Free A Taste of Heaven (Billionaires' Secrets Book 3) by Jennifer Lewis

cranes carved right into the wood of the corner boards and the door, which gave the building a Japanese feel. Steps came down right to the water, each riser carved in a distinct shape, almost like stepping stones.
    She hesitated, wondering how to get from the yawing boat onto the solid wood of the steps.
    “Since you don’t want me to give you a hand up, I’ll pull the boat up close to the steps, and you can grab on to the railing.
    Louis leaned forward and grabbed the railing himself, then tugged the boat alongside it with the sheer strength of his body. His powerful thighs braced to hold the boat steady. “Go ahead.”
    Sam climbed shakily to her feet. She leaned out of the boat to grab the railing. True to his promise, Louis held the boat flush against the steps while she pulled herself up onto them.
    Apprehension prickled along her spine as she stood there on the steps of the only structure visible for miles around. If he turned the boat around and left, she’d be stranded.
    But he lashed the boat to a stilt with expert ease. “Go on in, it’s unlocked.”
    “You just leave it open?”
    He shrugged. “If someone’s determined enough, they’ll get in anyway.”
    Sam pushed open the smooth door, with its lovely square carving of two cranes amid tall grasses.
    “Oh, goodness.” It was beautiful. Dark golden light filled the space, streaming through a wide window on the opposite side that framed the sunset. Considering the warmth of the afternoon, the interior was wonderfully cool and comfortable.
    The plank floor invited her feet to step inside. The single room smelled of fresh, new wood. The scent of new beginnings.
    Louis came in behind her and hesitated. She shifted aside, giving him room to pass without touching her. Her skin tingled as he eased into the space, sliding by her almost close enough to touch, but not quite. His male scent mingled with the fresh aroma of cedar to push her senses into overdrive.
    She watched as he flipped a latch on the paneled wall and pulled down something like a Murphy bed. It opened to a low sofa, Japanese style, with a patterned covering of dark purple and gray. He pulled a couple of cushions out of the cavity in the wall where the sofa had been. “Take a load off.”
    Sam eased herself down onto the sofa. Its cushiony soft surface felt blissful after the hard bench of the boat. Louis moved across the room and pulled down an identical sofa on the other side. “See? No touching required. His and hers.”
    ‘This place is amazing. What else is hidden in these walls?”
    Louis beamed with what looked like pride as he pulled open another paneled cabinet to reveal the interior of a fridge, stocked with drinks. “What can I get you?”
    “Oh, my.” Sam stretched out on the cushioned surface. Her muscles crackled as tension slipped from them. “This does feel good. Maybe a soda water.”
    The delicious whoosh of the soda bottle cap popping off made her mouth water. She took the bottle and again their fingers almost touched, but not quite. She could swear she’d felt a snap of electrical current right at the tip of her fingers.
    She smiled. He smiled back. A warm sensation stirred in her belly.
    Uh-oh.
    Get a grip, Sam. You’re probably the fourth woman he’s brought here this week. “This is quite the romantic hideaway. I’m guessing it gets a lot of use,” she said drily. She took a sip of her soda water. The bubbles crackled over her tongue.
    “I come here a lot.” He looked steadily at her. “More all the time.”
    A prick of jealousy stuck her somewhere uncomfortable.
    “But you’re the first woman I’ve ever brought here.”
    “What?” A weird shiver sprang across her skin.
    “This is where I come to be alone. Don’t get me wrong, I like people. I love the hustle and bustle of my restaurants and organizing events and bringing people together. That’s been my whole life.”
    He turned to look out the window. The sun was now a slim chip of glowing amber,