Page 79 of Wicching Hour

Declan make a hand gesture and Jake and Tyler hung back.

“Ooh, the stairs are that same wood,” I said. “I feel bad stepping on it.”

“It’s all been treated,” he explained. “They’ll clean off easily enough.”

“You should leave your boots on a mat at the base of the stairs so you don’t track sawdust—Oh!” Declan had stepped out of the way at the top of the stairs, revealing his new home.

THIRTY-FIVE

Home

It was so beautiful, I teared up again. I’d been expecting a single dude’s apartment: white walls, beige carpet, and a huge flat-screen TV. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was a Craftsman flat. The same deep, rich reddish-brown wood from downstairs was used on the floor, in a board-and-batten panel running a third of the way up the walls, and in the pillars and bookcases used to divide rooms.

The walls above the wood were a sunlit ocean blue in what looked like Venetian plaster. The ceiling was a far lighter hue than the wall color and was bisected by matching wooden beams to create a coffered ceiling.

The large first room had a stone fireplace that was open to the room beyond, with a wide casement opening to the right of the fireplace. I wandered into the second room, wanting to see it all. This room—that shared the fireplace—was smaller. Mission-style pendants hung from the ceiling in the center of the open space.

“Dining room?” I asked.

He nodded, appearing wary of my reaction, though I didn’t understand why. It was a freaking showplace. I looked through the adjoining doorway and saw the kitchen. The floors were the same gorgeous wood. The cabinets, though, looked like black walnut.

I went in, running my gloved hand over the island countertop. “Brushed stainless steel? I figured you’d do a butcherblock or granite. Something more earthy.”

Looking uncomfortable, he said, “Isn’t this better for baking and cleanup?”

“Well, sure, but since when do you bake?” It really was gorgeous, the soft brushed silver against the black cabinetry. He’d used that same sunlit ocean blue for the glass tile backsplash.

“Oh, honey,” Tyler murmured from the other room.

“This is harder than I thought it would be,” Declan said.

“I’m sorry!” I hugged him close. “I haven’t said it yet. It’s all beautiful! You’ve done amazing work here. This is, hands down, the warmest, most stunning bachelor pad known to man.”

“Oof,” I heard from the next room.

“What? Why am I being heckled?” I called out to Tyler and Jake.

“We’re going to go wait in the workshop,” Jake said.

“Declan, your home is gorgeous. What am I saying wrong?” I squeezed his hand. “The last thing I want to do is hurt you.” I put my hand on his cheek. “What am I missing?”

He shook his head and kissed me. “It’s not you. I’m the one who’s screwing this up.” He blew out a breath. “I put in these countertops so you could bake here. I chose the wall and tile colors so it would remind you of the ocean. I built this home for both of us.”

I stared at him, stunned. My heart may have stopped.

“Whether you move in or just stay over once in a while, I wanted it to be comfortable and welcoming for you.” Swallowing, he added, “What do you think?”

“Really? You want me in your home?” Heart now racing, insides turning to goo, I stared up into his handsome face. “Fair warning, I’m pretty annoying. I’m not even sure how I’d do living with someone.” I looked around the kitchen and what I could see of the dining room, trying to imagine us living here together.

“If,” I began, “after spending more time with me, you decide this was a horrible idea, tell me and I’ll go. Don’t resent me in silence. That would kill me.”

He kissed the tip of my nose. “I don’t anticipate that being an issue, but if it is, you’ll be the first to know.”

I nodded. “Okay. Good. We’ll work out the hows and whens later. Maybe we can keep essentials in both your place and mine so we can stay wherever it’s convenient that day.”

“Sure,” he said, “but it’s our place and yours.” He took my hand again. “Let me show you the rest.”

As we walked back through the dining room, I pointed up at the pendant lights. “How attached are you to those?”

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