Page 7 of The Dom's Sinful Desires
“It sounds worse when you say it that way,” he said, and scowled.
Hailey turned in his arms, rose up on tiptoes, and placed a kiss on his chin.“Well, don’t.You’re the perfect age for me.”
“You’re damn right I am.”
Adam lowered his head and laid his lips on hers.His tongue delved in between her lips to tangle with hers.
A minute slid by.He tore his mouth from hers when he smelled something burning.
“Our toast is burning, baby.”
“Oh, shoot,” she said, and twirled and flipped the pieces of egg-coated bread over to see the damage.“Darn it.”
“It’s not too bad.Since I caused it, I’ll eat the darker ones,” he said as he retook a seat.
She turned and pointed the spatula at him.“You better believe it, buster.”
Adam chuckled and shook his head.
After breakfast, Adam kissed her and headed outside to work while she cleaned up the kitchen.She grabbed her cleaning supplies, sheets, and towels, and headed up to the second floor to the biggest available bedroom.
She dusted and made the bed.Cleaned the adjoining bathroom and placed clean towels on the counter.She gave the bathroom floor a quick mopping and then vacuumed the bedroom rug.
Most of the house was hardwood, but decorative rugs were placed in every bedroom, the office that she and Adam shared, and the living room to add a bit of comfort.It also made it special that the rugs had been in the family for decades.
At the door, she turned back to look to make sure she hadn’t missed anything.Hailey decided a vase of flowers would help freshen it up a bit more and be a nice welcome-home gesture.
Hailey waved at the few cowboys around the barns as she carried her basket to the garden she kept in back.Most of it was vegetables and a few fruit bushes, but she also had a small area of decorative flowers because she liked the look and smell of them in the house.
The garden had been there for three generations, but it seemed to grow a bit every year.Pretty soon, it would be too much for her to handle alone, and Adam didn’t have time to help.She’d look into downsizing it a bit, so she was able to keep control of the weeds that grew in abundance every day.
One of her favorite pictures in the house was of Adam’s mom kneeling in the garden smelling one of her roses.She wore a ragged old straw hat that she’d had for years and would never give up.The same hat was hanging on a hook on the back porch.It would stay there forever, too, if Hailey had anything to say about it.
She’d never had the chance to meet his mother.She and his dad had been gone for years before they married.The times Adam talked about them, she’d been so envious of the family he’d grown up with.Hailey’s mother had abandoned her and her sister, leaving the girls with their father.
Although they had a roof over their head and food in their bellies, there hadn’t been a lick of kindness in their dad.He took great pleasure in insulting and yelling at them whenever he had the chance.She still sometimes heard his voice in her head when she was feeling inadequate.She knew it would take a lot of time to banish him entirely from her mind, but she was determined to do it.
As much as she resented her mother over the years, as a grown woman, she understood why she ran from the guy.He’d been a despicable human being.Hailey had just wished she’d taken her two daughters with her.
Hailey blew out a breath when she hit the shade of the back porch.Adam had been right.The sun and temperature that day were brutal.She’d venture out later to grab the mail and get the eggs, but the majority of the day, she planned to be in her cool office, working.
After placing the flowers in the vase, she set them out on the dresser and stood back.She’d been told this had always been Drew’s bedroom growing up.It had changed a bit over the years.The bed had gone from a full to a king to fit his massive body.
Adam had mentioned that his brother was a little taller than he was.Since her husband already towered over her, she couldn’t imagine how small she’d feel around Drew.
She took one last look before closing herself off in her office.
