Page 39 of Hers to Call
“I don’t use it, one of my bears, Becca, cooks for me. She showed up to help when my father was sick and has helped me out ever since.”
She walked over to the double range and ran her hand over the exposed brick wall behind it. “I love this.”
He cleared his throat, “That brick wall was part of the original house my grandfather built.”
She whipped around to him, her smile dazzling him. “That’s so cool.”
Pride bloomed in his chest. “My father sort of rebuilt around the original farm house keeping as much as he could.” He pointed up to the exposed wooden beams that stretched from the kitchen through to the living room. “I had those added from the original barn structures.”
She rubbed his arm as she passed, padding to his living room. His furniture was large, the cushions deep, and comfortable. Not that he lounged in his bear form, but if he did, the furniture in his house could withstand it. Calita walked over a large painting of the mountains that surrounded his family’s land. She traced a light touch over it before turning back to him.
“So you’re basically living in your family’s history.”
She got it. His stomach did a slow tumble, and tension left his shoulders, happy that she loved his space. He bit his tongue. He was seconds from telling her that she could make any changes she needed to make the space hers.
It was way too soon for that.
“Let me show you to the guest room,” he said gruffly.
They went up the wide wooden staircase to the upstairs level he’d added to the house. The guest room was the first door at the beginning of the hallway. There was a room closer to his bedroom, but it would be temptation enough with her in his house.
He slid the barn door open and stepped inside the bright room. He set her bag down on the armchair opposite the bed. He kept his eyes anywhere but the small queen-sized bed piled high with pillows and a white down blanket. He hadn’t cared how the guestrooms looked, so he’d left the decorating to women in the clan and it showed. The room had a very feminine and airy feel. From his mate’s satisfied sigh, they’d done a great job.
Calita put her purse down on the bed. “Thank you. I was…I didn’t…”
He grabbed her waist gently and pulled her closer. “I know you need your own space, love.”
She raised on her toes and brushed a soft kiss across his lips. “Every time I think I have you figured out.”
“Am I supposed to stay away from you while you’re here?”
She shook her head, her eyes twinkling. “I didn’t say that.”
He was thankful. “You have a small bathroom in here, but if you want to take a bath, you’ll have to use my bathroom.”
She raised an eyebrow.
He put an innocent look on his face. “What? You’re going to be sore for a few days. It will be good for you. Come see it, you’ll love it.”
He took her down the hall, into his bedroom. He showed her into the bathroom and she sighed in feminine pleasure. He wrapped his arms around her from behind.
“Bears like water.”
“I can tell,” she laughed.
There were two showerheads in the glass enclosed shower and a massive jet tub next to it. “Doesn’t that look enticing?”
She snorted and he kissed the side of her neck. “Are you hungry?”
“No.”
Her nervousness scented the air still, but she turned in his arms and buried her face in his neck. He rubbed her back. “I can still feel your tension.”
She sighed. “I’m a lot more shaken than I want to admit.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Let’s go look for something sweet in the kitchen. We can settle in and do nothing for the rest of the day.”
“That sounds perfect.”
