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“Then I shouldn’t.” She bit down on her lower lip, proof of her insecurity.
He understood why she thought he had feelings for Faith, but he needed to convince her otherwise, and he didn’t want to do it outside in the cold.
“It’s freezing. We’re going in,” Nick said in the firm voice he used with his crew. “You can walk with me, or I’ll carry you. Your choice.”
She gasped in outrage.
He ignored her reaction. “Well? What will it be?”
***
If Kate walkedinto that house, it was all over. She’d give in, succumb to Nick’s sex appeal and the desire she’d been fighting for too long. Then she’d be risking heartbreak. But she couldn’t stand out here in the cold, either. Her lips still tingled from that explosive kiss, and other body parts begged her to let him continue what he’d started.
They had chemistry for sure. He still could be settling. What was it her ex had said? Guys can get it up even for an ugly chick. What an ass he’d been. But she’d been college-age young, and so stupid. But his point had been valid.
Still, Nick wanted her. So just maybe, she should consider giving in. If she went in aware of the end, she wouldn’t have second thoughts or regrets.
“Fine, I’ll go inside,” she said, too ungraciously, she knew. But she was scared—of letting him seduce her, of liking it too much, of allowing her heart to get more involved than it already was.
“Good.” His smile lit his entire face, making him even more handsome.
“Lead the way.” She gestured with a sweep of her arm.
He took her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. The gesture felt intimate, sweet, and right, and her heart fluttered harder inside her chest.
No, no, no, she warned herself. Emotions separate from sex.
He led her to the house. Kate had been in the old cabins before, but as she stepped over the threshold of Nick’s, she realized she’d never seen anything like his. The cabin was a mixture of old-world wooden charm and state-of-the-art modern conveniences.
From the authentic fireplace and hearth to the built-in flat-screen television on the wall, the gleaming dark hardwood floors and what looked like handmade furniture, time, love, and appreciation had gone into every detail.
“Like it?” Nick asked, coming up behind her.
She turned to face him. “It’s gorgeous. You built the whole thing?” Like his father before him, Nick was not only a construction worker and builder but also owned land in and around Serendipity.
“I gutted the house that was here, designed and built it from scratch,” he said, no small amount of pride in his voice. “It took years because I had to pull crew from other jobs when I had the chance.”
“And the furniture?” She couldn’t help but notice the intricate carving on the wooden chair and table legs.
“Been working on it in my spare time. Also took years,” he said gruffly as if the admission came from somewhere deep.
“Wow. I’m... in awe. Truly.”
“There’s more.” He hadn’t dropped her hand, and he tugged lightly now, pulling her to the back end of the cabin toward what she knew in her gut was the master bedroom.
So not a good idea. “Umm... Nick—”
“Humor me,” he insisted and led her into the room.
The huge bedroom appeared as remarkable as he was. A large, also intricately carved, sleigh bed, sat in the center of the room, surrounded by lighter wood but no less beautiful nightstands. Other matching pieces had been strategically placed. A massive television hung on the wall, and surround sound speakers were mounted nearby. She looked up to find a beamed ceiling with skylights directly over the bed so there’d be a view of the stars each night.
“I have a remote control for the moving cover on the ceiling so it’s easy to sleep in or wake up early to the sun.”
“Stunning,” she said, her awe only growing for his talent, foresight, and depth this man possessed.
He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He felt good, warm and solid, his woodsy smell arousing every one of her senses.
He cuddled her against him like she belonged there and warning bells went off in her brain. “Why did you bring me here?” she asked, her breath coming in uneven spurts.
