LITMIR.BIZ

Скачать книгу

but the details of the house itself were amazing. There was intricate crown molding, carved stonework and sky-high ceilings with shimmering chandeliers dripping crystals from their golden branches. A split staircase of dark, polished wood encircled the room and met at a second-floor landing.

      “I don’t think the two of us combined will ever have enough stuff to fill a house this big.” The expansive rooms were so empty, their steps echoed through the space.

      “I’m only going to have the movers bring down my personal things from my apartment. It’s a lot more modern, and I don’t think much of the furniture would work here anyway. We’ll need to go shopping for some of the basics to get us through the next month—a bed, a couch, that sort of thing. Then, if we decide to keep the place, we’ll start looking for the rest. I want you to decorate however you want to.”

      Amelia fought the frown threatening to pull the corners of her mouth down. They’d agreed to date only two days ago, yet he was moving forward with the intention of them living here forever. Her head was still spinning, but Tyler was a master of rolling with the punches.

      As it was, they’d put the cart before the horse and were scrambling to build a relationship to go with their marriage and their baby. Thirty days was really not enough time to fall in love, but she’d known she had to pick a deadline to put an end to this madness. This would either work or it wouldn’t, and now they would know in a month. She couldn’t take the uncertainty any longer than that. Tyler didn’t seem to acknowledge that failure was even an option. It rarely was in his eyes. It didn’t matter if it was a jewel auction or a game of cards with friends—he had to win. This time, she’d made her future the prize he was out to claim.

      “I don’t know, Tyler... This place is intimidating. As much as I enjoy decorating, I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

      “I know,” he admitted. “I had an interior designer do my place in New York. You’re welcome to pick stuff for the house, but we can hire a decorator if you need help.” He reached down and took her hand in his. “Come on,” he said with a gentle tug. “I’ll show you the upstairs first.”

      They went up the stairs to the second floor, where he led her through a labyrinth of bedrooms and bathrooms. There was another family room and a large open bonus room that was bigger than her whole apartment.

      “I was thinking we could turn this into a game room. Maybe get a pool table and a couple of pinball machines. What do you think?”

      She thought this house was way too much space for them. It was too big for five or six, even, but she kept that to herself. “That would be fun.”

      “And through here,” he continued, “is the movie theater.”

      Amelia stopped. “You’re kidding, right? Why on earth would we need our own movie theater?”

      Tyler grinned wide. “Nope, I’m not kidding. I think the real estate agent officially called it a media room, but it’s all the same to me. This is one of the reasons I really love this house.”

      Amelia walked ahead of him into the windowless room with dark burgundy–painted walls. There was a large screen on the far wall with a projector mounted in the ceiling overhead. The floor was a staggered incline with two rows of leather media chairs that could seat eight people. One row was a step down from the first so everyone had a prime view. It was the craziest thing she’d ever seen.

      “When I started looking for a place to rent, I wanted more than just luxury. I wanted functionality. With this, it made me think about how much we both love movies. You and I have wasted hours of our youth watching films together. I think we were at every Saturday matinee for four years. Having a place to screen our own movies in comfort seemed like a good investment for the future.”

      “It’s amazing,” she said, nodding blankly. “If you can afford it, why not? I’m sure we’ll get a lot of enjoyment out of it.”

      Tyler continued on with the tour, heading downstairs to show her the luxurious master suite with a bathtub she could swim in. Amelia followed, only half listening to what he had to say about the house. Her mind was being pulled in ten directions, her chest tight with anxiety over this whole situation.

      Things seemed to get more complicated minute by minute. Eloping with Tyler had been a mistake, but a correctable one. Getting pregnant was a curveball, but women had children every day with less suitable fathers. She could handle it. Tyler would be a great father, even if they didn’t have a romantic relationship. Moving in together, temporarily or otherwise, was a big leap for her. But this place... It was like moving to an alien planet.

      She’d known her best friend was a strategist. He always looked at every angle before making a decision, routinely kicking her rear in chess and rarely making a wrong move on the game board or in life. He didn’t just win, he won intelligently. Still, it was hard to believe Tyler had pulled all this together in a day’s time. He’d bought a car, found an amazing house he knew she’d love... She had no doubt he had movers on standby both here and in New York, just waiting for the call that he’d signed the lease on the house.

      What did she expect? She’d laid down a challenge—thirty days to fall in love. Tyler was taking it seriously and would tackle it with the same drive and commitment that had gotten him from an old, overcrowded apartment to a multimillion-dollar mansion in ten years’ time. She would be hard-pressed to fight him off, especially when his opening volley included a mansion with a movie room. He was playing to win. What would he do next?

      “I saved this room for last because I think it’s going to be your favorite.” He led her through what would probably be the living room to the kitchen. That was where her heart stopped and her worries vanished in an instant.

      It was a chef’s dream. Gorgeous cherry-stained cabinets, gold-flecked granite countertops, ornate tile work on the backsplash, professional stainless-steel appliances... It was gorgeous. She couldn’t help rushing past him into the space to look more closely. The kitchen in her apartment was average. Nice, but nothing special. The one at the chapel was large, sterile and industrial, for cooking for hundreds of people at once. Neither of those places had anything on this.

      She opened the deep drawers for pots and pans, sliding out built-in spice racks. The massive gas stove had two ovens, six burners and a grill in the center. There were two farm sinks on opposite sides of the kitchen, one beside a full-size dishwasher and the other with a small drawer dishwasher for quick washes of glasses. The French doors of the refrigerator opened wide, revealing enough space for countless platters and large serving dishes. There was even a warming drawer built in beside the stove.

      It wasn’t just a beautiful kitchen, it was a well laid-out one with all the latest amenities. She knew better than anyone how important it was to have the space designed properly to get work done with the fewest steps possible.

      Amelia could cook up a storm here. She could throw some of the most amazing dinner parties ever thrown. Maybe an engagement party for Bree and Ian. They’d gotten engaged right before her reunion and had yet to have a party. Thoughts of gatherings with champagne and canapés started spinning through her head, but a glance at Tyler’s smug grin brought everything to a stop.

      She’d fallen for it, she realized with a silent curse. What was better than a movie room? The kitchen of her dreams. He knew exactly what he was doing, bringing her to this house and seducing her with stainless-steel appliances. He knew better than anyone that the route to her heart went through the kitchen. She’d underestimated how easily she could be had by someone who knew her every weakness.

      Amelia wasn’t ready to lose herself to the fantasy quite yet, though. Even if they did rent this place and move in, she couldn’t get attached to any of it. In four weeks, everything could be different.

      Tyler was confident they could build a successful relationship, but they had a steep hill to climb. She’d take a great love in a camper over a so-so romance with a mansion.

      “Well, what do you think of the place?” he asked.

      “You’ve done well, Tyler,” she said

Скачать книгу