Page 11 of Foreplay on Words

“Shit, shit, shit. Why am I being so ridiculous about this?” I moaned.

I knew why. I was nervous.

Something about the look on his face in that picture intimidated me. I already wanted to know more about him, and that was dangerous. That wasn’t why I was here.

It was a bit after three. The maps on my phone said it took about fifteen minutes to get to his house from here which meant I had about twenty minutes to get myself ready to leave. It was also in a rural area that backed up to a state park, so I didn’t want to get lost.

What did one wear to meet a colleague? A dress? I obviously couldn’t wear my yoga pants, tank top, and a slouchy sweater.

I finally settled on a loose-fitting denim shirt dress and ankle boots. It was dressier than my normal writing attire, yet still casual.

The maps on my phone were useless ten minutes into the drive, and I was glad Adrian had included turn-by-turn directions to Evan’s house. I would die out here if I were left to rely on modern technology.

The last turn wasn’t paved and had a gravel road that cut a narrow path through the trees. I couldn’t even see any other houses nearby.

It said to follow the road for 1.4 miles until it stopped. I was literally on a road to nowhere.

His house wasn’t what I’d expected. Not by a long shot. The trees started to thin just over a mile in, and then it appeared—totally out of place with its surroundings.

A small lake was situated behind it; the trees open to the water. I’d been expecting something like a rustic log cabin, but I guess when you sell enough books, you can afford to build yourself a nice modern farmhouse in the middle of the forest.

The lights were on; clearly, he was home. With all those windows, he was probably watching me—wondering why I hadn’t gotten out of the car yet.

Grabbing my messenger bag from the backseat. I began the walk toward his front door.

It was so quiet. No industrial noise, no cars, only the sounds of nature. I was so used to the background noise of city life that it was a little unsettling.

My palms were sweating as I approached the door, and my heart pounded. Quickly glancing at my watch, I noticed it was 3:58 pm, and I mentally patted myself on the back for being a few minutes early. Isobel would be so proud.

I wiped my hand on my dress and knocked on the door before I psyched myself out.

Footsteps echoed through the door, and I tried to remain calm as I waited. They stopped, and I stared at the doorknob as it started to turn. My eyes snapped up as the door swung open.

Shit. Don’t drool, Chase.

He really was as attractive as his photo. This was not good. He was wearing a pair of loose-fitting athletic shorts with a fitted gray shirt. He’d obviously been doing something strenuous as I noticed a bead of sweat make its way down the side of his neck. My mind immediately jumped into the gutter, thinking of stepping forward to catch it with my tongue.

His hair was a shade of medium brown—almost blonde––slightly wavy with little highlights of a lighter hue. His skin had a golden glow; he obviously spent a lot of time outdoors. Deep blue eyes with a lighter ring around his pupil peered back at me. Just like in the book jacket photo, they had a certain edge of vulnerability. A soft-looking layer of scruff covered his chiseled jawline, framing full, pink lips.

“Hey.” His voice was slightly strained as he took an earbud out and opened the door wider.

“Hi, uh, am I early?”

He stood there, chest heaving as he looked at me for a moment. “Oh...no. Sorry. Shit.” I held back laughter as he started to look a little flustered. “No, I lost track of time.” He looked at his wrist, and his eyes widened as he checked the time.

“I can come back.” I offered, motioning over my shoulder toward my car.

“No! No. That’s okay. I was nervous, so I went for a run. I guess I didn’t realize how long I’d been on the treadmill.”

His rambling was adorable. Most men who looked like him would never admit they were nervous.

I shifted the strap of my bag on my shoulder as we continued to stare at each other. His whole body was blocking the door, and I didn’t want to invite myself into his home.

“So...?”

“What?” He pulled the other earbud out and moved to the side. “Shit, sorry. I’m sorry, Chastity. Come in.” He stepped back further as I crossed the threshold and took several steps inside.

“Chase.”

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