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Kind of like what I was doing right now. Engaging a beautiful woman in conversation while my dog rolled around in the grass, happy as a kid on Christmas morning.
I frowned. “We should go inside.”
“Annnd there it is.” Faith walked towards me, lifting her hand up to smooth the crease that formed between my brows.
I held my breath as her fingertips brushed my skin. It was so quick, she lowered her hand as if I’d burned her. As if she remembered we weren’t people who touched each other.
I forced myself to start walking toward the front door. “I’ll give you a tour and then I’ll come back and grab our bags.”
“Sounds great.”
EIGHT
FAITH
No wonder he never wanted to leave his house. It had everything you could ever want. It was definitely not the little cabin in the woods I had expected.
The country kitchen boasted vaulted ceilings with exposed beams, giving the room a rustic charm with a modern flair of the stainless-steel appliances. I was pretty sure I spotted a real Dutch oven in the corner. There was a small, built-in corner bar made from what appeared to be shiplap, with an ornate glass tray that housed a variety of fancy alcohol bottles. The gold trimmed mirror behind the booze shouldn’t have worked in the space, but it absolutely did.
Hell, all the finishes were utter perfection, clearly selected with the utmost care.
And that was just the kitchen.
There were several bedrooms, each exuding a simple luxury that didn’t feel ostentatious like a lot of the homes I had been in, but rather the perfect blend of high-end touches, clean lines, and little comforts.
However, I did note that Sebastian failed to show me his room. He just growled at a closed door, and I inferred it was not to be broached. Sort of like Beast and his need to keep Belle out of that one wing in his castle. One she would obviously go explore the second he turned his back.
Same as me.
He did, however, deign to show me the state-of-the-art office complete with so much technology it would make the Pentagon jealous.
But my favorite room was easily the atrium. It had floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the nearby woods. The sunlight was absolutely spectacular and the room itself was practically bare.
“This is the room.”
Sebastian leaned against the entryway, arms crossed. “I knew it would be.”
“Well, damn, if you would have led with this, I would have said yes to this proposal right away.”
He frowned at that. “I’ll leave you to get settled. I’ll be in my office if you need me.”
I watched his backside as he walked down the hall that led to his office, hearing his footsteps on the wooden floor as he retreated, wondering what was going on in that man’s head.
Pushing that errant thought aside, I inhaled deeply, feeling like I could finally relax now that he was out of my airspace.
This was a good idea. Coming here was exactly the escape I needed.
I'd definitely be able to get my muse back.
* * *
I wasn’t getting my muse back.
And it made me want to chuck my paintbrush at the wall.
I’d been staring at a blank canvas for the better part of an hour before I finally cracked.
I managed to Instacart the supplies I needed to get started, set everything up just as the sun was beginning its descent for the day, then proceeded to just stare at the blank canvas. Perhaps my muse was on vacation too because my brain was as blank as the canvas in front of me.
