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When she stepped into the room and took in the details, Katie realized what he meant. With relieved eyes she said what she should have already known.
"This is your home."
chapter 18
Katie had been wrong about her entire studio fitting in Landon's living room. It would probably fit quite nicely in just the entry way, with space to spare. And she saw right away what he’d meant about the view. The entire far wall was floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the city, and then the suburbs, with the mountains perfectly framed in the distance.
On this side of the glass, everything was sleek, modern, and professionally decorated in various shades of masculine gray. Impressive and fancy, though Katie wouldn’t call it cozy.
Still, she saw bits of evidence that he lived there: a duffle bag and some baseball gear next to the front door; video games and controllers on the cabinet underneath the television; a half full glass on the end table—right next to a stack of coasters.
"See, I told you it was private," Landon teased with a wink.
"Alright, you win. So does this meanyouare making me this best breakfast in town? Don’t tell me you cook too?"
"Eh, not exactly," Landon said. He walked over to a little desk near the elevator with a phone and a leather bound binder. "My buddy Dante is the head chef downstairs at the restaurant and he makes the best blueberry waffles you will ever have. Now I know you may say, ‘Landon, how hard can it be to make waffles? What could make these waffles any better than what I could get at say, IHOP or Wafflehouse?’ Well I can assure you, they are nothing short of spectacular. You can look at the menu if you want, but you will not be disappointed."
Katie giggled and leaned in for an impulsive peck on his lips. "You are so cute. And yes, of course, blueberry waffles it is."
Landon called in the order while Katie wandered into the living room to examine the artwork. Three black and white photographs of baseball fields hung across the wall above the sofa. One looked like a Little League field, another she knew right away as Wrigley Field in Chicago. She didn’t recognize the mid-sized stadium in the middle, but all three shots were stunning.
"That’s the diamond at Boston College,” Landon said, coming up behing her and reading her thoughts. “That’s where I was when I found out I’d been drafted. This one is the field I played on growing up. It’s where I figured out I wanted to play baseball for a career."
"And you played your first pro game at Wrigley," Katie finished the timeline with a slow nod. Everyone knewhe’d been drafted out of college by the Cubs and only spent half a season with their Triple-A team before getting called up.
"That’s pretty cool," she said, examining each again. "They’re stunning shots. Who-"
"So do you want the full tour?" he asked.
"Oh, uh, yeah, it’s only fair. I did give you the grand tour of my place."
She followed him around, admiring the high-end finishes and the designer furniture, all low to the ground to avoid distracting from the spectacular views. The guest wing branched off from one side of the living room, both bedrooms and bathrooms in perfect order. They returned back through the living room to the kitchen where a couple dishes were piled in the sink, a few bottles and cans littered the countertops. No doubt he had a housekeeping service, but he seemed about as messy as the average bachelor.
Katie tried to ignore the comforting warmth inside her as they made their way through his home. That good feeling that came on whenever she realized she was privy to some small part of him no one following TMZ Sports knew.
Don't get too close, Katie, she warned herself.Don't get too used to this feeling.
Then they stepped into the master suite, and she was bombarded with him. The shades were mostly closed over the windows, but several inches of light crept in allowing her to make out the clothes, shoes, and various bits of workout gear strewn about. And it smelled like Landon. A subtle hint of that deliciously male scent she’d wrapped herself up in just that morning in her sheets.
With that thought, she stole a glance at his bed. His maid service must not come every day because he’d slept at her house for two nights in a row and the dark gray comforter on his bed was still tangled up with his sheets. Katie had a sudden urge to get tangled up in them too.
Landon came up behind her and rested his hands on her waist, startling a tiny jump out of her, that he soothed away with a nuzzle on her ear.
"We could always do breakfast in bed," he suggested.
The energy from his body buzzed up against Katie's back, beckoning her to fall into bed with him. But as his lips found the crook of her neck, his hands the curves of her hips, Katie looked down at the messed up comforter and noted that both pillows lay askew. What if she got spread out naked on her back only to smell decidedly feminine perfume? Or to find a hair too dark to be her own? Or too red. He’d cut her off before she could ask about the photographer…
Jealousy pierced her so sharply she couldn’t bear to find out if her assumptions were true. She shrugged out of his grasp as politely as possible.
"C’mon, let’s finish the tour. Your bathroom must be pretty spectacu—whoa, that’s literally the biggest shower I’ve ever seen."
If she was hoping to escape the intimacy swirling around them, this wasn't the place to do it. The scent of him was even stronger in here, the details even more personal. His laundry was piled up next to the hamper, his toothbrush next to the holder on the sink. She could make out the color and size of his shampoo bottle and she recognized the brand. It all felt like a wrong step in the direction of familiarity.
Katie spun around and ran smack dab into Landon’s chest.
"You okay?" he asked with a chuckle as he steadied her.
"Yeah. Yep. I mean...yes. I think I just need some food. And coffee. Lots of coffee."
