Falling Into Love with You (The Hate-Love Duet 2)

It’s the longest, and most relaxed, conversation Savage and I have had all day. We didn’t speak at all during the drive to the airport this morning, though Savage’s dark eyes pleaded with me to speak first. We barely spoke during our flight, other than to ask polite questions about legroom and the shows we were separately watching. But now that we’re here, and on our way to Mimi’s new house, the cold air feels too super-charged with excitement and adventure for my heart to remember to be closed off.

The limo turns onto a residential street lined with stunning mini-mansions. And when the car makes another turn, the passing homes turn from mini-mansions to actual ones—massive homes with meticulously sheared hedges and tidy walkways and iron gates. Stunning homes that look straight out of a bygone era.

“Whoa,” I breathe. “These homes are gorgeous.” I gasp and point. “Look at that one!”

To my shock, I’ve no sooner said the words than the car comes to a stop in front of the very house I’m indicating—a breathtaking mansion with countless windows framed by green-painted shutters, sprawling gardens, and brickwork walkways.

I open my mouth wide in shock. “This is the house you got for Mimi?”

“This is it,” Savage confirms, his beautiful face radiating with pride.

As the driver exits the car and begins unloading our luggage from the back, Savage and I start bundling up for the short walk from the street to the front door. I don’t know anything about architecture, so my brain can’t conjure the right words to describe this home. All I can say is it looks like a “Victorian mansion” to me. Or maybe a Civil war era house? Yeah, I don’t know what I’m talking about. All I know is it looks old, but painstakingly restored, and gorgeous. No wonder Savage wanted to keep his full salary from the show! I don’t know how much this fancy house cost him, but I have to think Savage was depending on his full salary from the show when he decided to buy it.

“Who lives here with Mimi?” I ask, as we begin walking up the front pathway with our luggage.

“Sasha is staying here, for the time being, and Mimi’s got a rotation of caregivers who stay here, too.”

“I’m not sure there’s enough room for everyone,” I joke.

“Just barely,” he replies.

“It must take a day just to vacuum the downstairs.”

“I’ve got a maid service coming, twice a week, to keep it from getting dusty.”

“Wow. I would have given anything to play hide and seek in a house like this as a kid.”

Savage flashes a crooked smile. “I’d be happy to play with you during our stay, if you’d like.” There’s sexual innuendo buried in his tone. Knowing him, he’s probably imagining himself nailing me, wherever he finds me.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I say. “We’re here for Mimi.”

His face falls. “Yeah. Okay. Thanks again for that.” He reaches for the doorknob, but stops and takes a deep breath, like he’s gearing up for something.

“What?” I ask.

He bites his lip. “I know intellectually you’re only here for Mimi’s sake. But, still, my heart is racing. Even if this is fake, it’s still a first for me—bringing a girl home to meet my family. I’ve never done that before, and it’s kind of exciting.”

Oh, crap. In a torrent, I feel the urge to throw myself into Savage’s arms and kiss the hell out of him. I want to tell him to forget yesterday—to say we’ll press the ‘reset’ button, again. But, this time, as much as my heart wants to ignore the red flags and bury my head in the sand and enjoy the ride, my head won’t allow such foolishness.

“Just so you know,” Savage says. “When we walk through this door, Mimi is going to fling her little hummingbird body at you like a missile.” He chuckles. “I’m sure she’s sitting on the couch, watching TV right now. And the minute she hears our voices in the foyer, she’s going to hobble over to us and lose her ever-loving mind.”

I giggle. “Sounds amazing. I think I can handle being attacked by a hummingbird. Bring it, Mimi.”

With a huge smile, Savage takes a deep breath and opens the front door. We walk inside the house and into a beautiful foyer, where we’re surrounded on all sides by splendor—a huge wooden staircase directly in front of us, and two well-appointed rooms to either side.

“Whoa,” I say. “It looks straight out of a movie! Did you hire a designer?”

“No, I bought it this way. It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

“It’s perfect.”

“Hello?” Savage booms. “We’re here!” He pauses, a huge smile on his face. And then, when the house remains quiet as a mouse, he yells, “Sasha? Mimi? We’re here!” We wait. But nothing happens. “She must be watching TV in the family room. It’s hard to hear back there. Come on.” He grabs my hand, and off we go through a fancy living room into another room appointed with more modern-looking, comfy furniture and a large-screen TV. But it’s empty. We head into the next room—a huge, modern kitchen. And, again, there’s nobody here.