Page 100 of Mr. Flirt

“No. I totally get it, and now you’ll have plenty of energy for the rest of the weekend.”

My brows lifted. “Is that so? What kind of activities do you have planned? What kind of energy are we talking about?”

Shep didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. The twinkle in his gaze told me there might be a lot of surprises for the weekend, and I couldn’t help but feel dizzy with excitement. I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I didn’t let work hang on every thought, where I felt human again.

I followed him to the door to the interior of the home and felt my nerves go on edge with each step. Just being alone with him for an entire weekend created a frisson of electricity within me.

He opened the door and rolled my suitcase inside. “After you.”

“Thank you.”

I stepped inside an enormous mudroom where skis and snowboards hung on the wall, along with snowshoes, tennis rackets, and a purple sled.

“You go sledding often?”

He grinned. “It’s for Hunter. My nephew.”

“Ah, right.” I spun around, taking everything in and trying to reconcile it with the condo he kept in Seattle.

“Okay. Fine. I sled too.”

I chuckled as his fingers grazed along my back, sending a thrill of the unknown through me. It was as if Shep was a magnet of unexpected trouble for me.

Maybe that was why I’d become so drawn to him and downright enamored with everything about him.

Shep was obviously smart. He had a way with words. He was cute. He didn’t expect things from me.

“I can’t thank you enough for bringing me here,” I told him as his gaze locked on mine. His smile grew as he took in my reaction to his home. “It feels like a true vacation, and I’m still in the mudroom.”

But I knew I didn’t need to see any more to know what I sensed. This place felt so homey and cozy. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a reading nook screaming my name in one of these rooms. It wasn’t like his condo wasn’t warm, but it felt very modern and sleek. Here, the bright white trim contrasted the rustic wooden furnishings nicely.

“This is really homey.”

He shut the door behind us. “You think so?”

“I do. I’m shocked.”

“What? You think I don’t have it in me?”

“Have what in you?”

Shep’s brows quirked. “The ability to be a family guy.”

“I don’t know. I never really thought about it before.”

Okay, that was a lie. I might have wondered if he’d ever want kids with the woman he settled down with, but that was after convincing myself he would actually settle down with someone.

“It’s nice to see another side of you,” I confessed.

Shep smiled and rolled my bag into the hallway leading out of the mudroom. “Then I’m glad I brought you up here. Maybe someday, I can dig myself out of the relationship grave I put myself in with you.”

My heart tugged. Did he really want more, or did he just know how to make me feel wanted?

I shoved the thoughts away. It didn’t matter. This weekend was all about fun.

I stepped into the hallway, which was filled with paintings of old cabins and snow scenes.

As I followed him down the hallway, he stopped and turned to face me.

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