Page 89 of Wild Love

I tried not to think about her naked in the tub while she crossed to the dining-room table where blueprints were spread out.

"What are you working on?" She looked at one of the pages, then lifted her gaze to mine.

"I'm building a house. Just picking out what I want it to look like."

She picked up one blueprint. "This one has five bedrooms."

"Yeah, I want to fill it with kids one day." I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face.

"You want kids?" she asked as she moved to another sheet, the first floor.

It was something we hadn't discussed before. "Two or three. But I'd talk it over with my partner first."

Her eyes widened slightly as if she hadn't considered that I might want to have that family with someone else. It sucked to keep up this charade, but Marigold swore it would work.

"A pool. Hot tub."

"I don't want to lose the amenities I have here. I even added a home gym." I reached across the table, brushing against her chest, tapping the spot in the basement. "Right here."

"I thought you weren't ready to settle down.”

I smiled at her. "The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. This condo is more for a bachelor lifestyle. I’m tired of it.”

She raised a brow. "Oh. I didn't realize."

"I have to thank you, Scarlett. Being together helped me see what I wanted."

Her cheeks flushed pink.

"I hope you found that to be true too. I believe everyone comes into our lives for a reason."

"I helped you figure out what you want in your life?"

I let out a breath. "It's the greatest gift you could have given me."

Scarlett pursed her lips. "I can't say the same."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out soon." I shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. "You're younger than me."

When she was quiet, still purusing the blueprints, I asked, "Did you need something? Mac wanted me to get back to him on this tomorrow."

Her gaze flew to meet mine. "You're building soon?"

"He's going to do it along with the cabin project. It makes sense while he's already on the property."

"Right." Then she smiled and moved toward the door. "Well, it was good seeing you."

"Did you need to talk about something?" I asked, opening the door for her.

"I just wanted to see how you're doing."

I leaned into the door frame, forcing myself to keep it light. "I'm focused on the future. Staying positive. You know how it is."

Scarlett nodded, licking her lips. "Yeah."

"Is everything good to go for the performance tomorrow night?"

"I'm sure something will come up tomorrow, but for now, it is."

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