Free [Invitation to Eden 20.0] The Island of Eden by Lauren Hawkeye

impressed I am with this place... and with him.
    “Quite the crib you have here,” I say, as I spin around the living room. “The ladies must drop their panties as soon as they step inside.”
    “Are you always this uncouth?” I listen for the derision in his voice, but hear none.
    “Uncouth. I’ve never heard that word used in actual conversation before.” I raise my eyebrows at him. “And yeah, pretty much.”
    I feel a small pang at this, that maybe that’s not the kind of woman he’s interested in. And then I give myself a mental slap upside the head. There’s nothing between us, so it doesn’t matter. And even if there was maybe, possibly some little spark...
    I don’t change for men. I only change for me.
    He— what the hell do I call him, anyway?— rolls his eyes. I wince again, kicking myself for being so crude.
    There’s staying true to myself, and then there’s being an ass.
    It’s a defense mechanism I use when I’m in an uncomfortable situation... I deflect with crude comments. It’s stupid, I know, but sometimes I can’t help it. Mr. Vardalos... oh, to hell with it, I’m calling him Theo... is making me very uncomfortable.
    On another note entirely, my panties feel really tight right now. I am hoping it’s just because they are still wet from nearly drowning in the ocean and not because I want to tear them off and throw them at him in adoration, like a groupie at a rock concert.
    He gestures to the staircase. “The room you will stay in is upstairs.”
    Well, apparently now I’m staying. This is progress.
    “How many rooms are there in this place?”
    He pauses, eyes me blankly. “A lot.”
    I snort. Damn it, with manners like this, I must seem like I was raised in a barn, rather than in high society. But when he turns to look at me, I think he’s smiling again under the mask.
    He leads me up a set of stairs built of very old looking stone, and to a heavy wooden door, which he pushes open. I step inside into the biggest, brightest bedroom I’ve ever seen. The windows are open; the air is warm and fragrant. The bed is huge, covered with a jewel-toned quilt, and there are lilies on every surface.
    I melt a little. Lilies are my favorite flowers.
    “Oh wow.” I move further into the room. There is a dark blue lily on a table near the open window, the soft petals the exact hue of my favorite color. Which... isn’t possible. There’s no such thing.
    I’m drawn to it, and gently caress the petals with my fingers. “Beautiful. How is it this color?”
    “You like flowers?” For some reason, the answer to this seems important to him.
    I consider replying with my usual bravado, but instead answer from the heart. “I love flowers. All of them. There’s a greenhouse in the house I grew up in and when I was little, my mom would take me in there, show me how to grow things.”
    “She doesn’t anymore?” Theo’s voice is gentle, as if he already knows the answer. Still, the expected pang slices through my heart.
    “No, she died, three years ago.” I shake my head.
    “I’m very sorry, Noelle.”
    Something inside of me quivers, hearing my name on his lips. I... like it. Far more than I should.
    I look at him, see something in his eyes that softens me further.  “Thanks.”
    Then I blink, and the moment is gone. His eyes regard me impassively. The change is startling.
    “You will find everything you need here. The bathroom is fully stocked with all the essentials.”
    “What about my clothes?” I look down at my sodden jeans, suddenly desperate to be rid of them.
    “I’ll have your clothing laundered. In the meantime, I’ll have something suitable delivered for you to wear.” He moves to the door. “There will be something here waiting for you when you are finished showering.”
    Well . La-di-da.
    “Theo?”
    He sets my bag down, then turns to look at me before leaving, and the expression on his face tells me he’s not sure if he likes what I’ve just called him. Well,