Page 23 of The Collector's Temptation

After one more soft kiss, I pulled my arm back and lectured my dick to stand the fuck down as I reversed out of the parking spot. I drove out onto the road, then reached over and threaded my fingers through Kerrigan’s before setting our joined hands on my thigh.

It was too loud for conversation, but I turned on some sultry, bluesy music, and we rode in comfortable silence. Being with Kerrigan felt effortless, and it would have been all too easy to completely let my guard down. But slipping up that way could end her life, and that thought was agonizing enough for me to remain vigilant.

Despite that resolve, I’d still gone forward with my plans for the night, even though one wrong step could put me in a very dangerous position.

The drive out to Camillia Falls wasn’t long, and when I turned into my driveway, Kerrigan sighed dreamily. I smiled at her relaxed posture and kissed the back of her hand before shutting the car off.

Then she sat up straight, and her body went rigid.

“Where are we?” she practically squeaked as she stared up at my house.

Since I’d grown up in a rather large château in France, this house had always seemed…normal. My small country estate was downright conservative compared to Rafa’s estate, Magnolia Crest, and the houses built on it.

But looking at it from Kerrigan’s perspective, I realized that my place must’ve seemed extravagant.

“My home,” I told her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. She gaped at me, and I chuckled as I let go, then pressed the button to bring the convertible top back into place. “I can give you a tour of the house later, but that’s not why I brought you here.”

“Um…there’s more?”

“You’ll see,” I murmured cryptically with a wink before exiting the car.

I loped around to her side and opened the door, then helped her climb to her feet.

She was still staring up at the house in awe, but when I took hold of her hand once again, her attention shifted to me.

“It’s beautiful. I just…I wasn’t expecting something so big.” She glanced at me sideways before casually adding, “I don’t think even the owner of The Peachtree could afford this house and land, though.”

She was fishing for information, trying to be stealthy and failing miserably. However, I held back my laughter at how adorable she was and answered honestly. Mostly. “I work because I enjoy it, not because it’s necessary. My parents were pretty wealthy, and they set up trust funds for my brother and myself.”

“Wow. Okay. Well, this is the ‘get-to-know-you’ stage of a relationship, right? Now I know you’re basically a Rockefeller.”

I snorted. “He wishes he was this rich.”

When Kerrigan gawked at me again, I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

She quickly realized I was teasing and rolled her eyes, breaking out into giggles.

“Come on,miette,” I urged when we’d calmed. “I need to grab something from the house, then we’ll take a walk.”

We followed a stone walkway around to the back of the house. Then we headed up the steps onto a large deck that overlooked the rest of my land. Three sets of French doors led into an open living area, but all the way on the left was a standard door. I punched in the code to the security system, and when it disarmed, we entered a mudroom with an arched opening leading to the giant kitchen.

“Wait here,” I instructed before stalking into the kitchen. I grabbed a tote I’d left on the counter this morning and another from the refrigerator, then returned to the small room where Kerrigan was waiting. A few jackets hung on hooks, and I draped them over one arm.

“In case it gets a little colder than expected,” I explained.

I took her hand in mine and led her back outside. Then we skirted around the pool and crossed the lawn to the large, octagonal building situated near the tree line that divided my land from my neighbor’s.

“That is so cool!” Kerrigan exclaimed, beaming a smile my way.

“I’m glad you like it. This is the most special place in the world to me, and I wanted to share it with you because you’re just as precious to me.”

A pretty blush bloomed on her cheeks, and she smiled almost shyly up at me. “I think you’re amazing, too.”

“Merci, ma petite miette.”

I kissed the tip of her nose, then led her to the door where I set down the bags so I could enter the code to disarm the alarm, then push it open.

Kerrigan walked in, and her gaze immediately rose to the ceiling. She gasped at the bright sunshine streaming through the glass roof, illuminating the studio. “This is incredible, Aston! Absolutely gorgeous.”

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