Page 64 of Echoes of Him

“The Harley is, yeah, but I’ve got a couple of dirt bikes I keep up here. There are some awesome trails worth exploring. I’ll take you sometime.”

“Sounds good,” I lie. It doesn’t sound good. It sounds horrendous. Me, on a dirt bike. I think not.

“Here, this way,” he says with a small smile as if he’s just read my mind. He takes my hand again, entwining our fingers, dragging me along behind him. I like the way it feels to have my hand wrapped up in his hand. “Wait till you see the rest of the place.”

And by the rest of the place, he means a stunning state-of-the-art kitchen that’s absolutely breathtaking, a gigantic living room that’s open-concept with a large L-shaped couch, and dark wooden furniture.

There’s a stone fireplace on one wall bracketed by built-in bookshelves, and a huge dining room that looks out over the valley and beyond through floor-to-ceiling windows.

The vaulted ceilings give the space so much depth, creating a vast void between the first and second floors. The staircase appears to be made of black steel and nothing else, and it’s been made to look like it’s floating in thin air.

A huge painting hangs on the living room wall. It’s abstract, an image of a blue lake with upside-down mountains reflected in the clear water, and I wonder briefly if it’s one of the many lakes that we passed on the way up here.

“I’ll be back in a sec,” Kael says before disappearing down a hallway with our bags. When he returns, he tells me, “The bedrooms are down at that end of the house. I put your bag in the farthest room on the right hand side. It’s a nice room with the best view of the mountains. The sheets are clean, and the towels are fresh. I just checked.”

“Thank you,” I tell him, following him farther into the living room, and I mean it, sincerely. But then I do something crazy, and it might just be the craziest thing I’ve ever done because I swear the words come out of my mouth before I can stop myself. “How many women have you slept with?”

Kael stops so abruptly that I plow straight into his back. He turns to face me, placing his hands on my shoulders to steady me on my feet. “What kind of question is that?”

“A genuine one.” I sigh, mostly because I like the feel of his hands on my shoulders. His hands are so wide and solid, and they’re really warm.

“I’m no virgin, sweetheart. Are you?”

“A virgin? No.”

“Looks like we’re even then.”

His hands slide away from my shoulders, and for a brief moment I feel the loss of his touch like a huge, empty hole. With gentle fingers, he tucks a loose strand of hair back behind my ear, and he’s so close now, our bodies just inches apart, that I can’t stop staring into his eyes.

“Numbers mean fuck all to me, Jonesy. But if you really want to know, I wouldn’t have a damn clue how many chicks I’ve screwed. Does that make you feel better?”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“You were married.”

“So?”

“So… I just… uh, never mind.”

“No, come on, I really want to know what that’s supposed to mean?”

“It just means, if we’re getting all up close and honest with each other, marriage is way more intimate than just fucking someone’s brains out. Sure, I’ve had a shit load of sex in my time, but none of it has ever been intimate. It’s just biology, a need. Marriage is something different altogether. It’s commitment, love, and respect.”

“Agree to disagree.”

“You just didn’t marry the right guy.”

I don’t know what else to say.

Kael suddenly leans forward, brushes his lips softly against my forehead, a quick kiss, and then turns back toward the hallway. “Come on, I want to show you something. I think you’ll like it.”

Discussion over. Apparently.

I follow after him, hoping I don’t appear as out of my depth with him as I suddenly feel.A virgin.Kael Jenkins. Yeah right. What was I thinking?

I press my lips together, trying hard to tamp down the embarrassment staining my cheeks. Puce, such an unbecoming color.

“I had the main bathroom remodeled late last year, had a new tub put in. Reed got his bathroom done at the same time. He knows a guy, a contractor. Cost me a fucking fortune, but the dude did an amazing job.”

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