Hank knew if he dove in and got a full taste of her, he wouldn’t be able to stop. His head came up, and his hand moved to her cheek, his thumb grazed her bottom lip.
Arissa opened her eyes, kept her grip on his forearm because he’d literally made her knees weak. He’d barely kissed her but it was by far the best kiss she’d ever had.
“So fucking beautiful,” Hank whispered in a husky voice.
“I can’t imagine anything tasting better than that.” Her gaze moved to his lips. She wanted so badly to taste him again, but she knew she wouldn’t want to stop if she did.
He brushed her parted lips with his before uttering, “Only one thing comes to mind that can taste better than that.” He stayed close, watched her eyes move from glazed to heated. Fuck. He liked the look. Too much.
This man was dangerous. He made her feel reckless. She moved back, causing his hand to fall, before she gave in to what she really wanted…giving him that taste he so clearly wanted. “Time to eat.” Realizing what she said, her face warmed as she grinned at her choice of words.
Hank’s lips slowly moved up into a sly grin. Oh, he was so ready to eat. And not the burgers overcooking on the grill. Hank winked at her. “I’d like to eat, but I’ll feed you first.” Then he opened the grill top and removed the meat. “These probably aren’t pink inside anymore.” He realized what he’d said when Arissa chuckled. He joined her. “Maybe we should just eat…” He raised the plate of cooked burgers. “The burgers and stop talking.” He smiled.
“Good idea. And beer, I’m thinking we could use more beer,” Arissa said then muttered, “Maybe even some ice.”
Hank chuckled. “Jesus, I forgot the cheese and onions.” He looked at Arissa. “Woman, you do things to me,” he confessed.
“It’s good to know it’s not one-sided.”
Hank bent his head and touched his lips to hers before he asked her, “Eat inside or outside?”
“Outside.”
Hank thought of another idea. “Or, we can just eat as I take you on a tour.”
Her eyes lit up. The man was appealing as sin, but she also just liked his company. Getting a glimpse into his world, one through his eyes, she didn’t have to think about it. “I like that plan.”
They went back inside and fixed their burgers, ones that didn’t turn out the way Hank had wanted. But, it was worth it. They each had a burger in one hand and a napkin in the other as he walked her through his house. He stopped at the double doors catty-cornered at the end of the hall. He saw how her eyes lit up as they moved from one room to the next, but he knew once she saw what was behind the doors they stood before, her whole world would change. “Before we enter the master bedroom, I gotta tell you.” He watched as Arissa tossed the last bite of hamburger in her mouth, attention glued to him. “This room cost almost half of what I paid for the fucking house. But I saw it in a magazine Jo reads and thought, fuck, I need that. So, I did it.” Then Hank swung open the double doors.
Her eyes grew wide as she took in the gentle cascading waterfall in the corner of the bedroom. Built into the wall, the stones were smooth to the touch. Water trickled down the stones, pooling at the base. She then looked around the rest of the room. The walls were gray, capturing one of the colors in the stones, windows took up the back wall, bringing the outdoors inside. A king size bed, dressed in gray and black, sat against the opposite wall, set up on a small rise, and under a tray ceiling. The soft hum of a ceiling fan stirred the air, and the screened in skylights brought in more light. At night, she imagined you could see the stars. The wood floors were covered with wool-braided rugs in grays. Heavy unfinished oak furniture scattered around the room artistically.
He watched as she took small steps, capturing everything with a close eye. Her silence was becoming unnerving so Hank broke it. “Well?”
She pulled her attention from the room and turned it on Hank. “I want this room. All the houses I’ve seen, never have I seen a water feature in the master bedroom. It’s soothing and beautiful. Tranquil. This needs to be featured.” She heard herself say that then realized she’d be opening up his private domain to her readers, pulling back a part of him and letting countless people see it. She knew the draw it would have on her audience. Summerville wouldn’t be ready for the invasion.
Hank took in his room, a room he saw everyday, countless times. But it felt different. Even looked slightly different. All due to the woman standing in it. “Thought you might like it,” he said, and added with a shrug, “Then feature it, if you want.”
“I do want,” she said before she crossed the room to him. “It’s not just a place you work, or a place you
