Page 27 of The Billionaire's Kiss
Chapter Eleven
Warner
“We’re out of traffic. You can let go of that bar now, Orla.”
Her knuckles had turned white as she was clinging to the bar. “I think it’s glued to it now.” She pried her fingers loose, then put her hands in her lap, still a bit anxious about my driving.
The neighborhood I lived in was on the outskirts of the city, where there was much less noise to deal with and less traffic too. “We’ll be at my place soon. You won’t have to endure much more driving. At least for a little while.”
“Maybe I’ll get used to it.”
“If I take you lots of places, you just might.” I thought that sounded like a brilliant idea. But being that the state of Texas is so big, that would definitely mean some overnight trips. And we hadn’t gotten to the point where of spending our nights together.
Pulling through the elaborate entrance to the subdivision I lived in, I saw her eyes widen as she took it in. It was a bit over the top. Waterfalls on each side that made small streams that ran over rocky beds. Even though it was winter, the greenery the community developers had chosen stayed green all year round.
“This is nice, Warner.” Her eyes scanned the lavish grounds the gorgeous homes were built on. “I should’ve known a man with your wherewithal would live in such a stately place.”
“You mean money?” I had to chuckle. “Yeah, it made no sense to live in a shack when I have the bucks to afford a bit more than that.”
Cruising at a slow speed through the winding streets, I pulled up to my driveway, pushing the button on my visor to open the gate. “A gated entry? Fancy.”
“Most of the homes have them. It’s common here.” I parked in front of the house and watched her as she looked at it.
“Two stories?” She turned to me. “You must share this place with someone.”
“Nope.” I got out of the truck and went around to help her out. “Come on, Orla.”
She took my hand and hopped down. “You live in this huge place alone?”
“All alone.”
“Oh, but you must have servants.” She nodded as if sure about that.
“I have a maid service that comes in twice a week and a gardener who takes care of the lawn whenever it needs it. No one lives with me.” Keying in the code, I opened the door, and in we went.
The entryway was meant to leave an impression, and it was the first thing Orla noticed. “The ceiling goes all the way up to the second story. I love light fixture—minimalistic, but that gold rope and silver orb only highlight the grandeur.”
“My brother, Patton, designed the interior. He knows my tastes, and so, this house really suits me.” Taking her hand, I tugged her along. “If you think the foyer is nice, wait till you see the main living area.”
Although I hadn’t entertained a crowd yet, the sprawling living room looked as if it could easily hold twenty to thirty people without anyone feeling crowded. My favorite part of the living area was the fireplace.
“My goodness, that fireplace is spectacular. It’s a two-sided one, isn’t it?”
“That’s the main dining room you see on the other side of it. This is a house made for entertaining. I’m not sure why I wanted it so badly, since I’ve never entertained in it yet. But I love the place.” Tugging her along, I wanted to show her where I really hung out. “Come with me.”
Walking through the barely used kitchen, I had to pull her along, as she wanted to check out every little detail of the gourmet kitchen. “This kitchen rivals the one in the restaurant at the lodge I work at. Are you a chef as well?”
“No. But I can grill like nobody’s business.” I would have to make her some of my barbeque before she left.
Taking her out the kitchen door, I showed her the outdoor kitchen. She ran her hand over the stainless steel barbeque pit that was tucked into an island of natural rock. “You grill on this?”
“I do.” Holding out my arm to gesture to the entire patio, I went on, “This is where I spend a lot of my time when I’m home. I love it out here.”
“I can see why.” She looked at the trees in the yard. “I’m glad to see that the people who built these homes didn’t cut down the trees. What kind are those?”
“Oak trees.” I had three of them that shaded the entire yard. But there was more to show her. “Come on, let’s head inside.”
Pulling her along, she seemed to want to linger a bit. “This is an amazing place you call home, Warner.”
