Page 38 of Sensual Nights

Turning she set the glass in front of him and smiled.

"I didn't expect you to live in such a large home."

She laughed. "Neither did I." She shook her head. "Things worked out that way. This was Margo's house. When she and Logan were married, they built this house and lived here. When he died, and things came out of the woodwork about his affair, this house lost its luster for her. When she and Jace got serious, and she moved in with him, I stayed here. Then, when she andJace married, she made me an offer I couldn't refuse to purchase the house. I took it. I was in the middle of leaving my deadbeat boyfriend, and the move to a new town seemed the best fit. Plus, I'd be close to my sister."

He nodded as he listened to her story. She smiled often and looked at him a lot. She worked on their dinner, with what seemed little effort.

"Why did you move here?" she asked.

He took a deep breath. "I'd left my job and was looking for a new place to land. My brother had been down here years ago and spoke fondly of it. So, I thought, why not? I love the weather, and I found a great job, though I'm overqualified. However, it suits me. Mixing drinks and chatting is what my wounded soul needed. The change has helped quite a bit. My PTSD attacks are fewer here."

She stopped across the counter from him and smiled brightly. "This place is healing. I'm happy for you and me too. I'm happy for both of us."

He chuckled. "Me too."

He yawned. She cocked her head to the side. "Would you like to lay down while supper is cooking?"

"No. It's..." He looked into her eyes and her smiling face. "Do you mind?"

"Of course not. Come on, I'll get you to the bedroom."

"I'm very sorry I'm not in better shape when you say things like that."

She laughed out loud. "There will be other times, I promise."

He chuckled as he stood, and he put his arm around her as she led him down the hall. They passed by other doors with beds in them, a nice bathroom, and finally, at the end of the hallway was her bedroom.

They stepped through the door, and he glanced around the large room. It was decorated smartly with clean design details.Not that he knew much about decorating. He noticed there weren't a bunch of things on the walls like he'd seen in other homes. They stopped next to the bed, and she eased him down to a sitting position. Kneeling before him, she untied his tennis shoes and set them along the wall. "Do you want to get under the covers?"

He shook his head. "No. I don't want to sleep too long."

"I'll come and get you for supper in about a half hour."

She pulled a blanket from the closet and placed it over him as he laid back. She kissed his lips lightly. Then he closed his eyes and was out.

21

Carley finished prepping the casserole and slid it into the oven. She cleaned up her mess then set the table. She pulled her laptop from its case and opened it on the kitchen counter. She answered a couple of emails then looked at her calendar. She had to show Layton Terry the condo in three hours. She had enough time.

She received a signed offer on one of her listings from another real estate agent in the area and grinned when she saw the offer was the same as the asking price. She forwarded it to her seller with a note,"We've received a signed offer on your house. Congratulations! Time to pack."

The oven timer was about to go off, so she opened the oven and pulled the casserole out. She padded down the hall to the bedroom. Standing in the doorway, she watched Mason sleep. His face was relaxed and his breathing was even and strong. He was a handsome one. Incredibly handsome. She allowed herself a couple of minutes to stare at him, then softly stepped next to the bed. She ran her hand down his arm as she softly said, "Hey, there. It's time to get up."

He didn't wake so she spoke a bit louder. "Hey, Mason. Honey, it's time to get up."

He didn't wake but he did move his legs. Then his legs began thrashing, and she stepped back, worrying he’d reinjure his leg, but afraid to get too close. He was having another nightmare. His arms began pushing away from him as if he was pushing something or someone back. His legs kicked almost like he was running. Then he bolted upright and stared across the room for a moment.

Carley swallowed and stepped in his line of vision. "Hey."

He took a deep breath. "Hey."

He scraped his hands through his hair, then down his face. Turning his face toward her he asked, "Did I scare you?"

"No."

His lips frowned for a moment. He twisted and set his feet on the floor with a slight wince. Carley softly announced "supper's ready when you are. The primary bathroom is right down this little hallway to your right. Take your time, it can sit a few minutes."

She turned to leave the room, but he halted her. "Hey."

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