When Bane pulled up to his house, I had to hold back a sigh of pleasure.

It was utterly charming. A pretty blue ranch house on what looked like a couple acres of land, with no houses nearby. It had a wraparound porch, a bright red door, and tons of windows. It was the kind of house you’d never see in Florida, and I couldn’t wait to see inside.

I jumped down out of the Jeep, reaching to get my bags, but Bane said, “I got ‘em,” so I sent him a grateful smile and walked closer to the house to take it all in.

I looked around the yard, which had mature trees and flowering bushes, and was a bright green.

“You must do a lot of work on your yard,” I said when Bane approached with my things.

“Yeah, Sloane and I are usually out here every weekend,” he replied, then kept going toward the house.

I followed him up the stairs, noting the porch swing, rocking chairs, and child-sized bench.

“Come on in,” Bane said, holding the door open and stepping to the side so I could go in first.

I walked straight into the open living space and looked around. It was neat, comfortable, and obviously the home of a family. Sloane’s toys were in a basket by in the corner, while a large screen TV adorned the wall, and a sectional sofa made the space feel welcoming.

“I’ll show you to your room, then give you the tour.”

“Okay,” I replied, my head swiveling around as I took everything in.

He led me into a small bedroom with a full-sized bed, matching oak dresser, and a comfy looking chair in the corner.

“It’s kind of small, but has its own bathroom. The drawers are empty, as is the closet… feel free to use whatever you want,” Bane said as he set my bags on the bed.

“Thank you, it’s perfect,” I replied, pleasantly surprised to have my own space. I don’t know why, I’d just assumed I’d sleep on the couch until Bane and I were comfortable enough to share a room.

“So, you can either put your stuff away and meet up after for the tour, or I can show you the rest of the house now, then leave you to it.”

“I think I’ll get settled in first,” I said.

Honestly, I really needed to shower and looked forward to getting cleaned up after my day of travel.

“Sounds good, I’ll be in the kitchen,” Bane said, then turned and left, shutting my door behind him.

I put most of my stuff in the drawers, hung up a couple dresses and blouses, and tucked my bags into the back of the closet, then went to go freshen up.

Once I was scrubbed clean, I got dressed in shorts and a tank top and put hydrating cream in my curly hair, deciding to let it air dry. Since it was already getting late, I decided to forgo makeup.

It was good for Bane to see me in my natural state, since that is how I spent most of my time.

I opened my door and went toward the kitchen. I’d seen it off the living room when we came inside, so found it pretty easily. Bane’s back was to me as he seasoned whatever was in front of him.

I didn’t want to startle him, so I softly cleared my throat.

Bane paused, then looked over his shoulder at me. His gaze started at my face, then moved over my hair, down my body, and back to my face.

By the time his eyes met mine my cheeks were aflame and my pulse was pounding.

“Hey,” he said, his voice gruff.

Damn, that voice…

“Hey, whatchya doing? Can I help?” I managed, clenching my hands into fists as the urge to go to him and pull him to me overcame me.

He turned sideways so I could see the steaks he’d been seasoning, and said, “Uh, just getting these ready to grill. I’ve got some store bought potato salad and one of those bag salad mixes, if that’s all right.”

“Sounds great,” I replied, still unsure of what to do with my hands.

Had he gotten hotter while I was in the shower?

“Would you like a drink? I’ve got beer, wine, water… vodka.”

I giggled, which I tended to do when I was nervous.

I’d been fine before, and wasn’t sure if I was nervous now because we were in his home, or I’d already showered and done my nightly routine, or what… I guess things just felt more intimate.

“A beer sounds good,” I replied, moving into the kitchen to open the refrigerator so he didn’t have to stop what he was doing. “Do you want one?”

“Yeah, that’d be great, thanks,” he said, putting the steaks on a platter.

I got out the beer, popped the caps off using the bottle opener that was stuck to the fridge with a magnet, then went to hand him one.

“Here you go.”

Bane turned and took the beer, then his eyes came to my face once more and he froze.

My breath caught.

We were standing close, and his gaze felt like a caress.

“You have freckles,” he murmured, and I felt my cheeks flushing again.

I’d always hated my freckles.

“Gorgeous,” Bane said, then shook his head as if shaking himself out of a trance and picked up the platter. “I’ll go put these on the grill.”

I watched as he walked through the kitchen and out the sliding glass door where I assumed the grill was. My hand came to my nose and brushed across my freckles.

I smiled to myself, then dropped my hand and followed Bane outside.