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When we were done for the day, I didn’t take her home to her apartment. Instead, I headed to the north end of the city, where my house was located. It was a two story home in a residential neighborhood full of other expensive, custom built homes.
When I bought it, I knew that I could afford just about anything I wanted, even a mansion like the one my grandfather lived in, but I didn’t need all that space for myself. So, I went with a newly built, four-bedroom home, which was still bigger than necessary for a single man.
We walked inside, and I watched as Mia took the place in. It mattered to me that she liked it. She would be living here soon.
“You know, this isn’t what I pictured,” she said, looking around as she walked from the foyer to the living room.
“What do you mean?” I asked, following behind her.
“I don’t know.” She went to the mantle above the fireplace, looking at a green and blue decorative vase. “Did you hire a decorator?”
“No, I did it myself. Does it surprise you to learn that I have good taste?”
She laughed. The light, feminine sound wasn’t something I’d heard in my house before, but I liked it. Especially coming from her.
“A little bit,” she admitted, her eyes flashing with amusement. “You’ve never seemed like the artistic type to me.”
“Oh, I’m not, but I can look at something and decide if I like it,” I said, finding myself smiling at her. “That’s all I did when I decorated this place. The rug, the vase, that weird mirror thing on the wall…” I waved a hand in that general direction.
“Well, you did a good job,” she said, running her hand along the back of my leather couch. “I’m impressed.”
“I’m glad you approve.” I inclined my head toward the slider right off the spacious kitchen with high end appliances. “Let me show you the backyard.”
Mia followed me through the French doors that led out to a large deck. I couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride as I saw the look of awe on her face as she took in the well-appointed landscaping and overall design.
Her reaction was exactly what I was hoping for. “What do you think of this for the wedding?”
She turned to face me, surprise flashing across her features. “You want to get married here?”
I nodded, looking out over the massive yard. It was a big selling point of the place for me. To one side there was an outdoor kitchen built complete with a six-burner grill, bar, and wood-fire pizza oven. There was a lounge area with tables and chairs, too. Perfect for a low key gathering.
The rest of the outdoor space was flat ground with lush green grass surrounded by a wooden privacy fence. The person that built the place had put plants in the garden area that came back every spring on their own with large red flowers.
“Maybe we could string up some twinkle lights?” Mia suggested, walking off the deck and across the grass. “And maybe get one of those wooden arches to stand under for the ceremony?”
She turned back to look at me with a twinkle in her eyes. For just a second, my heart beat hard in my chest, like this was all real and she was planning a wedding that meant something more than just a temporary arrangement.
But that was crazy, and I made myself shake off the sentimental feeling.
“That all sounds great. Whatever you want,” I said, willing to do whatever it took to make the day a special one for her. “How about I give you a tour of the house while you’re here, since you’ll be calling this place home after the wedding.”
“Sure.”
She sounded nervous, and I wasn’t sure why. Was it the idea of actually following through with our plan and living with me for a few months? Or something more immediate? Was she anxious about being alone with me in my home?
“Well, here’s the kitchen,” I said as we walked back inside, pointing out the obvious. “Don’t know if you’re familiar with this particular room in a house, but it’s basically where the food lives. I don’t use it much.”
Mia laughed, that light and airy sound wrapping around me again. “I guess you’re not going to be the kind of husband that cooks me gourmet meals?”
I grinned at her. “I can make the best frozen pizza you’ve ever had, but that’s about it.”
“No worries. I have you covered,” she said. “I love to cook.”
We continued on, and I showed her the rest of the first floor, which was comprised of the living room, dining room, and my home office. I skipped the remodeled basement—my man cave—to show her the second level of the house. It was all bedrooms up here, and I probably only needed to show her the one she’d be staying in, but I didn’t stop there.
We finally ended up in my room, the primary suite. The second we stepped inside, I knew that something was going to happen between us. There was a shift in the air, the awareness nearly palpable, and I suddenly realized that this was what I wanted all along. I wanted to explore the connection and attraction between us. Maybe it was the real reason I brought her back to my place, even if I didn’t realize it at first.
She was standing next to the large four poster bed, looking at me with those big brown eyes and her plump bottom lip between her teeth—as if she was feeling the same things. I could see the desire in her eyes, and there was no holding back anymore.
