He said what I didn’t think I needed to hear. It was only for a few days, after all. Not like I was moving in with him. And wasn’t this all about taking chances? I couldn’t continue living my life shut off from the world.
“Okay, give me a few minutes.”
I spotted my jeans near the door, wriggling into them. I might not look my best, but at least I was decent.
Since I’d packed most of my stuff last night, it only took us five minutes to get the rest of it. A quick bathroom visit later and we were on our way to his car. Grayson was pulling my suitcase with one hand, interlacing our fingers with the other. I only had to carry my full-to-bursting handbag; it seemed quicker to stuff everything that was left in the room in there instead of sorting through it.
“Let’s grab a coffee and bagel on the way to my house,” Grayson suggested once we were back in his car.
What was supposed to be a quick pit stop took twenty minutes. When we got back to his house, he rushed to his room after pulling me in for a deep but short kiss. “Make yourself at home.”
I didn’t have time to explore last time I was there, so I wandered down the long hallway, curious to know how big his house really was. Eight bedrooms, five bathrooms, a theater, two lounge rooms, and a home gym later, and I was speechless.
“You found the library.”
Oh yes, and there was also a room stacked from top to bottom with books. There was even a ladder to reach the top. “Are those all your books?” I pointed to the shelves in awe, wishing I had more than a few days here.
I hadn’t read a book in years, too busy at the bakery and keeping Garret away from Willa.
My hands itched to touch the spines, and I couldn’t wait to explore. There was a bay window on one side, the fluffy pillows stacked against the bench seat making it the perfect spot to curl up with a book.
“My interior designer put them all in. When I bought the house, it came with the library. I had to fill the shelves; otherwise, it would look odd.”
I raised a brow at him. “I mean, why wouldn’t you buy hundreds of books you never planned on reading? Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.”
He wound his arm around my waist, holding me to him. His face buried in my neck, he playfully nipped at me. “Maybe you can be the first to use this room. I remember you carrying a book with you wherever you went when we were teenagers.”
I was surprised he remembered. And books used to be my escape when life became too much. The only time I didn’t want to disappear into another world was when I was with Grayson.
“That was a long time ago. The only books I read these days are recipe books.”
He grazed his lips over my cheek, then kissed the corner of my mouth. “This is your chance for a day of uninterrupted reading. I’ll try to leave work early, but you know how crazy things can get.”
Did I ever. And I was more than okay to stay locked in this room for the day. If I couldn’t do anything productive, I might as well spend my time reading. “Go and take over the world. I’ll be fine here.”
“Leslie can get you whatever you need. Just let her know.” He noticed my puzzled expression. “My housekeeper.” After feathering a kiss to my lips, he left, but not without glancing back over his shoulder before walking out of the room.
It didn’t take long for me to pick out a stack of books, since the selection was as good as any bookstore. I curled up on the window seat, draping a frilly blanket I found over my legs.
My grumbling stomach tore me away from my book five hours later. It was nearly two in the afternoon, and all I’d eaten that day was the bagel we’d picked up that morning.
I got lost on my way to the kitchen, ending up on the back patio. It was as impressive as the rest of his house and overlooked a large backyard that bordered the lake.
I eventually found my way to the enormous kitchen. My bag was still sitting on the island where I’d dropped it earlier, and I rummaged through it for my phone.
I hadn’t told anyone yet that I’d been kicked off the show. Technically, I wasn’t supposed to say anything. But everyone would know if I came back early, anyway. I rummaged through the cupboards for food and found bread and peanut butter.
Once I’d made my peanut butter sandwich, I dialed Willa. She picked up just before the phone rang out. “About time you called me.”
“Sorry, things have been crazy.”
“Wait, why are you calling me in the middle of the day?”
I added cheese, ham, and mustard to my creation and slapped it all together. “I got kicked off the show.”
There was an audible gasp. “No way. How?”
“Well, they told me my baking lacked imagination and that I was out.”
