ever spoken sweeter words?
She met his gaze, brown eyes filled with wonder. “I love you, too.”
He’d certainly never heard anything sweeter.
“Want to stay for supper? I have burgers, and we can fire up the grill.” She’d have to leave soon after, though. The temptation was going to kill him.
“I’d like that.” She smiled tremulously. “Will you show me the rest of the house first?”
Corbin took a deep breath. Bathroom. Bedrooms. He couldn’t do it. “You go on and have a look, and I’ll get food started.”
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he smoothed his thumb over them.
“Go ahead. Snoop wherever you like. The stairs are just off the living room.” He turned her and gave her a tiny nudge in the right direction.
“Okaaay.” She glanced over her shoulder before ambling into the other room. Her hand slid across the antique oak table then she disappeared through the archway.
Corbin dared to breathe. Pretty sure he’d tossed his boxers in the laundry hamper and made his bed. She might find a layer of dust in some of the rooms, but not much out of place.
Her footsteps halted, and he forced himself to lean back against the counter rather than check what had caught her attention. God? Is this for real? What have I done to deserve her?
A woman’s love wasn’t deserved; he knew that. No more than God’s love was. Thank You, Jesus.
The stairs creaked as she ascended, and Corbin turned to his fridge. He’d cooked up a big pot of potatoes yesterday, enough to make hash browns all week. He could make a big salad with lettuce from the greenhouse and some of the ripe tomatoes sitting on the counter. He’d picked up buns... yeah, he was good. No dessert, but then he hadn’t expected to invite her out today. He’d planned to put that off for a really long time.
Corbin began preparations as he listened to Sarah move around upstairs. Seldom-used doors creaked, and so did the oak plank hallway. Three bedrooms. The bathroom. Her footsteps descended then moved into the laundry room that included the main floor bath.
He had the salad assembled before she reappeared in the kitchen.
“Oh, Corbin. I love your house.”
He blinked. “Really? It’s old. Rundown.” Not what she was used to, from what he’d seen.
“But it has so much character.” She came closer, stopping beside him. “So much history.”
The hair on his arm strained the half-centimeter to hers. Okay, he couldn’t resist. He set the blade on the cutting board and gathered her into his arms. “You’re serious? You like it?”
“I’ve watched more HGTV than you’d believe. And if you followed me on Pinterest, you’d see my obsession with projects giving new life to antiques.”
“I’m not that old. And I resent being called a project.” Corbin kissed her forehead. “Also, what is Pinterest?”
“Silly.” She grinned up at him then tilted her head. “Seriously?”
He chuckled. “No, I know what it is. Looked around the site once and ran out screaming.”
“I have eighty-two pin boards.”
He didn’t even want to know. It sounded like an obsession. But maybe he could learn a lot about her by glancing over them. Hmm. Maybe later. “I’m ready to go out and grill the burgers. I’ll do some hash browns on the side burner, if that’s okay?”
“Sounds great. What can I do to help?”
“You can set the patio table if you like, and bring out the salad.”
“You’re on.”
* * *
Sarah, wearing one of Corbin’s over-sized hoodies, settled back into a lawn chair with a contented sigh. What a man of surprises. Between the farm-and-house tour, the spine-tingling kisses, and the delicious if simple meal, she felt like she’d entered a new dimension.
She glanced his way to catch his smoldering gaze on her. Gone immediately was the cool chill of an October evening. Who knew love was a heat source? Love. So unexpected.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, voice low and husky.
Good thing he didn’t have
She met his gaze, brown eyes filled with wonder. “I love you, too.”
He’d certainly never heard anything sweeter.
“Want to stay for supper? I have burgers, and we can fire up the grill.” She’d have to leave soon after, though. The temptation was going to kill him.
“I’d like that.” She smiled tremulously. “Will you show me the rest of the house first?”
Corbin took a deep breath. Bathroom. Bedrooms. He couldn’t do it. “You go on and have a look, and I’ll get food started.”
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he smoothed his thumb over them.
“Go ahead. Snoop wherever you like. The stairs are just off the living room.” He turned her and gave her a tiny nudge in the right direction.
“Okaaay.” She glanced over her shoulder before ambling into the other room. Her hand slid across the antique oak table then she disappeared through the archway.
Corbin dared to breathe. Pretty sure he’d tossed his boxers in the laundry hamper and made his bed. She might find a layer of dust in some of the rooms, but not much out of place.
Her footsteps halted, and he forced himself to lean back against the counter rather than check what had caught her attention. God? Is this for real? What have I done to deserve her?
A woman’s love wasn’t deserved; he knew that. No more than God’s love was. Thank You, Jesus.
The stairs creaked as she ascended, and Corbin turned to his fridge. He’d cooked up a big pot of potatoes yesterday, enough to make hash browns all week. He could make a big salad with lettuce from the greenhouse and some of the ripe tomatoes sitting on the counter. He’d picked up buns... yeah, he was good. No dessert, but then he hadn’t expected to invite her out today. He’d planned to put that off for a really long time.
Corbin began preparations as he listened to Sarah move around upstairs. Seldom-used doors creaked, and so did the oak plank hallway. Three bedrooms. The bathroom. Her footsteps descended then moved into the laundry room that included the main floor bath.
He had the salad assembled before she reappeared in the kitchen.
“Oh, Corbin. I love your house.”
He blinked. “Really? It’s old. Rundown.” Not what she was used to, from what he’d seen.
“But it has so much character.” She came closer, stopping beside him. “So much history.”
The hair on his arm strained the half-centimeter to hers. Okay, he couldn’t resist. He set the blade on the cutting board and gathered her into his arms. “You’re serious? You like it?”
“I’ve watched more HGTV than you’d believe. And if you followed me on Pinterest, you’d see my obsession with projects giving new life to antiques.”
“I’m not that old. And I resent being called a project.” Corbin kissed her forehead. “Also, what is Pinterest?”
“Silly.” She grinned up at him then tilted her head. “Seriously?”
He chuckled. “No, I know what it is. Looked around the site once and ran out screaming.”
“I have eighty-two pin boards.”
He didn’t even want to know. It sounded like an obsession. But maybe he could learn a lot about her by glancing over them. Hmm. Maybe later. “I’m ready to go out and grill the burgers. I’ll do some hash browns on the side burner, if that’s okay?”
“Sounds great. What can I do to help?”
“You can set the patio table if you like, and bring out the salad.”
“You’re on.”
* * *
Sarah, wearing one of Corbin’s over-sized hoodies, settled back into a lawn chair with a contented sigh. What a man of surprises. Between the farm-and-house tour, the spine-tingling kisses, and the delicious if simple meal, she felt like she’d entered a new dimension.
She glanced his way to catch his smoldering gaze on her. Gone immediately was the cool chill of an October evening. Who knew love was a heat source? Love. So unexpected.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, voice low and husky.
Good thing he didn’t have
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