Free Beautifully Decadent (Beautifully Damaged Book 3) by L.A. Fiore Page A

can totally do this.”
    “I know, but it’s still overwhelming. Trace stopped by the other day with his daughter. They sampled some of my creations.”
    “And?”
    “He said he’d make a habit out of stopping by with Faith if I had desserts like that on hand.”
    “Smart man. There better be some left for me.”
    “Like you have to ask.”
    Nat lifted her glass. “To the start of your new adventure.”
    “And yours.”
    She knew I was referring to Tyler when she replied, “I’ll drink to that.”

Standing in the living room of Rafe’s house, envy burned through me. It was a little over a week since he offered me the tour. Nat had returned home, but only after purchasing me high-powered binoculars and demanding a blood oath that I send pictures regularly of Rafe, even suggested poses she’d like.
    Studying Rafe’s home, I adored his taste. Not a surprise since I loved what he’d done with the carriage house. He kept his rooms simple, almost sparse, but the pieces in each room were amazing. And the house itself, the crown moldings, the wainscoting, the hardwood floors were original to the house and painstakingly restored. He’d painted his living room a deep mocha, the crown moldings a creamy-white. A large, chocolate-brown leather sofa, with the softest leather, took up the one wall near the fireplace. The stone of the fireplace matched the outside of the house; the floors were a wide-planked walnut and built-ins, crafted by Rafe, surrounded the fireplace. An exquisite clock made from exotic woods hung over the sofa. And as picture perfect as it all appeared, it felt kind of cold. Where were the photos of friends and family? The afghan over the back of the sofa for the nights it got cold? Where were the magazines to page through while snuggling up in front of the fire? Hell, where was the television remote? It was like he was creating a home, but not actually living in it. And as I stood there, I couldn’t help but indulge my fantasies as I visualized Rafe and me curling up on his sofa or better yet lying in front of the fire, naked and sweaty. Maybe my thoughts were inappropriate, but Rafe was a sexy man and I was only human. My focus turned to the clock over the sofa. For a craftsman, it was the perfect clock.
    “Did you make that?”
    “No, a friend sent it.”
    He was leaning up against the wall, his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. He had given me the tour, spoke very few words during it, and now he studied me much in the way I studied his house. His phone had rung a few times during the tour. He hadn’t answered it at first, but the caller was persistent and when he did finally take the call, he was not at all happy with whoever was on the other end.
    “Mrs. Milner, she’s a bit rough around the edges, but she’s a good woman. I’m mentioning this because I know you’ve met and on first impression she has a tendency to irritate people.”
    And by people I suspected he meant his girlfriend. “She offered to wash my linens. I loathe doing laundry, so rough around the edges or not, she’s okay in my book.”
    He offered a smile so slight I’d have missed it if I hadn’t been staring at his mouth. “I understand why this is taking you so long. Your work is exquisite.”
    “I’m trying to stay as close to the original as possible.”
    “Are there any photos of the house during its heyday? I’d love to see the landscaping.”
    “Nothing that has good views of the yard and unlike the house, I haven’t a clue where to start.”
    Excitement burned through me because I adored gardening and getting a chance to work some magic on this property, I’d love that. “I could help. I’d love to, actually. I love gardening, haven’t had a canvas since perfecting my mom’s yard.”
    His focus hadn’t left me, but it changed slightly. “If you have ideas, I’d like to hear them.”
    “Okay. I’ll draw some up and show you.” As much as I wanted to linger, I didn’t want to overstay my