“I’ll show you around this week.”
“That’s not necessary. I’m sure you’re very busy.”
His lips curved. “But I want to. This is where I live, Katrina. I want you to see it.”
“Oh, of course. Then thank you.”
He wasn’t certain her hesitation was just politeness. He should find out before he took this any further.
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
Her gaze snapped to his. “No.”
“Okay.”
“Why would you ask that question? I wouldn’t be seeing you if I did. I wouldn’t kiss you if I did. I would never—”
“Calm down, Kat. I only asked the question because you’re always so reluctant to spend any time with me. And I know it’s not because you don’t like me.”
She let out a laugh. “Of course. Because what woman wouldn’t like you? You being so irresistible and all.”
He shot her a grin. “I know, right?”
“No problem with your ego, is there?”
“None that I’m aware of.”
He pulled off the highway and drove several blocks toward his neighborhood.
“This is a very nice area,” she said. “I love the seclusion of it, and all the trees.”
He pulled onto his street. “There was something about this area I liked a lot when I was out looking at houses to buy,” he said. “There were a lot of families in the neighborhood. Plus there’s a park and a lake and it’s in a very good school district. And then when I saw the house, I knew I had to have it.”
When he pulled up into the driveway and parked, she turned to him. “You talk about kids and stuff. Is there something I should know?”
“Like?”
“Like maybe an ex-wife and some kids you haven’t told me about?”
He laughed and unbuckled his seat belt. “No. Just thinking about the future. I don’t intend to house hop. I figured at some point I’ll get married and have some kids. This seems like a good place to do that.”
Katrina gaped at the house, the big front yard and the impressive neighborhood. Living in Manhattan, space was always at a premium. She loved her apartment, and it was spacious by New York City standards, but this was spectacular.
It was a two-story stone house with a dark roof. There were a lot of windows flanked by gorgeous white shutters. It was huge, yet welcoming at the same time. The front yard was immense, with a lot of lush green grass, tall trees, and shrubs.
“Did you do all this landscaping?” she asked as he walked with her to the front door.
“Some of it. My mom suggested the flowers after I moved in. She said the front landscaping needed some color or something like that. She and my sister ordered them and had them delivered, and my dad and brothers and I put them in.”
“Your mother is right. It would have looked barren without some color.”
“Yeah, so they told me—repeatedly.” He hit the button on the garage door, which lifted to reveal a big truck in the garage.
She looked at the truck, then over at him. “Yes, you strike me as a truck guy.”
“What exactly is a ‘truck guy’?”
“Manly. Testosterone. That kind of thing.”
“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
She smiled. “You do that.”
He led her through a door into the house, which was so much cooler than outside.
It smelled like cleaning products—piney and lemony. He must have cleaned today before coming to pick her up.
How sweet.
And utterly unexpected.
Inside was spacious and light, with a lot of windows and very cool tile. The kitchen was magnificent—definitely a cook’s paradise, with a large island and a six-burner stove.
The living area was the same, with amazing dark hardwood floors, and windows overlooking a woodsy backyard.
And, oh, God, a pool.
She turned to him, grasping his arm. “You have a pool.”
“Yeah.”
“Can we go see it?”
“Don’t you want to see the rest of the house first?”
“No.”
With a quirk of his lips, he nodded. “Okay. Let’s go out back and see the pool. There are two entrances out back. One through the living room, which is actually a side yard. There’s another way, down the stairs and through the laundry slash mudroom.”
He took her down the stairs and, dear God, this room was as big as the entire main living area in her apartment. It was a laundry room, but also a prep area for the pool. The floor was tiled, and there were open cupboards holding beach towels and a vast array of pool paraphernalia, with a laundry prep area as well.
“Wow.”
“It was a big selling point for me. People can come in here and use the bathroom, and it doesn’t muck up the rest of the house. Plus lots of storage for the pool stuff.”
“It’s amazing.”
“Thanks. I agree.”
They went out the door and it led onto a huge covered patio. He had a few tables and chairs, but there was potential for so much more.
The pool, however, was magnificent, surrounded by smooth rocks, with a waterfall and a slide. There was an attached hot tub as well, which was simply gorgeous.
The pool was huge and inviting. The yard surrounding and beyond was lush and green with mature trees farther back in a wooded area. She wanted to strip and dive into the pool, then spend the remainder of the day there.