I stand there for a moment watching Timber stomp away from me. He’s asking if I’m coming with him but he doesn’t actually seem like he wants me to follow him.
“Go,” Simon whispers to me, and I jump, realizing I was staring at Timber’s backside and thighs. Normally I’d think someone behaving that way would be rude, but his grumpy attitude is kinda cute.
I speed walk to catch up with the man; he moves pretty quick for a giant. “Timber!” I shout his name so that I can catch up to him. This house is so massive I could easily get lost, and just as my thoughts begin to wander he turns around and I run right into him.
My small body bounces off his and I squeeze my eyes tight and brace to hit the floor. But to my shock, strong arms wrap around me to keep me from going over. My face presses against his solid chest and I kind of wish he hadn't put his shirt on. Embarrassment at my dirty fantasies heats my cheeks and I tuck my chin so he can’t see. His chest is so broad and thick he won’t be able to tell. He really does live up to his name.
“You should watch where you’re going,” he tells me, but he doesn't release me from his hold.
When I finally summon the courage to look up at him, I have to crane my neck all the way back. He’s got the most beautiful green eyes I’ve ever seen and they’re framed with dark long lashes I would pay good money for.
“Thanks,” I manage to get past my lips. My backside would have hurt for a few days if I fell on the beautiful marble flooring.
When I take a deep breath, his scent invades me. He smells like hard work and a man, not a boy with body spray on. It is outdoors and oak, and I had no idea it could be so hot. Watching him do manual labor has my body in overdrive.
I didn’t know what to expect when I came to talk to Timber Grayson, but this is far from what I was thinking. I thought for sure it was going to be some old curmudgeon that didn't much care for people. While Timber might be less than inviting, he’s far from old. He’s in his prime and looked like a freaking lumberjack out there chopping wood. I bet he doesn't even need that axe. He could rip the logs in half with his bare hands like Captain America. Those strong hands are holding me in place ever so gently at the moment, but I can feel the power radiating in them.
“I have short legs.” I smile up at his grumpy expression. “It’s hard to keep up.”
He lets go of me and practically jumps back to keep from touching me. I think my sister is wrong about my dimples having special powers. The more I smile at Timber, the grumpier he seems to get. At least I’m getting somewhere. Myra couldn't even get on the property so I guess this is progress.
He turns and stomps off again and I notice this time it’s at a slower pace.
We enter what looks like a sitting area near the patio. I’ve never been in a house big enough to have all these different fancy rooms. This place really would make a wonderful venue for a party, so it’s a shame he wants to hide the home away. Maybe it shouldn’t be filled with parties but a family of some kind. This place is so remote that I wonder why Timber chose to isolate himself from the rest of the world. It really is a castle out of a fairytale, but it could be so much more if it was filled with life.
“This place is really something.” I turn in a circle, taking all the history in.
An old painting of a woman in a beautiful ball gown hangs over the fireplace. I’d guess the picture to be over two hundred years old and likely Timber’s great-great-something because they have the same green eyes. A man stands behind her and he has his hand on her shoulders and she’s reaching up to hold it. The beautiful ring on her finger makes it clear they are husband and wife.
Timber doesn’t say anything at my comment and I turn to see he’s taken a seat. He picks up the teapot and I watch as his giant hand engulfs it. I have no idea how he’s going to hold one of the little cups. I don’t wait for an invitation because I don’t think I’m going to get one, so I walk over and sit down in the chair next to his.
“For me?” I ask, motioning to the cup. It looks so delicate and I’d bet that’s real gold that lines the top.
“I guess. Simon’s never done this tea shit before.”
I bite my bottom lip to keep from smiling. Ah, Simon. I don’t know how I talked him into letting me in but it might have had something to do with me standing in front of the gate until someone tried to pull in. I’d stolen the moment to corner Simon, though I don’t think it counts as cornering him. He’d looked me over and told me to come back in two hours. It was as easy as that.
“Sugar please.” I point to the little cubes stacked in a neat pile. He doesn’t use the tongs to place one of them into my teacup. Instead he picks it up with his fingers and tosses it into my cup. This time I can’t fight the laugh that bubbles up from me and I don’t miss how his jaw tightens. “Why are you so angry?” I think it’s endearing he isn’t being proper and it puts me more at ease.
“I’m not angry,” he huffs, suddenly reminding me of a giant teddy bear.
“Fine. You’re not angry.” I roll my eyes before I stand up and walk over to the bar on the other side of the room and grab an empty glass. I bring it back to pour another cup of tea in it. There’s no way he can drink out of that tiny teacup and he isn’t even going to attempt it.
I add sugar and milk to make it the way I like it and then hand him the glass. He stares at me for a moment before taking it from my hand. Our fingers graze one another for a brief moment and I can feel the rough of his hands from the manual labor he does.
“So.” I sit back down in my seat and cross my legs as I pick up my tea. “What is it that you want?”
“I don’t like people,” he says before throwing back his tea in a few gulps.
“I don’t think I can get you to like people.” I take a sip of my tea to hide my smile.
“I like you.” His eyes flick to my bare shoulder.
I notice they keep going there, but what I’m wearing isn’t exactly sexy. With the way he looks at me you’d think I was in a tiny little dress, but he’s quick to hide his desire.
“You like me? I find that hard to believe.” His eyes like me but his words say otherwise.
“If you want to have a party here, you will host and coordinate it. I would have to make an appearance and you would be my date.”
I stare at him. I don’t know how to host or coordinate anything.
“Your date?” I ask, and I don’t know why that is the first thing that pops out of my mouth because there are so many other things he’s said that are problematic.
“Yes. You would stay at my side. You could talk to people for me; that way I wouldn’t have to.”
It only takes me a half a second to think it over because I know Myra can walk me through the rest of it. All that matters is that he says yes.
“I can do that,” I agree, but I have no idea why he’s okay with all of this. He could shut it down and just say no since he isn’t getting anything out of it. He turned the money down so why is he saying yes now?
Me going as his date is not what I thought he’d go after. What if he demanded I have sex with him? The thought should send me into a rage but my body tingles with the idea of him having his way with me. In all my life, I’ve never had thoughts like that, but with him they come flooding in.
I don’t want to stay any longer and embarrass myself, so I stand.
“I’ll be in contact. The party is only…” My mind blanks as I try and think of how many days we have left. I’m terrible with the details, so this should be a total disaster.
“I’m not finished.” Timber breaks me from my concentration as he leans back in the chair.
His dark hair is a mess and his beard really needs a trim. I can’t help but wonder what he looks like under all that scruff.
“There is something else I want.” Heat floods my body once again as I wait for him to continue. My heart races and I’m not sure what I want him to say. He could probably get me to do just about anything in this moment.
My dimples might have superpowers but his green eyes are my kryptonite.