Page 26 of Protecting Vidalia
Chapter 7
Vidalia watched theincorrigible Jake as he rounded the front of the jeep. He’d tricked her neatly into dinner she had to admit. Being on her guard in the future would be paramount or he’d have her emotions completely tied up in no time.
Would that be so bad though?
“Shut up,” she ordered her conscience. The faint scent of his wintergreen aftershave lingered where he’d leaned across and neatly snapped in her seatbelt before she could protest. She hadn’t even bothered to say anything because he’d already won this round. Next time she’d be ready for him. The touch of his body across her breasts had left her nipples tingling even through their jackets. If he’d just turned his head towards her, she could have kissed those firm, smug lips.
A full-body shiver hit her as she realized how much she wanted that. She gave him a side eye as he climbed in beside her, all male strength, sexy gray eyes, and the cutest satisfied grin ever still adorning his face. The man was dynamite wrapped in a muscled male package. She’d never been so aware of someone before. Even her toes were tingling.
When they arrived at his cabin, she was surprised to see that it was much bigger than Dax’s. It was about a quarter mile off the main road and nestled among the tall pines like something you would see in a travel magazine.
An oversized carport stood behind the house and to the right on the property, housing a nice-sized cabin cruiser. He must like boating. A large storage building was on the left, leaving plenty of room in between to host a covered concrete patio that was empty at the moment. Probably for guests, she surmised.
“This is gorgeous,” she breathed in awe. “Did you build this by yourself?”
He pulled into the gravel drive that sat in front of the two-car garage and turned off the engine. “Not all of it,” he replied. The main cabin was already built, as was the boat shelter and part of the storage building. I added some rooms, then added the garage and put up the outside pavilion.” He pointed to the additions as he spoke. “I also increased the size of the deck in the front and added one completely around the cabin,” he added proudly. “You like it?”
Vidalia nodded. “I love it. It’s beautifully done and blends in with the forest around it so well. I can see why you live here as much as you can.”
“Well, I have internet service here since it’s a lower elevation,” he replied. “I wanted that in case I decided to do something that allowed me to work from home. Plus, I didn’t want to be too far from civilization. If I did get snowed in, the snow plows would get the roads cleared more quickly.”
Vidalia opened her door and climbed out as he came around to help her. “They don’t close this canyon off in the wintertime?” she asked.
He took her hand and pulled her toward the front door. “Not normally. Mom and Dad have been staying up here for years and it doesn’t close much unless the ice builds up really bad on the roads. Then snow chains are required.”
Jake opened the front door and ushered her into the cozy warmth inside. Vidalia could see immediately that it was a man’s domain, but it was still beautiful. There were no designer pictures of bears on the wall or pillows in the comfy-looking recliners in front of the fireplace. There wasn't even a sofa, just a broad coffee table in front of the two chairs near the fireplace. The huge cream rug that filled most of the floor space would feel good on bare feet.
A cabinet with stools on the left side of the room separated the kitchen area from the living room. Lights hung from the ceiling in the middle of the cabinet that contained a sink setup which she assumed was for cleaning vegetables and stuff. Against the wall was the main sink, stove with microwave, and refrigerator. A table with six chairs was on the left near a patio door that she could see part of the side deck through.
“Come on, I’ll give you the tour,” Jake said proudly, pulling her towards the broad doorway at the back of the room. “Down here is the master bedroom with a bath, a guest bathroom, and my office. Plus, the staircase to the upstairs.” He pointed upwards when they came into the hallway. “Up there are two more bedrooms and another bathroom.”
“And not a doily in sight,” she teased.
He grinned lazily at her. “I’m not the doily type. I figure when I find the right girl, she can help me with the finishing touches. I just have the basics covered for now, and some things are still a work in progress, like the kitchen cabinets.”
Vidalia’s breath hitched. Whoever the right girl is will be a lucky girl, she thought.
He turned into the first room to their right and ushered her into his office. “Oh, I love your desk,” she said in delight. “It takes up half the room.”
“This back half of the house is built on,” he replied. “I made the desk myself because I wanted plenty of room.”
“I like the way you built the shelving into the wall,” she enthused, eyeing the shelves behind the desk which were mostly empty.
“I like to read,” he replied simply. “I imagine I’ll have it full eventually.”
On the wall to the outside, a large picture window gave her another view of the deck. “I love all the windows,” she said softly, admiring the view. A window seat had been built in with a cushioned top that she curiously lifted up. Inside were neatly folded plush blankets.
“In case you want to cuddle up in the chairs and read,” he said in response to the question in her eyes. He pointed behind her where two overstuffed chairs set complete with pillows and footstools. The wall behind the chairs also had built-in bookshelves, bare of course.
“Ah, a study slash library,” she joked. “I like it. And the rest of the house?”
“This way,” he said, and her ushered towards the stairs.
After he’d finished showing her the upstairs, they ended up back in the study where Jake sat down at his desk and opened his computer. “Time to look up some phone numbers.”
