Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 109368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
It was a large open-plan space with vaulted ceilings—a kitchen, dining, office, and a living area. There was plenty of lighting, but it had the dull glow of energy-saving bulbs. I wondered if he had another bank of solar panels somewhere powering the home.
There were no paintings on the walls, no artwork, no photographs. No cushions or throws on the large leather sectional. No rugs on the floor. No television in sight.
If it weren’t for the tall bookshelves lining the entire length of one wall, there were no signs of anyone living here. It was utilitarian.
Except for the books.
There must have been thousands shelved along the length of the house.
And there were small piles of them on side tables and on his desk in the office area.
“You like to read, huh?”
He grunted.
I glanced over at him.
“Tea or coffee or water?” he asked.
“Uh, coffee. No cream, no sugar. Thanks.”
He nodded and set about making said drink.
“So, books?”
“Aye.”
I dropped my backpack on the floor by the sofa with a sigh. This was going to be a long afternoon. “You have a barn?” I tried again.
“Workshop.”
“Workshop?”
“Aye.”
I gritted my teeth in irritation and then wrangled my patience. A few minutes passed. Finally, I attempted conversation again. “What is the workshop for?”
Ramsay crossed the room, holding out the coffee to me. He didn’t have one for himself. I took it as he continued, “I do custom woodwork for clients across the islands and mainland.”
“Right. Quinn mentioned you might be able to do some stuff like that for the B and B.”
He jerked his chin in what I assumed was confirmation that he could in fact do custom work for me and then strolled into his kitchen to remove Akiva’s newly cleaned plate.
The dog, now fed, ambled toward me.
I tensed as she stared at me with eyes as penetrating as her owner’s.
“She’s friendly. Do you not like dogs?” Ramsay asked from his place at the sink. “I can call her back.”
“I like dogs.” I smiled at Akiva as I tentatively held out my free hand. “And you are a beauty.”
As if she understood my words, the large dog sniffed at my fingers and then swiped them with her tongue. She bussed her face into my hand, and I scratched behind her ear. Her beautiful tail whomped rapidly on the ground as I said, “Oh, aren’t you the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen. Yes you are. Yes you are. Look at those beautiful eyes.” I placed the coffee mug on the side table so I could lower to my knees and give Akiva all my attention.
She bussed and wriggled into my pets, trying to swipe her tongue over my face. I laughed, lifting my chin to avoid her attempts. When I looked over her head, I locked eyes with Ramsay’s and my breath caught again.
I couldn’t see much of his face because of the beard, but I could make out the soft curve of his mouth and those eyes … I’d never seen eyes like them. There was also the fact that he was as beautifully formed as some onscreen comic hero.
Attraction flushed through me. “She’s really stunning,” I murmured.
“Aye, and she knows it.” His tone was warm with affection. “She doesn’t usually take to new people like that.”
“Really? She seems so friendly. How old is she?”
“Four. I got her as a pup not long after I moved here.”
“We had a Husky growing up. His name was Odin. He was my protector. But when he passed, my mom couldn’t handle the grief, so we never got another dog.”
There was a moment of silence and then he said, “I heard about your parents. I’m sorry. Tragic accident.”
“Right,” I murmured, pushing down the rising rage that always accompanied thoughts of my parents’ death.
A tingling on my neck had me looking up from Akiva to Ramsay. Tension tightened my grip on the dog because Ramsay McRae’s furrowed brow told me he’d noted my strange response.
“Thank you,” I replied quickly. “It’s been hard without them.”
“They left quite a legacy.”
They had indeed. Not one they were particularly proud of.
“Why give it up and come here to run a small B and B?”
So, he had done his research.
My reasons for giving up my rights to the hotel empire my paternal grandparents built, my parents had inherited, and then I inherited when my parents died in a helicopter crash, were too complicated to explain to a stranger. Especially one who barely answered normal questions. Kind of unfair of him to hit me with the hard ones.
“It suits me.” I shrugged. “I was thinking …” I stood, giving Akiva one last scratch behind the ear. “Since we’re stuck here, maybe I could show you the mood boards Cammie and I put together for the B and B? Since you’ll be doing some of the custom stuff.”