Obsession Falls (The Haven Brothers #1)

I liked the dazed look in her eyes—that I’d done that to her. “It was good. Got a lot done.”

“Can I see?”

“Cameras are in.” I pointed to her front door. “There’s one there, another over the garage, and a third in the back.”

“That’s a lot of cameras.”

“I’m tempted to put in more, but this is a start. I’ll show you how to use them later.”

“Thanks for doing that.”

“Of course.” I jerked my thumb over my shoulder. “Do you want to see the house? Trim is almost done.”

“Definitely.”

I led her next door and walked her through, showing her how great the trim she’d picked was looking. The paned windows and two-panel doors added a touch of detail and the trim set it all off perfectly.

“This looks incredible. You got so much done today. I’m glad Max wasn’t in your way.”

“Nah, he’s fine. He mostly naps in the corner while I work. The noise of the saw in the garage doesn’t even bother him.”

“That’s good. So what’s next after you finish the trim?”

“Carpet goes in the bedrooms soon, then I can finish the baseboards upstairs.” I grabbed the samples and laid them out to show her. “Which one do you think?”

She crouched down and ran her hands over the samples while Max sniffed them. “I like this one.” She tapped the dark beige. “The color is neutral, which I think is good if you’re going to rent it out, and it’s so soft. You want really soft carpet under your feet when you get out of bed in the morning.”

I mentally checked that off my list. “Agreed. Thanks.”

She stood and smiled at me. “You’re welcome.”

Since we were there, I figured I’d ask her about the countertops too. “Do you mind giving me another opinion?”

“Not at all.”

“Kitchen counters.” I grabbed the samples and laid them out. “Those ones are granite and the others are quartz. What do you think?”

“Definitely that one.” She pointed to a simple creamy white quartz. “It’s so pretty. The granite ones are nice but they’re so busy. I love the simplicity of this. And it will contrast with the floors which I think will be gorgeous.”

She was spot on. Plus, for reasons I couldn’t explain, I wanted her to like this house. “Great. One less thing I have to worry about.”

“I can’t wait to see how it looks when it’s installed.”

“You and me both.”

“Is that it?”

“Yeah, for now. Let’s go, Max.”

We went back to her house and as soon as we were inside, something shifted inside me. Truthfully, it had been building. Not just since the vandalism and the last couple of nights sleeping next to her, although that had kicked things into overdrive. It had been building since the first time we met.

I wanted her.

And I wanted her now.

A part of me didn’t want to want her. I wanted to keep her at a distance so if this crashed and burned, I could walk away unscathed.

But as I watched her set down her purse and step out of her shoes, I knew it was too late for that. I stared at her, desire flooding my veins—watched her like a predator locked on his prey.