Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 164263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 821(@200wpm)___ 657(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 821(@200wpm)___ 657(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
“This is the kitchen.” I show him proudly. “I had this remodeled just last year.” I point to the oven. “My pièce de résistance.”
He eyes it over. “You like your oven?”
“I love my oven.”
“You are in love with your oven?” Amusement flashes across his face.
“I love to cook.”
“Hmm.” He walks around with his hands clasped behind his back as he takes it all in. “And what is…that?”
I glance up to where he gestured. “What do you mean?”
“That plant thing growing up the wall.”
“Oh, right.” I laugh. “That’s a devil’s ivy, she was my first family member I bought when I moved to France, she’s lovely isn’t she?”
“Hmm.” A trace of a frown flashes across his face. “A family member?”
“Plants are living things too, you know.”
“If you say so.” Amusement crosses his face. “I would assume you’d have bought a better-looking family member.”
“You don’t like devil’s ivy?”
“I just never saw one growing up a wall on the inside of a house.”
“How sad for you.”
He gives me a slow, sexy smile and I feel it all the way to my bones.
“Oh.” I remember something. “Come out here.” I open the French doors to my garden; it has stone walls on either side blocking out the neighbors but the most beautiful view of the ocean. There’s a small table for two on the patio and two deck chairs on the small, round grassed area. “Let me show you my pride and joy.” We walk down a little stone path and I hold out my hands, “Ta-da.”
He frowns as if confused. “What’s that?”
“It’s my vegetable garden.”
“You grow vegetables?”
“I do.” I smile proudly and then I rush to the other side. “Ah, and over here is my flower garden. I’m growing peonies, they’ve always been my favorite.” I pull out a weed.
He gives a subtle shake of his head. “I’ve never met anyone quite like you, Alora.”
I pull out another weed. “What do you mean?”
“You have a body built for sin and fuck like an….” He shrugs as if searching for the right word. “Animal demon. And yet…you cook and garden like a farmer.”
“An animal demon?” I smile as I slide my hands around his waist. “How does an animal demon fuck?”
His dark eyes hold mine. “Really fucking good.”
I giggle as I take him by the hand and begin leading him back inside the house. “Here’s how tonight’s going to go, Mr. Prescott.”
“I’m listening.”
“I’m going to cook you dinner and then I’m going to take you upstairs and you can meet a possessed animal demon.” He stops and pulls me back to him and we kiss. Really hard. Our lips linger over each other’s and I feel that throb of arousal that swirls between us.
“This night is sounding very promising indeed.” He takes my face in his hands and kisses me again, this time with suction, and I feel his erection grow between us.
I know if I don’t stop this there will be no cooking, and I want his first night here with me to be more than sex. I pull out of the kiss and step back. “Your job is to light the candles and set the table.”
He frowns. “What do you mean?”
“I’m cooking.”
“And.”
I pass him the matches. “Go around and light the candles and turn the lamps on to set the mood.”
“Oh.” He looks around as if having jobs is totally foreign to him. “Okay. I could do that.” His phone beeps with a text and he digs it out of his pocket and reads it.
“Why don’t you switch it off?”
He glances up. “What?”
“Switch it off.” I take his phone from him and I put it on the fireplace mantle. “When you’re here with me, then you’re here with me.” I slide my hand down and cup his crotch. “Time to relax.”
EDWARD
I stand at the window looking out into the back garden, garden lights are shining into the garden and lit solar lanterns hang from the trees. I have a glass of wine in my hand, music is playing through the sound system and not your usual music, something called “Sunny Mornings.” It’s all piano and zen with birds and shit. Alora is happily chatting away from the kitchen and whatever the hell she’s cooking smells divine.
I turn and look around the house, home. This is a home. Candles flicker, and lamps throw a warm glow through the small and intimate space, and the weirdest feeling runs through my veins, though I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what it is.
“Babe,” Alora calls.
Babe….
“Yeah?”
“Do you want béarnaise or Diane sauce?”
What is this alternate universe? I take a gulp of my wine, almost shocked to silence.
“Whatever,” I call back. “Both sound good.”
“Dinner in ten.”
“Okay, I’ll just freshen up.” I tentatively walk up the stairs, unsure what new surprises lie in store. There are two bedrooms on the next level and a small bathroom. Is one of these hers? I duck my head in to see that one bedroom has been converted to a wardrobe, it’s full to the brim of clothes all hanging neatly. Boxes of shoes are lined up but they aren’t your usual boxes, they seem very old.