Hitched (Hitched #1)(21)

He pulls into the four-car garage, and I follow him into a spacious kitchen fit for a chef with cast iron pots and pans hanging over an island in the middle. "Do you cook?" I ask.

"I guess you'll find out when I make you breakfast in the morning." He winks at me, and my stomach flutters.

I wish I'd brought a change of clothes, but it won't be the first time I do the walk of shame in the morning, and it probably won't be the last. Though I hear women are reclaiming this term to counteract the prevalence of our slut-shaming culture. Now it's the “strut of pride.” I like that better, though I still hate being stuck in last night's clothes. Time to start carrying an overnight bag with me.

"Welcome to my home," he says, clutching my hand close to him as we step into his living room. It's huge, with a wide screen television taking up most of one wall and comfortable leather couches and chairs arranged strategically for conversation or entertainment. The walls are high, the ceilings tall and there's a fireplace in the center of it all, one that takes real wood and looks well used. An eclectic mix of art pieces hang from white walls, giving splashes of color to the space. In a corner sits a black grand piano. "Do you play?" I ask.

"Not anymore," he says. Before I can ask why, he continues. "Would you like a tour?"

"I'd love one."

He takes me through the rest of the house, where I learn that his office desk is the only messy part of his life, that he likes swimming in his Olympic-sized pool that has a crazy amount of landscaping around it to give it a feel of being in the tropics, that he has enough guest rooms to house several families, and that he enjoys reading outside on his shaded patio. I know this because he left a few books on the table by the most comfortable looking chair. I sneak a glance at the titles and roll my eyes. Medical books, of course. I'd have romance novels.

We end the tour in his bedroom, which is dominated by a king bed facing another fireplace and has a nook for reading or watching television on another larger than life screen. His bathroom is to die for, with a sunken, jetted tub, a shower with multiple heads, and a walk-in closet that I might have to steal, at least for a few months.

I whistle. "We're definitely spending more time at your house than mine this summer."

He laughs. "I normally find it too much space for just one person." He wraps his arms around me and pulls me against his body. "But with you here, I can imagine some possibilities."

"Why did you buy something so big just for you?" This house must have cost close to a million.

His face darkens, and he looks away. "I bought it with someone. We planned on starting a family here, but things didn't work out."

My heart lurches. I'd like to say it's because I feel his pain, and it saddens me, but if I'm being honest, it's also some jealousy. Even though I don't want that kind of life, and I hate this about myself right now. I'm jealous that he started building it with someone else. I'm a bitch, I know.

"Were you married?" He'd said he'd never been married.

"No. Engaged."

"What happened?"

His eyes fix on me again, and he smiles. "Let's not talk about the past. It ended a few years ago, and I'm over it. I'd rather focus on the present. With you."

I understand and let the conversation rest as we go back downstairs. I notice something in the living room I didn't see before. A wall with framed art, but not done by professionals. "Who drew these?" I ask. There are pictures of rainbows and ponies and many drawings of what looks like a doctor holding the hand of a child.

"My patients. They often draw pictures for me, and I always frame them and hang them here, then take photos of their art displays to show them later. They love seeing their artwork featured like this. It raises their spirits."

"They're beautiful. They must really love you."

He smiles wistfully. "They're incredible kids. To go through what they do with such a positive outlook… they're the bravest people I know."

I walk toward him, my heart swelling at his kindness and dedication to the kids he helps, and I wrap my arms around him. "You're pretty amazing, you know that?"

He responds by kissing me, then smiling. "What do you want to do now? There's that bath you were eyeing upstairs, or would you rather skinny dip in the pool first?"

I weigh the two options, but the lure of swimming naked is too much. He's found my weakness and exploited it, the bastard.

I unbutton my blouse and shrug it off my shoulders, then pull down my skirt, kicking it to the side.

He breathes in sharply as I slip off my bra, his eyes glued to my body.

Once I'm completely naked, I grin at him. "Which way to the pool?"





Chapter 14


Pool Party for Three


I tease him as I slowly walk outside, swaying my hips and tossing back flirty smiles.

He catches up to me and drops his hands to my waist. His skin is hot, and I can't wait to get him naked and into the water with me.

The air outside caresses me as we step into his tropical backyard. I love swimming naked, but so rarely have the chance to do it in a big city like Las Vegas. Without wasting another moment, I kick off my heels—the only remaining clothing I have on—and dive with perfect form into the deep end of the pool.