AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Of course, sir,” he answers. “Any preference in terms of style?”
“Nah, I trust you, George,” I say.
Then I take the world’s most efficient shower. Steam hardly gets a chance to form in the air before I’m done. I’m drying myself off with a towel when I hear footsteps coming toward the bathroom door. Eager to get changed, I open the door, saying, “Thank you, George. I appreciate?—”
But it’s not George. It’s Andrea—wide-eyed and surprised at my sudden appearance.
“Oh!” she says. “I’m sorry. I was just?—”
That’s when I feel the towel slip. My reflexes kick in, but they aren’t fast enough to catch the towel before it falls open, exposing every last inch of myself.
Andrea claps a hand over her mouth, then quickly spins around.
“I’m going to—um—I’ll leave you be,” she says, flustered.
I curse under my breath as she rushes away, wrapping the towel around my waist again. A second later, when George comes around the corner with a neatly folded stack of clothes in hand, he gives me a concerned, curious look.
“Everything all right, sir?” he asks.
I sigh and shake my head in dismay. “I’ll have to get back to you on that, George.”
3
ANDREA
Stop picturing it. Stop picturing it. Stop picturing it.
That’s what I’m telling myself as I stumble in a daze back to the kitchen, where my daughter is perched on a bar stool with her feet tucked up under her as she reaches toward the decadent spread of snacks set out on the kitchen island. The sight of her is a reminder that I can’t let myself get swept away by the attraction I feel toward Carter. I need to keep my wits about me. Every decision I make ultimately affects her, too.
“Aren’t you going to eat any of this, Mom?” Sadie asks, popping a juicy red grape off its vine.
“That’s all right,” I say. “I’m not hungry.”
“He got your favorite thing, though.” Sadie points to a carved wooden bowl full of trail mix. I smile at the sight of it—I have a hopeless addiction to trail mix, and I can see that the type sitting on the kitchen island even has wasabi peas in it, which is my absolute favorite variety. But I’m too bewildered to have an appetite.
It’s not just from seeing Carter naked. I mean, that’s a big part of it. Jesus, hisbody. Those big shoulders, those defined abs, that sexy V-line…and that thick cock. A man shouldn’t be that hot. It’s criminal.
But even before getting an eyeful of his flawless physique, I was in a state. This ranch of his is insane. Thishouseis insane. Carter is clearly a very wealthy man. And the fact that I had no idea that he was living this kind of life makes me feel…well, a lot of things. But mostly confused about why he never told me—and insecure about my own modest life.
For the past several years, I’ve quietly fallen in love with Carter. The letters we exchange are one of the most cherished things in my life. Although we planned this visit under the pretense of us being lifelong friends who were finally going to meet in person, I secretly hoped that it would lead to something more.
Now, that feels like a childish fantasy. How could I ever fit into a life like this?
The firm stride of boots coming into the room pulls my attention toward the sound. I look up and see Carter enter the kitchen with a relaxed gait. He’s fully dressed now, wearing a well-fitted denim shirt that clings to his muscular arms, jeans with an engraved belt buckle, and sturdy cowboy boots. A large watch with a leather band wraps around his left wrist.
Somehow, he’s just as attractive in clothes as he is when he’s not wearing a stitch.
“Can I get you anything else, ladies?” Carter asks, his lips turning up into a handsome smile as he joins us. The funny thing is, I’ve oftenfeltthat smile in the words that he writes to me. But seeingit in person has a whole other effect on me, unleashing a flurry of butterflies in my stomach.
“This is more than enough,” I say, glancing at the luxurious spread on the kitchen island. “I hope you didn’t go through too much trouble for our visit.”
“No, it’s wonderful to have guests,” Carter says. “I don’t have them very often.”
“Really?” says Sadie curiously as she helps herself to a cracker. “But your ranch is so big.”
“Sadie,” I say quickly. But Carter just laughs.
“That’s a good point, Sadie,” he says. “Thisisan awful lot of land—and house—for one person. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been a bit excessive in that regard.”
