when the relationship ended, so I’m finishing it.”
“It’s a little big for one person.”
His sentiment exactly. “I’ve been thinking of putting it on the market when it’s complete.”
Lauren studied the plans again. "I noticed you put walls in the dining room. You should've knocked them down on both sides to open it up. Makes it more inviting. It's hard to move around in a house filled with family and friends during the holidays when..." Her voice trailed off and she blinked as if she were trying to force something out of her mind.
"This place is like a zoo during the holidays," he said softly. "But I wouldn't have it any other way. How about you?"
Her expression drooped again and he silently cursed himself for being the cause.
"We used to go to my grandmother's house for Christmas every year." Her full lips lifted to a smile, but Kyle noticed a hint of melancholy with her remembrance. "I used to think it was a drag to drive all the way upstate just for the day when I was a kid, but I always loved it." She blinked again, hard this time, and Kyle knew that she was holding back tears.
"Kristen must love it. Most little kids do."
"Kristen has never been. We stopped going when..." She shrugged and bit her bottom lip.
Well, at least that explained the tears and the strong feeling of independence. "When you left your parents," he finished.
"I didn't leave them. They sent me away." She stood up and fiddled with lock of hair behind her ear.
He felt her pain as his own like a stab in the gut. It was the same pain he'd felt long ago standing in that courtroom listening to his father's rejection. "I'm sorry," he said, knowing his words sounded feeble at best.
She looked up at him and he saw a single tear run down the side of her cheek. He cupped that cheek with his hand and brushed the moisture away with his thumb. Her skin was silky and warm and Kyle knew without a doubt that he'd never felt so dizzy just being this close to a woman before. But Lauren Alexander wasn't just any woman.
"Will you tell me what happened?"
He expected her to swing around and give him the standard, "It's none of your business" routine, but her eyes held a heaviness that told him she needed to unload her feelings. He guessed that maybe it was burden she'd held far too long.
# # #
Chapter Four
Lauren felt the muscles in her throat tighten. That damned noose! Pulling on the collar of her royal blue turtleneck, she walked to the beige leather sofa in the center of the living room. But she didn't sit down. Her nerves skittered through her veins as her mind raced.
The room, Kyle's home, felt warm and cozy despite being so large. The living room was square and wide open with a cathedral ceiling boasting wooden planks that soared towards the apex of the room. It was quite a contrast to the slanted walls of her attic apartment. On the far end of the room was an oversized bay window that looked out to the backyard of the main home. An antique pool table stood in front of the window. Along the wall was a stereo cabinet with CDs scattered about and a large screen television. Although it looked like a picture torn from the pages of Macy's furniture catalog, it lacked any kind of detail. The detail that a woman brings to a home, Lauren decided. It had her wondering about the women who had spent time here in Kyle's home, his bed.
She shook the thought aside. As abrasive as the thought was, it wasn't any of her concern, she told herself. Why should she care how many women had hung their panties on Kyle Preston's bedpost?
"There's really not much to tell," she murmured, nervously brushing her hand up against her other arm. The words of untruth left a bitter taste in her mouth. There was a whole lot to tell, she just didn't know if she could do it without breaking down for the umpteenth time.
"If that were the case, you wouldn't be avoiding it."
"I'm not
“It’s a little big for one person.”
His sentiment exactly. “I’ve been thinking of putting it on the market when it’s complete.”
Lauren studied the plans again. "I noticed you put walls in the dining room. You should've knocked them down on both sides to open it up. Makes it more inviting. It's hard to move around in a house filled with family and friends during the holidays when..." Her voice trailed off and she blinked as if she were trying to force something out of her mind.
"This place is like a zoo during the holidays," he said softly. "But I wouldn't have it any other way. How about you?"
Her expression drooped again and he silently cursed himself for being the cause.
"We used to go to my grandmother's house for Christmas every year." Her full lips lifted to a smile, but Kyle noticed a hint of melancholy with her remembrance. "I used to think it was a drag to drive all the way upstate just for the day when I was a kid, but I always loved it." She blinked again, hard this time, and Kyle knew that she was holding back tears.
"Kristen must love it. Most little kids do."
"Kristen has never been. We stopped going when..." She shrugged and bit her bottom lip.
Well, at least that explained the tears and the strong feeling of independence. "When you left your parents," he finished.
"I didn't leave them. They sent me away." She stood up and fiddled with lock of hair behind her ear.
He felt her pain as his own like a stab in the gut. It was the same pain he'd felt long ago standing in that courtroom listening to his father's rejection. "I'm sorry," he said, knowing his words sounded feeble at best.
She looked up at him and he saw a single tear run down the side of her cheek. He cupped that cheek with his hand and brushed the moisture away with his thumb. Her skin was silky and warm and Kyle knew without a doubt that he'd never felt so dizzy just being this close to a woman before. But Lauren Alexander wasn't just any woman.
"Will you tell me what happened?"
He expected her to swing around and give him the standard, "It's none of your business" routine, but her eyes held a heaviness that told him she needed to unload her feelings. He guessed that maybe it was burden she'd held far too long.
# # #
Chapter Four
Lauren felt the muscles in her throat tighten. That damned noose! Pulling on the collar of her royal blue turtleneck, she walked to the beige leather sofa in the center of the living room. But she didn't sit down. Her nerves skittered through her veins as her mind raced.
The room, Kyle's home, felt warm and cozy despite being so large. The living room was square and wide open with a cathedral ceiling boasting wooden planks that soared towards the apex of the room. It was quite a contrast to the slanted walls of her attic apartment. On the far end of the room was an oversized bay window that looked out to the backyard of the main home. An antique pool table stood in front of the window. Along the wall was a stereo cabinet with CDs scattered about and a large screen television. Although it looked like a picture torn from the pages of Macy's furniture catalog, it lacked any kind of detail. The detail that a woman brings to a home, Lauren decided. It had her wondering about the women who had spent time here in Kyle's home, his bed.
She shook the thought aside. As abrasive as the thought was, it wasn't any of her concern, she told herself. Why should she care how many women had hung their panties on Kyle Preston's bedpost?
"There's really not much to tell," she murmured, nervously brushing her hand up against her other arm. The words of untruth left a bitter taste in her mouth. There was a whole lot to tell, she just didn't know if she could do it without breaking down for the umpteenth time.
"If that were the case, you wouldn't be avoiding it."
"I'm not
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