Read Online Love Under Two Benedicts by Cara Covington - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cara Covington
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over hell’s half acre, Grandma Kate lived with them. Susan had a room there, but she also kept an apartment in the fourplex she owned over on Elm Street.
Joshua and Alex, his other brothers, each had a house in town. They’d been talking lately of building a new place together on the outskirts. They wanted a house they could share with the woman of their dreams.
They never doubted they’d eventually meet her, and that certainty was a family tradition, too.
Steven took pride in his home. Much of the furniture was as it had been through his youth. His grandparents had bought big, expensive leather and wood pieces made to last. Because they intended to make this their family home together, he’d consulted his brother on every renovation. Their tastes had meshed, which had been a blessing. They’d hired a decorator for some parts, but he and Matthew had refurbished the master bedroom themselves. They’d also done the den. They didn’t watch a lot of television, but when they did, they both wanted to enjoy the experience. The LCD screen they’d bought was the biggest Steven had ever seen. Judging from Kelsey’s reaction, it was for her, too.
“Holy cow, everything in this house is big!” Kelsey immediately blushed when she said that.
Steven met her gaze for a long moment and then said, “The beds in the guest rooms are a standard queen size.” There, let her see what she did with that.
“I see.”
Like hell . If she had asked why the bed in the master bedroom was larger, then, he could have explained it was meant to be shared by three. Steven smiled and then continued the tour on into the kitchen.
“Oh, my God, this is gorgeous!”
They’d had the granite countertop imported from Canada and chosen large rectangular ceramic tiles for the floor. Both surfaces shimmered in shades of autumn brown and, the decorator had said, contrasted well with the pure white, hand-carved wooden cabinets they’d had installed.
He’d chosen to have a center work island in the midst of the room as he liked the look of it. And, while he didn’t do a lot of cooking in this room, those who did told him he’d chosen the spacing and set-up well.
He smiled as Kelsey inspected all the drawers, looked in the oven, and cooed over the dishes in the cabinet.
“I guess it would be sexist of me to say this kitchen is wasted on a bachelor who rarely cooks.” She grinned as she said that. Matthew laughed, and Steven only shrugged.
“I had to figure Susan would have told you neither of us cook much. And it’s okay, you can be sexist. I don’t cook here often, but aunts and cousins and my mom do from time to time. They like it.”
“What’s not to like?” Kelsey finished her inspection, then perched herself up on one of the leather stools that lined the island on one side.
“Okay, I’m ready to watch others cook my dinner.”
“Hope you like stir-fry,” Matthew said.
“I do. And I like roast chicken, too. ”
Steven wondered if she was laughing at them, just a little. And he decided it was fine if the answer to that was yes. If she could laugh at them, she had to feel at ease with them. Whether she realized it or not, Ms. Kelsey Madison had taken a step away from “sex only” and toward a full-fledged relationship.
* * * *
Kelsey could hardly believe it, but touring Steven’s home and sitting in the kitchen bantering while the two men prepared dinner felt more intimate than sex had the night before. She began to suspect that she may have bitten off more than she could chew with these two Benedicts.
She sipped the wine Steven had poured, a crisp Chablis that was one of her favorites, and took a moment to search her emotions.
While the moment felt intimate, it didn’t feel threatening. She was still captain of her ship, in charge of her destiny, and that destiny had been carved in stone.
She might hook up with the male of the species from time to time in order to play, but she’d live the rest of
Joshua and Alex, his other brothers, each had a house in town. They’d been talking lately of building a new place together on the outskirts. They wanted a house they could share with the woman of their dreams.
They never doubted they’d eventually meet her, and that certainty was a family tradition, too.
Steven took pride in his home. Much of the furniture was as it had been through his youth. His grandparents had bought big, expensive leather and wood pieces made to last. Because they intended to make this their family home together, he’d consulted his brother on every renovation. Their tastes had meshed, which had been a blessing. They’d hired a decorator for some parts, but he and Matthew had refurbished the master bedroom themselves. They’d also done the den. They didn’t watch a lot of television, but when they did, they both wanted to enjoy the experience. The LCD screen they’d bought was the biggest Steven had ever seen. Judging from Kelsey’s reaction, it was for her, too.
“Holy cow, everything in this house is big!” Kelsey immediately blushed when she said that.
Steven met her gaze for a long moment and then said, “The beds in the guest rooms are a standard queen size.” There, let her see what she did with that.
“I see.”
Like hell . If she had asked why the bed in the master bedroom was larger, then, he could have explained it was meant to be shared by three. Steven smiled and then continued the tour on into the kitchen.
“Oh, my God, this is gorgeous!”
They’d had the granite countertop imported from Canada and chosen large rectangular ceramic tiles for the floor. Both surfaces shimmered in shades of autumn brown and, the decorator had said, contrasted well with the pure white, hand-carved wooden cabinets they’d had installed.
He’d chosen to have a center work island in the midst of the room as he liked the look of it. And, while he didn’t do a lot of cooking in this room, those who did told him he’d chosen the spacing and set-up well.
He smiled as Kelsey inspected all the drawers, looked in the oven, and cooed over the dishes in the cabinet.
“I guess it would be sexist of me to say this kitchen is wasted on a bachelor who rarely cooks.” She grinned as she said that. Matthew laughed, and Steven only shrugged.
“I had to figure Susan would have told you neither of us cook much. And it’s okay, you can be sexist. I don’t cook here often, but aunts and cousins and my mom do from time to time. They like it.”
“What’s not to like?” Kelsey finished her inspection, then perched herself up on one of the leather stools that lined the island on one side.
“Okay, I’m ready to watch others cook my dinner.”
“Hope you like stir-fry,” Matthew said.
“I do. And I like roast chicken, too. ”
Steven wondered if she was laughing at them, just a little. And he decided it was fine if the answer to that was yes. If she could laugh at them, she had to feel at ease with them. Whether she realized it or not, Ms. Kelsey Madison had taken a step away from “sex only” and toward a full-fledged relationship.
* * * *
Kelsey could hardly believe it, but touring Steven’s home and sitting in the kitchen bantering while the two men prepared dinner felt more intimate than sex had the night before. She began to suspect that she may have bitten off more than she could chew with these two Benedicts.
She sipped the wine Steven had poured, a crisp Chablis that was one of her favorites, and took a moment to search her emotions.
While the moment felt intimate, it didn’t feel threatening. She was still captain of her ship, in charge of her destiny, and that destiny had been carved in stone.
She might hook up with the male of the species from time to time in order to play, but she’d live the rest of
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