“Should we go inside?”
Tugging on my hand, he led me through the front door, kicking off his boots immediately. I followed suit, shocked when I looked up at the beauty of the house.
With a cathedral ceiling and open floor plan, the house looked like it was built for a vacation destination rather than everyday living.
“Holy cow,” I whispered, walking in further and taking in my surroundings. “When did you build this?”
“About three years ago. I was in the middle of it when…”
I stopped gaping at the ceiling and brought my attention to him. “When you had to change the ranch.”
He nodded. “It sort of took all the fun out of it.”
“At least you can enjoy it more now.”
I had hoped to lift his spirits, but I wasn’t sure having more time on his hands would make Liam Parker feel any better about having to give up the main source of income at his family ranch.
Instead of responding, he jerked his head for me to follow. “Dryer’s back this way.”
I dutifully followed, checking out all the little aspects of the house that made it so wonderful. There were hidden cabinets tucked into the walls, bookcases lining the living room, large windows to magnify the view of the river and mountains…
I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to come home to a view like this every night.
“Here you go,” he said, showing me to the mud room. “I’ll let you get changed.”
Quirking my brow at him, I smirked. “I thought you were going to rid me of my clothes and have your way with me?”
Pressing a chaste kiss to my lips, he headed back to where we came. “Dinner first. I can’t have you passing out on me from hunger. I hope you like steak.”
“You know I do!” I called out.
Shaking my head, I quickly undressed and tossed everything in the wash. Splashes of dirt coated my shorts, so there was no point in just running them in the dryer. But when I finished, I realized I hadn’t brought my bags with me.
After a cursory glance, I found a button-down flannel shirt hanging up, along with a basket of thick socks. They looked clean enough, even if they were men’s socks.
After tugging everything on, the chill that had started to settle in my bones reduced significantly.
When I stepped into the kitchen, Liam glanced up, his knife pausing from where he was cutting vegetables on the counter.
“I borrowed some of your things.”
His gaze traveled over my bare thighs to the socks I had pulled up practically to my knees. “Sexy,” he rumbled, his voice filled with a hint of laughter.
“I thought so. Do you need any help?”
“Nope.”
“So, I’m just supposed to keep you company while you slave away in the kitchen?”
He jabbed the knife in the direction of the couch. “There’s a paper over there.”
“You still get those things? I thought everyone got their information digitally now.”
“I happen to like newspapers.”
Scanning the rest of the room, my eyes lingered over the large fireplace, noting the lack of anything decorative. There wasn’t a single picture or even a gun strapped to the wall.
I strolled around the couch, plopping down and testing out the comfiness, groaning as I sank into the plush fabric. “Oh, man. This was a bad idea.”
