Page 55 of Here and Now
His house is definitely not what I pictured. It’s simple, masculine, but also really mature at the same time. The whole place is a warm taupe color and looks like it was newly renovated. The floors are a light oak, and he has a lot of blacks and grays that give such a nice contrast.
He opens a door, moving so I can step through. “This is the big room, as Ethan calls it.”
The room is spacious, more of what I would expect for a main bedroom with a cathedral ceiling and exposed wood beams.
“This is gorgeous,” I say, taking it all in.
In the center of the room is a king-size bed with rattan furniture accent pieces.
“Thanks, Eloise is an interior designer. She loves to spend my money.”
“Is she really?”
That’s what I went to school for. My dream was to work for a firm and design average people’s homes. I wanted to find a way to make a space feel elegant on a budget. I would’ve been great at it, at least I think so. I just never got to try.
“Yup. She sold her company when she got pregnant with Ethan, but still helps anyone who she can bully into it.” He leans against thewall, arms crossed over his broad chest. “When I bought this place, I knew it was a total gut job. We took everything down to the studs and rebuilt. Eloise was all too happy to redesign this place into a masculine retreat in the woods, as she calls it.”
“She did a great job,” I say, walking around.
“I agree, as much as I hate to say that.”
I laugh once. “It really sucks when your sibling is good at something and you have to admit it.”
“Absolutely, she’s gotten used to having to do it with me, though.”
“Has she?” I ask with a grin.
“Yeah, I mean, there’s very little I’m not good at. It’s almost like she was surrounded by my perfection so she just ... accepts that I’m good at most things.”
I laugh. “Your humility is really in check.”
He winks. “I agree. You take as much time as you need. I’m going to change and get the boys set. Whenever you’re done, I’ll be in the living room.”
I pull my lower lip between my teeth and bob my head. “Okay.”
Miles closes the door, his eyes staying on mine until the last moment. When it’s finally shut, I exhale and cover my mouth with my hand. What am I doing? I’m staying the night here? I mean, my alternative was at the house with falling trees, but still, this is ... not a great idea because it’s Miles.
The guy I like or ... maybe like.
Definitely the guy I’m attracted to.
Gah.
Okay, think, breathe, focus. I can do this.
First thing, I need to get out of these wet clothes and then call Eloise to let her know we’re safe and at her brother’s house.
I pull out the sweatsuit I grabbed and head into the bathroom. This room is double what I have at the house. It’s a beautiful beige slate, almost feels like the slate has been here since the dawn of time. Between the double sinks there’s a large window that looks toward the woods, everything is pitch black except when the lightning illuminates the sky.
I tug my sopping-wet shirt off and hang it in the shower,then my pants, and put my dry clothes on. Once I find my phone in my purse, I dial Eloise’s number.
“Hey, are you guys okay?” she asks as soon as she answers.
“Yes, we’re fine. I just wanted to let you know we came to Miles’s house.”
“Oh, good! I was hoping you might, because he has that generator. We have the same one, and I was going to offer if you could make it here.”
Eloise lives on the other side of the valley, and I’m honestly not sure I would’ve. “It’s really bad out, so I’m grateful we’re here now. He came up to get us because of the tree outside my house. It was ... well, terrifying.”
