When Axel pulled into the driveway of a cute corner house on a hill and parked, she had a burning desire to know where, exactly, he’d brought them.
“So, this is where we’ll be having our date?” Though it was dark, she could make out a trimmed lawn, some boxwoods along the front of the brick two-story house, and a double-car garage. The house needed fresh paint and some rail work, but it looked nice enough.
He turned to her with a shy smile. “Welcome, Rena, to my home.”
Eight
Axel prayed he hadn’t made a huge mistake in inviting Rena to his house for dinner. But he’d done it all up. The house was always clean; he didn’t believe in making messes. He’d ordered her favorite food and laid out some Valentine’s swag that, according to Del’s list, would make Rena very happy.
Axel didn’t consider himself a romantic kind of guy—at all—but he liked flowers, and he knew Rena had loved his rose. Having a buddy whose girlfriend worked as a florist had helped as well. Lou’s girlfriend had made him some beautiful bouquetsandgiven him a discount.
He walked around the truck to help Rena exit. He loved holding her. She didn’t weigh a thing, and he admitted he felt strong and manly lifting her with ease. He set her down and took her hand in his.
That she let him made him want to sigh and stare into her eyes all night. Not cool, he knew. But something about Rena hit him right in the heart. He just wished he knew how to handle the feeling.
She squeezed his hand and smiled up at him, and he smiled back as he led her up the steps of the landing to his front door. After letting them in, he stepped back and toed off his boots. She followed suit, unfortunately stepping out of those sexy black boots.
“You can keep them on if you like,” he offered.
“No. I want to help keep your floor clean. I do that at my house too.”
He hadn’t known that. Next time he’d make sure to take his shoes off.
If he could get a next time.
He took her coat from her, inhaling the warm, sultry perfume she wore, and grew immediately hard. With a suppressed groan, he hung up their jackets and tried to will away his excitement. When he turned around, he saw her studying his home.
They walked past a small formal room he rarely used and turned toward the living area. The dark leather furniture and wooden tables had crisp lines. They served his needs yet also had a minimalist, modern style he appreciated. The large screen television got plenty of use, mounted to the wall over a gas fireplace, done in jet-black tile. When he’d bought the place, he’d known a more modern open floor plan wouldn’t work unless he knocked through a lot of walls. But with time and money not his to command, he’d done his best by putting in hardwood floors and giving the interior a fresh coat of paint. Light-gray walls provided a neutral enough palette against his darker furniture and mahogany hardwood.
The living area and dining room were one, and he’d done up the rectangular dining table with white plates and two bouquets of red roses decked with baby’s breath and fresh greenery, both in his mother’s favorite crystal vases. On the coffee table in the living room, he’d left a wrapped box of chocolates and a card—putting everything on the line within a pink envelope.
“Axel, this is beautiful. I love the flowers.” Rena looked impressed.
He gave her a relieved smile. “Gut.They are for you.” He paused. “But not the vases, I am afraid.” A stupid detail he’d overlooked. “They were my mother’s.”
She put a hand on his forearm, and he felt how tense he’d become. “They’re beautiful. I bet your mom would love knowing you used her crystal to hold such pretty flowers.”
“Ja.” He cleared his throat. “She would like knowing I got you roses. They match the color of your sweater.”Match the color of your sweater? Oh man, I am dying here.
She blinked at the comparison and gave him a shy smile. “They do.”
He blew out a breath, pleased she hadn’t called him on being an idiot. “Would you like to see the house?”
“That’s only fair since you already saw mine.” She gave him a look. “You looked around, didn’t you?”
“I did not… Okay, I did,” he confessed.
She laughed. “I totally would have if I’d been you. So show me around.”
He took her through the doorway into the kitchen, which he’d upgraded. Darker gray cabinets, stainless-steel appliances, a white marble countertop, and a black-based kitchen island kept everything simple and uncluttered with plenty of space for storage.
They continued the tour down the hall to the two guest bedrooms and guest bath before hitting the master.
“Do you want to see my room?”
She bit her lip.
“What?”
