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One wall was all windows and big glass sliding doors that opened out onto the deck and gave views over the bush and the lake beyond, while the opposite wall was lined with wooden bookshelves stuffed with books and photos and other bits and pieces.
Karl was on his big cushion next to the wood burner, his tail making thumping noises as they both came in. But he didn’t get up. Clearly, he thought all his doggy duties were done for the day, the lazy beast.
Beth looked around curiously, then after he’d showed her down to the kitchen end of the room gave a little exclamation of delight as she spotted—of all things—his kitchen cabinets.
“These are beautiful, Finn,” she said, running her hand over the dark honey-golden wood of the cupboard doors. “Did you make them yourself?”
“Yeah.” He pulled open another cupboard and got out a couple of glasses, trying not to be pleased at the admiration he heard in her voice. “Chase made some for his kitchen and I thought they’d look good here too.”
“The wood is beautiful.” She ran a slender finger along the countertops that he’d also made, silver bracelets chiming gently. “What is it?”
“Rimu. It’s a native tree.”
“Gorgeous.” She glanced at him, green eyes dancing in the way that had so fascinated him when he’d first met her. “Who knew you’d be so good at woodworking?”
A shiver of heat went through him. She was so desirable, shining like the sun outside, teasing and a little flirtatious but so warm with it. A genuine warmth, not that fake bullshit she gave the others where it was all just plaster covering up the cracks.
And now you know just what cracks there are.
It was true; now that she’d told him a bit about what had happened to her, he had some insight into why she might be so determined to put on a brave face. Another man might have been put off by it, but he wasn’t. No, if anything, he wanted to know even more. Such as who the father of her baby had been and where was he now and why he’d left her to twist in the wind after she’d lost their baby, since clearly that’s what he’d done. Because if he hadn’t left her, if he’d been any kind of man, Beth wouldn’t have come halfway around the world to Brightwater Valley.
Yeah, you’re screwed.
Finn shoved the thought away along with the flirtatious comeback he wanted to give her about how he was good at other things as well. Instead, he turned and went to the fridge, getting out a beer for himself and the orange juice he’d bought specially for her.
“We’re jacks of all trades here,” he said, putting his beer down on the counter so he could pour the juice. “We have to be. So yeah, I can do some cabinet making if I need to.” He pushed the glass along the counter in her direction. “You okay with orange juice? Or would you prefer water?”
“Orange juice is fine.” She picked up the glass and took a sip. “Mmm, this is good. Is this hand-squeezed from your own orange tree?”
Another tease, he could tell by the gleam in her eyes. But he wasn’t going there, merely giving a shrug as he opened his beer. “Are you hungry? I’ve got a casserole in the oven and some salad. Also a couple of special things for hors d’oeuvres and dessert.”
Beth leaned against the counter and smiled. “Special things for hors d’oeuvres sounds fancy. And especially for dessert. What are they?”
“It’s a surprise,” Finn said.
“Oh, I love surprises.” Beth’s smile deepened. “Can I guess?”
He really wanted her to. And he wanted to drop hints, turn it into a game. Make her eyes sparkle, make her smile get even brighter, call the sunshine from her. Then he wanted to take her face between his hands and—
Shit. He had to get a handle on himself, stop letting his dick do all his thinking for him; otherwise, this was all going to get messy, and it was already far more messy than it needed to be.
But you’re thinking of marrying her, so what are you going to do if she agrees? Stay celibate all your life?
The thought stuck in his head, lit up in blazing neon.
Two months ago, before she’d appeared, he’d have said that yeah, staying celibate for the rest of his life seemed like a solid plan. Even a month ago, before they’d slept together, he would have been okay with it.
But now…all he could think about was how soft her skin had been beneath his hands and how sweet her mouth had tasted. How warm she’d been and how much pleasure she’d given him. And how celibacy seemed so cold and hard and bleak compared to her.
You can’t do it, can you?
His breath caught. Dammit, he needed to think this through. He also was getting way ahead of himself, since she hadn’t even agreed to move in with him, let alone marry him.
“No guessing.” He shoved himself away from the counter. “Come on, let me give you a tour of the house.”
She must have picked up on his tone because her smile dimmed, but she didn’t make any protest, merely saying, “Sure, that would be great.”
His place wasn’t huge, so it didn’t take very long, but he showed her the bathroom along the hallway and then the two bedrooms on either side of it. One he used as a guest room and the other was an office. Up the stairs was his bedroom and a tiny en suite that Sheri had insisted on, and again he felt that discomfort of having Beth in a place his wife had occupied so intimately.
