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“Then again, you already saw the downstairs.”
She looked around the kitchen. “Yeah, but I’ve barely paid attention. I was a bit distracted.” She turned in a circle and took in the spacious room. Beautiful tile floors and a rectangular, dark mahogany wood table. The ceiling fan wasn’t anything fancy, but it suited the room. “I love all the dark wood and the tan walls. Very warm and inviting.” She wondered what the rest of the house looked like. Like his bedroom, for instance. Pretty darn spectacular, no doubt.
“I can’t take all the credit. My mom played a big part with the colors and furniture.” He motioned to her with a wave of his hand.
She followed him into the other room. “Dad brought in a professional decorator when we moved to Florida. By the time the woman was done, I felt like we were living in a museum. It was about as warm as an iceberg.”
He stopped and moved to the side so she could precede him into the living area. “Didn’t your mom have any say?”
“Mom learned early on not to speak her mind.” Shayla stepped into the spacious room, immediately impressed with its sheer size. It was big but comfortable, with large bookshelves lining one wall and a warm fire burning in the fireplace. How had she missed the fire? God, she really had been stressed about tonight’s visit.
The furnishings weren’t anything extravagant. A beige couch and matching loveseat faced the hearth, and a cozy pair of recliners in the far corner appeared perfect for reading. Shayla about drooled when she looked at some of the titles of the books. “You have great taste in reading material,” she admitted as she turned her attention back to Vance. “Your home is beautiful.”
He smiled, one of those sexy half-smiles that made her knees weak, and murmured, “I get the feeling you expected a lot of steel and black leather.”
“Steel, yeah, that about sums it up.” She walked to the bookshelf and grabbed a leather-bound copy of The Scarlet Letter off the shelf and held it up. “Hawthorne? I so didn’t expect that.”
He crossed the room and snatched the book out of her hands, then placed it back on the shelf with the utmost care. “Is it a crime to like quality writing?”
Vance’s nearness kicked Shayla’s hormones out of whack, and her body suddenly felt entirely too warm. “Nope. I just didn’t figure you for much of a reader.”
Vance tsked. “You shouldn’t assume, especially when it comes to me.”
The deep timbre of
his voice caressed her senses. “You’re a constant surprise,” she said, feeling a little light-headed, “that’s for sure.”
Vance started for the kitchen again. “Enough with the tour. How about a nightcap instead?”
Shayla’s gaze went straight to Vance’s butt as he turned and headed toward the doorway. He wore a pair of low-slung jeans, tight and sexy, much like the white T-shirt that stretched over a drool-worthy, muscular back. No matter what the man wore, Vance Jennings simply had the finest ass she’d ever laid eyes on. Oh yes, she would dearly love to reach out and grab a handful, but when his words registered, she frowned. “I thought you’d show me the upstairs.”
“That’s for another night.”
“I can’t wait,” she mumbled, unable to pull her gaze away from the man’s oh-so-squeezable butt. He was the picture of perfection and always had been. Shayla recalled the way he used to encourage her to play with him. They’d spend hours touching and teasing each other. Shayla swore she could feel Vance’s rough palms coasting over her skin even now. An inferno of need had burned inside her whenever Vance’s hands were on her body. That was before she’d broken his heart and destroyed the trust he’d had in her, though. What would it be like to make love to Vance now with so much resentment and hurt between them?
Vance glanced over his shoulder, and Shayla held her breath, afraid she’d spoken the words too loud. When he shook his head and said something incoherent, Shayla released her breath.
Oh, yeah, she definitely had it bad for the man. The years hadn’t changed that at least. But she couldn’t tell what he wanted. Was he even remotely attracted to her? A few times during dinner it seemed like she’d seen desire in his eyes, but maybe that was just wishful thinking.
Watching the emotions flit across Shayla’s expressive face brought Vance back to the first moment he’d seen her. It was in Biology II, and Shayla had been wearing a demure white blouse and a pair of loose jeans. Her hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, little strands hanging around her face. At first, he’d thought her mousy and sort of forgettable. It hadn’t taken him long to start imagining what her slight curves would feel like pressed up against his body.
He’d flirted with her, and she’d blushed. It’d turned him on. He’d spent too many classroom hours staring at her ass. She’d caused a riot within his hormones, then and now. More than once, he’d imagined taking hold of the little elastic band holding her hair back and yanking it free so he could watch as all her rich, red hair cascaded down her back.
When they’d started dating, Shayla had spoiled him with her sweet, giving nature, Vance admitted to himself. He hadn’t been forced to do much chasing because she’d been so enamored of him. The first time they’d made love, in the front seat of his pickup truck, no less, Vance had been thrown for a loop by the fact she’d been a virgin. Guilt had assailed him. Hell, she’d been innocent until he’d gotten hold of her. The next morning in class, she’d looked at him and smiled. The combination of sweet innocence and naughty vixen had done him in. He’d been toast after that. Vance hadn’t been able to keep his hands off Shayla. If he remembered correctly, she’d been every bit as greedy for him.
Vance knew now what they’d had was puppy love. Shayla was more confident now. He had a feeling she wasn’t going to be quite so malleable this time around. She’d all but tossed a wrench into his well-ordered world with her sudden appearance as it was. He grinned in spite of himself. If she had any clue how intent he could be when he wanted something, she never would’ve stepped foot into his house.
When she sat on the couch in front of the fire and smiled up at him, Vance wasn’t sure whether he wanted to lick her from head to toe or push her out the door.
With resignation, Vance went to the kitchen cupboard and took out a bottle of wine. “Merlot, okay?” he called out.
“Perfect, thank you. So,” she said, “have you always lived here alone?”
It didn’t surprise him she would fish around to see if he’d ever had a woman living with him. Shayla was curious by nature. As he headed back into the living room, Vance hid a grin and decided to tease her a little.
“Actually, Elizabeth lives here with me.”
Shayla squinted. “Elizabeth? But you said you weren’t seeing anyone.”
