Page 24 of Breaking the Rules
“Wonderful! We’ll see you tomorrow night. Say, seven?”
“Sounds good.” Waverly said good-bye and disconnected. “We’re going to dinner at my parents’ house tomorrow night and getting this mess straightened out,” she told Xavier.
“Looking forward to it.”
So was Waverly.
The driver paused at the Hidden Vista gate and showed his ID to the guard. The gates opened. Waverly shot Xavier a look. “How is Invictus on my access list?”
“Just expediting the process,” he said innocently.
There were a lot of things that were going to get straightened out in the next twenty-four hours.
But Waverly set it aside as they pulled into the driveway of her home. She’d been here two years and still loved every nook and cranny of the rambling two-story traditional. Here, she’d finally found the home and the privacy she’d longed for all her life. The yellow house sat cozily on two acres up a winding concrete drive. The wraparound front porch was crowded with comfortable furniture, inviting guests to sit down and take a load off.
Xavier and the driver unloaded the bags from the back of the SUV and piled them up at the front door before he sent the driver off with instructions to drop off another SUV for their use. Kate yawned and stretched her arms over her head.
“Wave, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go home and reacquaint myself with the rotting contents of my refrigerator.”
Waverly grinned and grabbed Kate for a hard hug. “Thank you for coming to my rescue and babysitting me for days on end while putting your own life on hold. I promise to return the favor.”
Kate gave her an extra hard squeeze. “You got it. Now try not to get shot or stabbed or abandoned in another state for at least a month or two.”
“I’ll do my best.”
She waved Kate off as her friend backed her SUV out of the third garage bay and headed down the driveway.
“I guess it’s just you and me,” Xavier said, leaning against one of the stark white columns of the porch.
“Don’t get used to it,” Waverly warned him. She paused at her front door, debating. She was about to allow Xavier Saint to enter her sanctuary. “Don’t you want to go home or something?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I sold my condo here. Whenever I’m in town, I use one of the Invictus properties.”
“Fine, don’t you want to go anywhere but here and leave me alone in peace?”
“Not a chance, Angel. Open the door.”
She slid the key into the lock and opened the arched front doors. She keyed in the access code on the pad by the door. Even with Xavier crowding behind her, she still felt the rush of pleasure she always did when she came home. Inside, the traditional disappeared with an open layout, soaring ceilings, and windows everywhere that encouraged view gawking. The view was spectacular. Canyon and mountain with just a sliver of city lights to the southeast.
The travertine foyer opened to the main staircase and a sunken living room. A contemporary chandelier hung twenty feet above them, showcased in a cupola. There was a formal dining room to the right with a big bow window overlooking the front yard.
She headed straight back the wide hallway until it opened up. The entire back of the house was one cavernous room with windows everywhere. Here, the floor was dark slabs of stone warmed by the sunlight that poured through two stories of windows. She’d gone with dark cabinets and light marble countertops in the U-shaped kitchen. A massive island offered an acre of prep space. The walls were a creamy off-white.
Despite its size, the great room felt cozy with oversized couches organized around a large TV. There were three sets of French doors and dozens more windows here. Massive trusses gave the ceiling a cathedral feel. The fireplace, tucked into the corner and flanked by two comfortable chairs, was made out of the same stone as the floors. Above, a loft led to bedrooms.
Xavier went straight to the doors off the kitchen and stared out at her backyard. There was a kidney-shaped pool with a small hot tub and her favorite feature of the entire house, a pavilion perched between pool and cliff. There a farm table was centered under rafters and ceiling fans. A massive outdoor fireplace was built into the far end of the covered patio.
“This place looks like you,” he said finally.
Waverly felt a shiver of annoyance dance up her spine. “Don’t pretend that you know me, Xavier.”
He turned his back on the view to watch her.
“You knew a scared girl who didn’t know how to stand up for herself,” she snapped. “That’s not me now. You have no idea who I am now.”
“I know you’re lying to me. I know that there’s more to this story than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He grabbed her arm when she tried to walk away.
“What makes you think I’m lying to you?” She tried to yank her arm free.
