“So I’m supposed to go…” She didn’t know how to finish that sentence.
A deep chuckle rumbled from his throat. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to go in the trees or anything. But you’ll have to use the bathroom Logan and I share.”
An alleviated sigh left her lips. “Thank goodness. That’s fine with me.”
Was it absurd to say sharing a bathroom with Roman made her a bit excited? He was definitely hot, easily checking all her boxes. What would he look like coming out of a steamy washroom in nothing but a towel? Her cheeks started to flush.
“So you can choose to stay in any of the upstairs guest rooms. They’re more or less the same. We haven’t quite gotten to painting or decorating them yet. But you’ll have a bed and a dresser, as well as a personal balcony with a magnificent view of the forest.”
He set her luggage on the staircase. “I’ll bring that upstairs for you in a minute,” he said, gesturing for her to follow him to the kitchen, where he pressed a panel and it opened ever-so-slightly.
Roman wiggled his eyebrows as he pulled open the panel to reveal a disguised doorway and waited to see her reaction.
“A hidden door!” She couldn’t contain her excitement. Who hasn’t wished for their home to have a hidden passageway that leads to a secret library or a moody speakeasy? “Where does it go?” she asked eagerly.
His expression lit up, clearly proud of this place, and she didn’t blame him. She’d only seen the main area, and she was more than impressed.
“I’ll show you.” Roman offered his hand.
She took it, and his grip tightened around hers. The contact sent sparks through her fingers, and a cascade of butterflies took flight within her stomach. With one simple touch igniting her insides, it was hard not to wonder what a whole lot more could do.
Chapter Three
ROMAN
Roman flipped on the lights and led Ava into the back house. The hallway stretched on either side of them, with a door leading to his room at one end, Logan’s at the other, and a large shared bathroom in the middle.
He was over the moon about how well Logan and he had concealed what they called theirowners’ suites.
The hidden door was his idea.
It allowed them to have a separate living space, away from any guests, and afforded them their own privacy. Maintaining a small boundary between their working life and their personal space was important.
“You can use our bathroom here,” he said, opening the door to show Ava.
She gaped at the sight in front of her. Even with her mouth wide open, she was absolutely beautiful. A summer tan kissed her ivory skin, freckles dotted her nose and cheeks, and her blue eyes sparkled in a way he’d never seen before, like they were dancing in the light.
He thought Logan went overboard when designing their washroom, but seeing Ava’s expression was worth it. Leave it to Logan not to listen to reason when it came to his own luxury. That man was a sucker for the finer things.
Charcoal-coloured stone tile covered the floor and the walls. The shower, separated by floor to ceiling glass, filled the entire rear of the room. Multiple rainfall shower heads were placed strategically inside, along with a stone bench.
On the left and right, they each had their own dark granite counter with raised stone sinks opposite each other. He was embarrassed at the sight of his unorganized, and frankly messy, toiletries littered across the counter. A stark contrast to Logan’s minimalist belongings arranged in a neat row according to size. At least his towels were inside the towel warmer and not thrown on top, like usual.
He tried to imagine seeing it from Ava’s perspective. Yeah…overboard for two bachelors. Probably not what she expected to see.
“I’ll tidy my side and you can put your stuff in here. Best to leave Logan’s side alone. He’ll blow a gasket if anything gets out of order.” He made it sound like a joke, but Logan would truly freak out.
She nodded, roaming the space, examining the luxury of it all. “Thank you. I don’t…wow. I didn’t expect a bathroom that looked like a spa.”
“Well, that’s all Logan. He designs the spaces, then we build them together. I’d be happy with four walls, a shower, and a toilet, but that’s not how he operates.”
Guiding Ava out of the washroom, he directed her gaze down the hallway. “My room is down there. If you need anything, ask. Logan is at the opposite end of the hall. Best not to go in there. He’s pretty particular.”
“Particular?” she asked, raising one eyebrow and quirking her lips.
God, that was cute.
“You’ll see what I mean soon enough. Come on, let’s get you settled in one of the guest rooms.”