Page 26 of Serial Love

An hour later, he rubbed his hand over his face, finished his coffee and stood, stretching his tall frame, working the kinks out. He had called a meeting with his men for later in the afternoon, so he moved inside to go through his secure emails and deal with the management end of his business.

As he placed his cup in the sink, the front gate alarm sounded. His heart pounded, a condition he was not used to, in anticipation of who might be there. He walked over to one of the control panels by the front door and looked at the screen. Bethany. The camera was angled so he could see her face perfectly as she sat in the driver’s seat with the window down, nervously looking toward the security panel next to her car.Beautiful. Fuckin’ beautiful.

He decided against speaking at the moment and simply released the gate, allowing it to swing open. Her confused expression showed indecision as she visibly debated driving through.Come on, baby. Make that choice.

Suddenly, her countenance changed, determination marking her features as she put the car in drive and moved through the gate. Jack exhaled, not realizing he had been holding his breath. With a smile, he walked through his front door to his porch.

Bethany drove slowly down the long drive, trees lining the way blocking the view of her destination.When hesaid security gate, he really meant it,she thought nervously. Glancing at the homemade cobbler sitting on the seat next to her, she wondered if she was doing the right thing.His business. His life. His world. Can I fit into that?All she knew was that when she woke up this morning, his face was the only thing she wanted to see. Breathing deeply to quell the nerves threatening to take over, she continued up the drive.

Through the trees, she was able to discern a huge, two-story log cabin, wide front porch made out of the same dark wood. Two chimneys, one on either end, stood as sentinels to the impressive structure.Wow!was the only thought that came to mind.

Then she saw him standing on the front porch. Waiting. For her. Heart pounding, she could not keep the smile from her face. Leaning against one of the log columns, one leg crossed in front of the other, arms crossed over his massive chest, and that face…that gorgeous face staring straight at her.

She stopped her car at the curve in front of the house, assuming a garage was around back. Before she could put her hand on the door, she found it opened for her. He reached in, taking her hand and gently pulled her out.

They stood, silently staring at each other for a moment. He peered into her eyes, finding what he searched for—trust.

“Hey, beautiful,” he greeted, noting the long waves falling down her back and perfect complexion, tanned from working in the sun.

“Hey, yourself,” she replied with a smile. She tiltedher face up to his, pleased when his lips found hers in a soft kiss.

“Come on in,” he invited.

She suddenly started, saying, “I have a present for you. Well, actually it’s from both Gram and me.” She moved to the passenger side and pulled out a huge pan, covered with aluminum foil. Standing, she bumped the car door with her hip to close it. Turning back to him, she saw his eager expression.

Laughing, she said, “You don’t even know what’s in here.”

Taking the heavy platter from her, he replied, “Baby, whatever you and Ann fixed is going to be amazing.” The scent of the fruit wafted from the dish, and he lifted an eyebrow in question.

“It’s peach cobbler, just out of the oven,” she explained. “We made a lot. We had a ton of fresh peaches from the farmer’s market down the street and,” she gave a little shrug, “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to share with…um…whoever comes and works here…um…with you.” She suddenly realized that he might not be alone. He might be working and not have time for her now.

“If you’re busy, I can come another time,” she said, stepping back toward her car. “I don’t want to interrupt anything.”

His gaze caught hers and he could not hold the smile from his face. “Relax, beautiful. No one’s here now except us. Yes, I’ve got some men who work for me who will be here later, but you’re always welcome.” Seeingthe tension leave her body, he jerked his head toward the house. “Come on in.”

With him carrying the cobbler, she walked beside him into his house. Once inside he moved toward the kitchen counter to place the dish there, while she stayed in the front foyer, unabashedly gawking.

The living room on the left was two-stories with a fireplace on the inside wall and large windows on the two walls facing the outside. The panoramic view of the mountains behind his woods was spectacular. The furniture was oversized, but considering the size of him and his friends, she was not surprised. The colors were neutral, browns, tans, and taupe, but there was nothing boring about the effect. Dark, exposed wood was everywhere and the few pieces of artwork on the walls were obviously expensive, but not ostentatious.

He was walking back into the room just as her eyes had wandered to the right, where a long, heavy wooden table sat in the dining area. That room was minimally furnished, but with the table large enough to hold at least ten people, the space did not appear bare. A quick glance behind him showed the kitchen, granite counter tops, and stainless appliances.

He glimpsed at her wide eyes and moved directly into her line of vision. “You okay, babe?”

She blinked slowly. Twice. Before becoming un-glued. “Yes, yes,” she said in a rush. “I’m sorry. I’m just overwhelmed at how beautiful your place is.” Looking around, she giggled. “I guess I thought you had a little cabin in the woods.”

“You’ve got the sweet, little cabins in the woods, darlin’. I built this for my comfort and to have my business here as well.” He linked his fingers with hers and said, “Come on,” leading her back into the kitchen. He turned and grasped her waist, noting how his hands spanned around her middle. With an effortless lift, he placed her on a tall kitchen stool as he rounded the counter.

She cocked her head at him in question and he chuckled. “You brought dessert, so I’ll throw a couple of sandwiches together.”

In a few minutes, he had fixed two huge sandwiches, leaving her to wonder how she would ever get her mouth around hers, and they made their way to his deck, which was just as large as the front porch and had even more spectacular views. A table was placed under a wooden arbor, with a sunscreen overhead, capturing the breeze while repelling the hot rays of the summer sun. Setting their plates down, she sat across from him and they began to eat.

A comfortable silence ensued as they enjoyed the meal, the warm summer day, and the majestic view in the background.

She looked down at her half-eaten sandwich and then at his clean plate. “I can’t eat another bite,” she groaned, then grinned as he slid the rest over to his plate and finished it off.

She spied a porch swing at the other end and while she loved it, she had to admit that it appeared to be misplaced here in his male bastion. He saw where her gaze landed and stood, taking her hand once more.Leading her to the swing, they settled side by side, its slow rocking motion relaxing them both.

“Is Ann okay by herself?” he asked, realizing that he had been so focused on Bethany coming he had not thought of her grandmother.

---