Page 17 of Devoted Enough

He turned and walked down the hall.

“Here is another half bath,” he said, opening the door to a simple bathroom. It contained a pedestal sink and toilet. Thecolor was the same as the half bath downstairs. “The laundry room, and if you go up these steps, it’s my bedroom.”

He started up the steps, and for half a second, I almost didn’t follow him. Did I want to see his bedroom? A place where he has most likely brought countless women. Ultimately, my curiosity about his private space won out, and I quickly caught up with him.

“This space is over the three-car garage and a bit more private than the rest of the house. I honestly couldn’t decide if I wanted this to be my bedroom or the guest bedroom you used earlier.”

I suddenly remembered my car. “Speaking of garages, what about my car? I almost forgot to ask.”

“Already called Hank and he was going to pick it up for you. I asked him to bring it here; I figured you would want that.”

“Yes, thank you for that.”

He smiled and walked into a large bedroom. The walls were covered in what looked like the same reclaimed wood on the outside of the house, at least what I could make of it in the pouring rain. On one wall there was a giant rustic wrought-iron bed with a cedar trunk at the base of it.

“That trunk is beautiful.”

“Thanks,” he said as he walked over and opened it. Inside were covers and sheets. “Found it at an estate sale a few years back and grabbed it. Figured I would use it someday, and turns out it is the perfect fit for this room.”

I nodded. On the wall opposite the bed was a large-screen TV with a fireplace under it. An oversized leather chair with an ottoman sat to the side, and I couldn’t help but picture how nice it would be to curl up in that chair and get lost in a book with a roaring fire.

When I turned to look at the rest of the room, Nate stood with his fists clenched and his jaw tight. Was he uncomfortablehaving me in his room? Hopefully he didn’t think I thought something would happen. Pulling my gaze off him, I returned my gaze to the bed. A strange ache filled my chest as I again wondered how many women he had brought back here and slept with in that very bed.

There was a large dresser against one wall, and the fourth wall was nothing but floor-to-ceiling windows with a French door that led out to what I was guessing was another balcony.

“This room is like out of a magazine, Nate.”

“I like it,” he said as he moved toward a door. Opening it, we walked into a huge walk-in closet with hardly anything. One side had some clothes hung up, but the other side was empty. I wasn’t even sure I had enough clothes to fill a quarter of the space in this closet. Walking through, we entered the bathroom.

“Oh, wow,” I softly said, turning around to take it all in. Against one wall were two tall cabinets that were floor to ceiling. In the middle of those sat a long counter with two sinks that seemed to hover between the two larger cabinets. The wood was the same color as the kitchen, but they didn’t have the same rustic finish. They were mounted off the floor and gave a very spa-like feeling.

Directly across from the sinks sat a large soak-in tub. Next to it was another sizeable walk-in shower encased in glass. The shower tile matched what was behind the sinks: small square tiles in different shades of gray and white. And the best part? The floor of the shower was large river rocks.

“Wow. I have no words to describe this bathroom other than…wow.”

“Thanks,” he replied with a soft laugh.

We stood awkwardly before Nate cleared his throat and asked, “Should we head back to the family room? Beer is probably getting warm.”

“Yeah, we probably should.” I nodded as I quickly exited the bathroom and bedroom and headed back down the steps. I knew that Nate was wealthy, or that his family was. But I hadn’t realized just how wealthy.

I walked into the laundry and checked my clothes. They were almost dry, thank goodness. When I turned around, Nate was standing there. He didn’t seem as tense as he was when we were upstairs, and I was glad. I wasn’t sure what in the heck was wrong with him.

“They’re almost dry,” I said, barely saying it loud enough for anyone to hear.

He gave a single nod, smiled, and walked away.

I closed my eyes and prayed Hank would get here soon. I just needed my car, a new tire, and a quick escape from Nate Shaw’s house.

Chapter Three

NATHAN

Haven couldn’t have gotten out of my bedroom fast enough, and I thanked the stars above for that. Having her in my room, near my bed, nearly drove me mad. I had to clench my fists to keep myself from reaching out and touching her. She looked hot as hell in my clothes, even with them hanging off her small-framed body.

I followed Haven back downstairs. She slipped into the laundry room to check on her clothes. I told myself to keep walking but instead, stopped and watched her like an idiot. She turned, and our eyes met. Haven swallowed hard before finally saying almost on a whisper, “They’re almost dry.”

The best I could do was smile before I turned and walked toward the kitchen. My stomach growled, and I glanced at the clock. It was five.

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