Free Entangled (Evolve Series Novella 2.5) by S.E.Hall

makes me feel like
I’ve already won.
    When the trio of judges have seen enough, we move
to Room Two. I try not to gasp out loud, lest revealing that obviously Dane did
it if I haven’t seen it either, but it’s hard not to as I am truly taken aback.
I should have expected nothing less than tasteful beauty from my man, and he’s
delivered tenfold.
    He chose a light blue for the walls, and a fresh,
crisp white for the trim as well, really making the blue color pop. The bed we
chose for this room, assuming it will be Sawyer’s, is a California king sleigh
bed in a light pine. The dresser and nightstand match and there’s one big,
light brown rug on the floor.
    I would have already said the room has a light,
airy, beachy feel to it, but the pièce de résistance really drives that message
home. It takes my breath away, and will undoubtedly win him this competition—a
bookshelf now standing tall against the wall by the closet door. I don’t know
when or how, but I know he wouldn’t cheat, meaning Dane made it with his own
two hands. The bookcase is light pine and magnificent, shaped like a canoe with
four little shelves.
    For a moment, I let myself imagine him, shirtless
and sweaty, running his nimble fingers up and down the wood, intricately
carving each piece, mastering it much like his fingers master everything they
touch. This time it’s me that steals a peek, and Dane is already looking back
at me, searching my eyes for approval.
    He never ceases to amaze me; brilliant, kind,
funny, a musician…and now he’s freakin’ Geppetto! I would never have guessed he
was a woodcarver, never mind a talented one.
    “Very nice,” I mouth, pointing at the shelf.
    He raises his brow in question. “You like?” he
mouths back.
    I nod slowly, again thinking about how hot this man
is, so full of hidden talents. “Can I have one?”
    “Of course, baby.” Our silent conversation continues
with another one of his winks that buckle my knees.
    “We’ve decided!” Bennett intrudes into “our little
world” and we both look at her. “The vote was two to one, and the winner is…”
she keeps us waiting for what must be a full minute, “this one, room two.”
    Dane deserved the win, without a doubt. I couldn’t
be more proud.
    “Congratulations,” I tell him, giving him a big
hug. “It’s beautiful.”
    “Your room is gorgeous, baby,” he leans in and
whispers in my ear, “I can’t wait to christen it with you.”
    “Please tell me you didn’t build that shelf with my
dad’s saw,” I mumble into his chest, only sort of joking.
    “I didn’t,” he assures me with a laugh, “I bought
my own. Why don’t you go over there and see what book is on it?”
    That’s right, I did see a book on the shelf. I
thought it was just a prop for the judging display. I walk over and pick it up,
four sets of eyes on me. If I wrote a book, I’d write Dane exactly how he is,
unbelievable. I wouldn’t have to exaggerate or embellish—he’s really that good
on his own.
    It’s an old copy of Winnie the Pooh . I turn
around, weepy-eyed, clutching the book to my chest. I adore it. “This is mine,
right?”
    They all chuckle at me simultaneously, but Dane
steps forward. “Yeah, baby, it’s yours. My first ever garage sale purchase.
Another first that’s just ours.”
    I nod, understanding the depth of his statement.
Sometimes I wish I was all the firsts to him that he is to me, well, one in
particular, but there are still so many he chooses to give me. The really
special ones that go beyond physical experimentation and creep into your soul
and stay there, are just for us. Perfection.
    “I’ll treasure it,” I whisper, walking back into
his arms, soaking up his scent. I wish I could bottle it and spritz myself
sporadically throughout the day.
    “Okay,” Sawyer pipes up, breaking the mood. “As
real as this has been, I gotta go. We done here?”
    “Where you need to be so badly? Would it kill you
to spend some time with