Undeniable Demands ( Secrets of Eden 1)

And yet she didn’t want to fight with him anymore. It was all too confusing.

She opted for a happy medium, quietly sipping her tea and waiting for her dinner to arrive. Tori focused so intently on it that she noticed only a familiar heat, and when she looked up, Wade was on the stool beside her. She hadn’t even realized he’d moved.

“Hello, Tori.”

She turned in her seat to look at him. He was wearing dark tailored jeans and a black cashmere sweater that fit his broad shoulders beautifully. She itched to reach out and brush the soft fabric as an excuse to touch him again.

“Wade,” she responded simply. She was afraid she’d give away too much if she said anything more.

Wade smiled broadly, undeterred by her cool reception. He took the drink Rose offered him before she disappeared into the kitchen again, leaving Tori high and dry. He took a sip before he spoke. “Do you eat here a lot?”

“Most nights. You’ve seen my kitchen.” She was certain her confusion was etched on her face, but there was nothing she could do about it. “You’re awfully friendly tonight.”

“Why wouldn’t I be? The last time I saw you, we made out against the side of your truck.”

Tori’s cheeks lit up as bright as her hair. “Don’t say it like that,” she said, wishing her pot pie would come and give her something to focus on instead of her memories of making out with Wade. She couldn’t think of anything else with his scent so close, tempting her to do it again.

Wade grinned and she was glad she was sitting down and didn’t have to worry about her knees giving out from under her. She wished she didn’t amuse him so much. If he smiled less and sat farther away, she might not be fighting this pointless attraction to the man she was trying very hard not to like. A man she shouldn’t like, considering he fired her, made her lose her apartment and was hell-bent on taking away her second chance at settling down.

It was that stupid smile that did it.

“Okay,” he agreed, leaning in to whisper the words softly in her ear. “The last time I saw you, I drank in your lips like a sweet wine I couldn’t get enough of.”

Rose approached at that moment, heard Wade’s low words, then immediately spun on her heel and vanished. Tori knew she’d hear more about that later, but she could hardly care with Wade’s deep voice vibrating through her. A shiver ran down Tori’s spine when he spoke, and gooseflesh drew up all over her skin. His warm breath on her neck took her back to the snow, to the truck, to the kisses she couldn’t forget. Why did he have this power over her? “I s-suppose that’s a better way to put it,” she stuttered. “And yet you haven’t darkened my doorstep since then.”

“I wanted to, believe me. But I had to put in the family time. We only get together once a year. The last of them left today, so I’m free to begin harassing you again.”

Honestly, she’d felt his presence even with him gone. The past few days he’d plagued her thoughts, overrun her dreams and disrupted her focus. Memories of his kisses lingered. She was on edge thinking he might show up any minute to continue his petition to buy the land. Or better yet, to pick up where they’d left off. He might as well have been sitting in her camper since Monday night.

“Why did you stay behind when the others left?” she said, pushing the thoughts of his touch out of her mind.

“A few things needed my attention,” he said.

She swallowed hard. “Like what?”

“Like you.” His lips curled in a smug grin. He knew he was pushing all the right buttons. “So how long have you been here in Cornwall?”

The change in discussion nearly gave her whiplash, but the topic was thankfully a safe one. “Two months. I had been looking at this area for a while before that but hadn’t found any land that suited the house I want to build.”

“Shouldn’t an architect build a house to suit the land, not the other way around?”

“Perhaps.” She shrugged. “But this is going to be my one and only home. The place where I live for the rest of my life. I’ve been thinking about what I want for years, and I finally have the money and time to make it happen. That plot of land is perfect for what I envision. I refuse to settle.”

“Understandable. How are the plans coming for the house?”

Tori’s lips twisted with concern before she spoke. “Not as quickly as I’d like. But you can’t rush perfection. I hope to have the blueprints finalized this week and break ground before the end of January.”