Twice as Sexy (The Sexy 2)

He approached the street, taking in the neighborhood as he always did, with a sense of pleasure and pride. He had always wanted a place of his own. A home, not an apartment that felt temporary. Once he and the guys opened the club and the business took off, he felt comfortable investing in a piece of property. Unlike his friends, who had apartments in Manhattan, he wanted to look outside and see green grass. Trees.

And thanks to the apartment above the club, he’d never had to bring a woman home to intrude on his solitude and private space. Which had worked for him until he’d laid eyes on Scarlett. To his shock and surprise, he’d been wanting to show her his house. To have her in his home, so her scent lingered and he could envision her there even when she wasn’t around.

As he pulled up to the house, he realized he cared what she thought of this place he loved. It was a classic Tudor-style home on one third of an acre in Forest Hills Gardens, and he took satisfaction in the manicured gardens he paid a fortune to keep up.

“This is it.” As he approached the house, Scarlett pushed herself upright in her seat, focusing on the Tudor in front of her.

“It’s gorgeous,” she said as he turned into the long driveway. “I have to admit I never pictured you in a neighborhood.”

Hand on the steering wheel, he turned his head and met her gaze. “I hope I continue to surprise you in all the best ways,” he said with a wink.

She blew out a breath. “If all but demanding I move in with you is your idea of a good surprise, I can’t imagine what’s next.”

He chuckled under his breath. “I merely encouraged you.”

“By using emotional blackmail.”

I already blame myself for not protecting Levi. I couldn’t handle it if anything happened to you because of me.

He didn’t bother denying it. Instead he shrugged. “Every word was true. And it worked.” This way he knew she was safe under his roof and with him when she wasn’t at work.

He pulled into the garage and put the SUV in park. “Come on. I’ll give you the grand tour.”

“Looking forward to it.” She hopped out of her side, and he grabbed her suitcase and carried it into the house, leaving it by the main-floor stairway.

He showed her around the bottom floor. An arched doorway led to a main entry with the original hardwood floors. “This is the living room.” He gestured to a large room that opened to a banquet-sized dining room. “Dining room. Which obviously never gets used…” He grinned and cast a glance her way.

Her eyes were wide. “I love the warmth of the house and the wood accents. And the neutral colors with pops of burgundy? It’s beautiful.”

“Decorator,” he admitted as they stepped into a breakfast room and beyond was the French-style kitchen. “It was recently renovated when I bought it, so I left this room alone.”

“Good call.” She smiled. “I am not a cook but someone who is would love to work in there.”

“Takeout tastes just as good as homemade food in my book,” he assured her. He wasn’t throwing her out of his life because she didn’t prepare meals. So far she seemed to have forgiven his past, though they hadn’t had a deep conversation about it yet either. His status was still tenuous.

As they walked through the rest of the downstairs, a library he’d turned into a man-cave and the big den with a huge-screen television, her compliments continued, which pleased him. He didn’t understand the warmth in his chest or why he cared. He’d gone all his life without approval from his father, the people who should have given it unconditionally, but what this woman thought meant something to him.

“The master is on the top floor and there are three rooms on the second level.” He turned by her suitcase and she stopped short, very little space between them. “The question is do you want to sleep alone? Or with me?”

Her luscious lips parted in surprise.

“Are you still unsure about me?” He leaned against the bannister, eyes focused on her. And if his desire was evident by the tenting in his pants and the pounding of his heart, hers was visible in the way she looked at him, her darkened irises and intent expression.

“No. I’m not unsure.”

At her words, relief spread through him.

“Everyone has a past and I can see that you’ve overcome yours.” Her gaze warmed along with her words and he moved in closer.

“Do you trust me enough to give us a try?” When she didn’t answer immediately, he swept a finger over her parted lips. “You have to admit this takes care of your ‘no time for anything but work’ problem. We’ll be together before and after hours.”