Page 31 of Falling for the Maverick

He smiled, and attractive lines fanned out around his beautiful luminous eyes. “I didn’t know you cared.”

“I do care, Lucas, because I like you.”

“How much?”

“A lot.” In fact, if she had a checklist of items she wanted and needed in a man, then all the boxes would be checked when it came to Lucas Brandt.

“And I like you a lot, Michelle Corey. You don’t believe me, do you?” he asked when she had no comeback.

“Yes, Lucas. I believe you. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t,” she said in a quiet voice.

“Now, that we’ve settled that, let’s go upstairs.”

Michelle had told her mother that she found Lucas Brandt aloof, but she’d been mistaken. He was not at all reticent when it came to revealing how he felt about her, when it was the opposite for her. She didn’t want to fall in love with the man, then end up heartbroken if it didn’t work out. And more importantly not with a man with workaholic tendencies and an inability to commit to a woman.

It had been different in Missoula. There, she could pick up and move. But now that she’d come back to Tenacity, there was no place for her to run and hide. In that instant she wondered if she should’ve listened to Aaron and stayed away from Lucas.

Suck it up, girl, and stop overthinking everything. You like the man, otherwise you wouldn’t have come to his home. And you also wouldn’t have agreed to see him on the downlow. Lucas is a grown-ass man, and meanwhile you’re acting like a silly girl out on her first date.

Keep in mind, you’ve done this before. He will not be the first man you’ve slept with. When the time comes, just go for it. You don’t want to be left with regret if— and that is a big if—it comes to a crashing halt. Then you’ll have only yourself to blame for missing what’s right before your eyes.

Michelle huffed and pulled her shoulders back after giving herself a pep talk. “Does the basement double as your man cave?”

Lucas gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “You can say that. It’s the only place in the house where there’s a television. I made certain not to put TVs in the bedrooms because I find them to be distracting.”

“What if you have guests, and they want to watch television?”

“They’ll just have to go downstairs.”

“Isn’t that a little selfish, Lucas?”

“No. My home. My rules. So far I haven’t had any complaints. The house was filled with Brandts days before the wedding, and no one complained about it. Most had eaten and imbibed too much, and all they wanted was a bed. It was a little crazy the first night because husbands couldn’t sleep with their wives, and there were designated bedrooms and bathrooms for men and women. I ordered a lot of food, so meal prep was done in shifts for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Thankfully the weather was good, so we were able to eat outdoors.”

“It sounds as if you had one gigantic sleepover.”

“I must admit it was a little hectic, but lots of fun. The Brandts were able to enjoy a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere at the rehearsal dinner, thanks to the hospitality provided by your family.”

“My mother and aunts, and also my gram, spent days cooking.” Everyone had had a good time because their families were closely linked. It was why she wanted to enjoy spending time with Lucas.

“And everything was lip-smacking good. Especially your grandmother’s mac and cheese.”

Michelle wasn’t going to tell him—or for that matter, anyone—that she now had the recipe for Angela Corey’s celebrated mac and cheese. If Gram had kept it hidden for years, Michelle chose to do the same.

Lucas showed her two guest bedrooms, each with two full beds and en suite baths, followed by the master bedroom. It boasted a king-size bed and a pale gray suede headboard that suited the spacious room. Dark and pale grays with off-white tones tempered the masculine vibe. All the rooms had floor-to-ceiling windows to take advantage of the awe-inspiring views of the Montana landscape.

“Do you ever close the drapes?” she asked Lucas.

He smiled. “Never. I don’t have to concern myself with peeping toms, so I prefer to enjoy the view. No matter where you are in the house, all you have are three hundred and sixty degrees of nature’s splendor.”

Michelle stood looking out the window. “I see why you decided to build here. It’s spectacular.” She went completely still when she felt the heat from Lucas’s body as he stood behind her, his arm going around her waist.

She swallowed a moan when he kissed the side of her neck. She breathed faster, her head resting on his shoulder. Did he realize what he was doing to her? The passion she’d believed long buried was now alive and threatening to shame her when she’d beg Lucas to make love to her.

“Lucas,” she whispered, not recognizing her own voice.

“Don’t worry, babe. I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to do.”

I want you. I want you so badly that I can hardly breathe or speak. I wanted you the first time I saw you. I wish to be with you now and for as long as our time together lasts.