After ringing the doorbell, he waited until he heard a female voice call out, “Come in.”
While he stared at the knob, he stalled for a few seconds before reaching for it and opening the door. Craning his neck, he attempted to see the voice’s owner as he stepped inside. “Hello.”
“In here.”
He glanced around the room, admiring the cottage’s open floor plan. He estimated the place to be about eleven thousand square feet, but the high, vaulted ceilings and white paint gave it the appearance of having much more room. Natural light beamed on him through a skylight above as well as from two high windows near the ceiling and the set of box casements by the porch.
His gaze fell on another cat lounging on top of a rug underneath a casual coffee table. He scrunched up his nose and followed the voice calling out, “In the breakfast nook.”
After walking past a free-standing island, he turned left before discovering the small dinette. A real estate agent would’ve called the room cozy, but to him, the table and four chairs made it tight. He stood in the large opening between the eat-in area and the kitchen. “Hi.”
A laptop snapped shut and a good-looking brunette looked up from where she was sitting. Her emerald green eyes became huge as if he had startled her.
Shit, she told me to come in. “I’m here to pick up some wild cats.”
Her frightened expression softened. “I was expecting Davis. You’re not him, but now that I look at you, there’s a bit of a resemblance.”
“He’s my cousin.”
Maddie eyed the sexy guy standing just outside of the room as he shyly looked away from her. There was no mistaking; He was definitely a Banks. He had the same seafoam-green eyes as his cousin, but Abram was taller and even more muscular.
As her gaze fluttered across his broad shoulders, she admired the way his tee shirt stretched over his hard pectoral muscles, showing their definition. Her pulse raced and saliva filled her mouth. When she’d first met Davis, she’d had a similar reaction, but only at about ten percent potency. Any slivers of attraction never stuck. They were meant to be buddies and nothing else, but she definitely wasn’t getting the only-friends vibe from this man.
He glanced at her face again, and as their lines of vision synced, the cutest rosy hue lit up his cheeks while his pupils dilated. Hot and sweet. Her heart turned a somersault.
Absently, he fiddled with the hem of his shirt. Wow. She’s super cute. She had porcelain skin and a short, button nose that accented her high cheekbones and heart-shaped face. Stop staring. You’re here on official business not to flirt with hot babes. His silent, self-scolding did nothing to deter his pounding heart; he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
She lifted a meowing meat-bag from her lap, bringing his count to three, before placing the orange tabby on the floor. How can someone so good-looking have so many disreputable pets? As she stood, he eyed her full figure with interest. The tiny bounce in her step as she walked over made her large breasts jiggle beneath the snug tee shirt she was wearing. She stopped in front of him and presented her hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Maddie.”
He inhaled, breathing in her succulent scent. As their palms touched, his body temperature soared, delivering a light flush of heat to his cheeks. When he released her hand, she touched her temple, bringing his attention to the raven-colored ponytail pulled up high on her head and trailing down past her shoulders. After he searched his mind for a reason to keep staring at her long eyelashes, he thought of a question to ask. “How do you know Davis?”
“We went to high school together.” She flashed a smile that gave her an almost mysterious expression. “We were pretty close.”
The corners of his mouth turned down slightly and his heart plummeted into his stomach. “Did you guys date or something?”
Her cheekbones pushed upward as she laughed and wagged her head. “No, but we had a special bond.”
Special? He looked off to the side, irrational jealousy settling in his chest. Davis’s soft-spoken and bashful manner wasn’t exactly suave. Abram still hadn’t figured out how he had snagged a hot fiancé like Scarlett. Maybe some women like the whole aw-shucks, country gentleman stuff. This girl’s way sexier than my cousin’s lady. How the hell had Davis even approached a woman like her?
She stood close enough for him to count the tiny freckles dusting her cheeks. He ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek to ease the dryness in his mouth and wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. When he brought his gaze to her face again, she looked at him as if she were waiting for him to say or ask something. He scratched his head. What was I even doing? “Oh, yeah, the cats.”
She pursed her lips as her gaze swept from his face to his feet and then to his eyes again. For a second, he thought he saw a hint of confusion on her face, but it soon faded. She shrugged. “Follow me.”
Her hips moved agilely as she sauntered out the back door to the patio. As Abram admired the curve of her plump ass and thick thighs in her tight black and gray yoga pants, he licked his bottom lip. Nothing like a woman with plenty to hold onto.
She opened the sliding glass door and then strolled outside. He followed behind her until she led him to what looked more like a rabbit hutch than a cat
