep. The table seats ten. Let’s keep moving.”
We walked up to a spiral staircase. This wasn’t in the original plans, but my builder thought it would look cool, and I agreed.
“This is stunning!” Harley stated as we walked up the steps and into the large game room. A huge leather sectional sat up here along with a pool table, a shuffleboard table, and my favorite part of the room—the fully stocked bar.
“Holy serious game room.”
I chuckled and showed her the two guest bedrooms and the bathroom before bringing her back downstairs, using the back staircase that went straight to the hallway to my office.
“This is my office.”
We walked in and the first thing you saw when you stepped in was the floor-to-ceiling knotty alder book cases. My large wood desk sat in the middle of the office with a large leather desk chair on one side facing the white stone fireplace, and two smaller leather chairs.
“Tripp, this is all so beautiful. You’ve designed a beautiful home. Just like the one you drew on the back of that napkin.” She rewarded me with a sexy wink.
I smiled. For some reason her remembering made me so happy. I wasn’t sure why it did, but it had my chest doing that damn stupid fluttering shit.
“Looks like the only thing left to show me is your bedroom.” She approached me with a predatory gaze in her eyes.
They grew darker the closer she got. My hands itched with anticipation.
“Follow me,” I ordered.
Walking into my room, I stepped to the side so Harley could take it all in. It was a large room with a big sitting room at the back. Large windows looked out toward the backyard. Two elegant white chairs sat in the area with a round marble table that contained my grandmother’s oil lamp and one single book. Harley made her way over to the area in silence. She picked up the book, clutching it to her chest as she spun around. Tears streamed down her face.
“You kept the book?” she asked, her voice cracking as she spoke.
“It was your favorite book,” I replied.
Her head shook back and forth. “Tripp, this is the bedroom we talked about having together someday. This is it down to the…to the…” she held out the book.
“Down to your favorite book sitting on the small round table in the sitting area. Waiting for you to sit down and read it.”
“But…I don’t understand,” she managed to get out as she cried just a little harder.
I walked up to her and wiped her tears away. “Deep down in my heart, I was never ready to give up on the idea of us, Lee.”
She chewed on her lip and looked at the floor. “I don’t have the right to ask this, but have you had very many…um…very many…”
I lifted her chin so she could look me directly in the eyes. “I’ve never once brought a woman into this room. Not even Mallory.”
Harley sucked in a breath. “What?”
Glancing at the book in her hands, I smiled. “Sense and Sensibility,” I said as I ran my fingers over the title. My eyes lifted to hers. Taking the book out of her hands, I set it back onto the small table. Cupping her face in my hands, I pressed my lips to hers. When Harley opened to me, I poured every ounce of love I could into that kiss.
Her hands moved up and around my neck, and her fingers laced into my hair. She moaned when I pressed my hard cock into her.
I picked her up in one quick move and carried her to the king-size bed, gently placing her down on it. I dropped to my knees.
“As much as I want to rip your clothes off and fuck you seven ways to Sunday, I need to take my time. I need to love you, Harley.” I realized after showing her the home I’d built—the home I’d subconsciously built for her—that I had all the time in the world with this woman. She was my past, my present, and my future.