“If not, they should,” she replied.
“Take this for example.”
She looked at him.
“The meal.”
“We both need to eat,” she said, as if dismissing her efforts.
“But coming in from the weather, hungry, and not having to cook, is spectacular.”
“Really, Cade.I love to do it.It’s something creative, but also mindless, if you know what I mean.It helps me unwind after work.”
“And that does nothing to diminish my appreciation.”
She looked away.“In that case, you’re welcome.”After spooning food onto her plate, she stuck her fork into a piece of meat then took a bite.
She sighed in a way that reminded him of her orgasm.
“Is this beef from the ranch?”
“It is.”
“I haven’t had anything this good in months.Succulent.Melts in your mouth.”
“Glad you approve.You’re welcome to take some back with you.”
“Seriously?”
He nodded then took a bite of his own.“It’s not just the beef,” he said.“It’s your cooking.”
They finished dinner and he insisted on cleaning the kitchen, not that there was a lot to do.“You’re not a messy cook.”
“I learned early.I hate to clean up afterward.”She topped off their wine glasses.
“Would you like to join me in the turret?It’s the best place to watch the storm.”And it was cozier, more intimate than the parlor or living room.
“Is that where you spend most of your evenings?”
“My study, generally.No matter how much I get done, there’s more needed.”
“I’m happy to do some work of my own, or read a book.”
He shook his head.“I’d enjoy the company.”
The specks in her eyes brightened and he wondered if she were imagining herself naked in the window, as he’d suggested earlier.Sofia’s eyes were more revealing than she probably realized.“In that case, yes.Thanks.”
“Grab your wine and bring your tablet as well.I’ll grab your duffel bag.”
She glanced at the tablet then back at him before she picked it up.Once he had her bag in hand, she followed him out of the kitchen.Loopy jumped up and padded behind them, all but knocking them aside in her haste to pass them on the stairs.
“Excuse her manners,” he said.
At the end of the hallway, he opened the bedroom door.He’d rarely had a woman sleep in here with him, but he pictured her in his bed, hands secured over her head and attached to the iron headboard as she squirmed, silently wondering what he was going to do next.
With abundant energy, Loopy raced ahead of them up to the turret, which was fine with him.After placing Sofia’s bag on the floor near the bed, Cade took his time following so that he could watch her hips sway.If she were his submissive, he would have instructed her to drop her clothes in his bedroom.Of course, if she did that, he may never give them back.
This woman, with her curves, appealed to him on all levels.He appreciated her business savvy, her occasional sass, her ability to make herself comfortable in his family home.Especially, though, he liked that he was the first to touch her with a paddle.
