Page 14 of The Awakening (The Morton Family Saga #3)

Chapter Twelve

Ellie

T he days turned to weeks, and I was settling in to life here on the Morton ranch.

Gavin and I didn’t stick around too long most nights after supper.

We had usually seen very little of each other during the day, so we used this time to portray a happy newly married couple.

He didn’t have a typical bedroom. His room was more like a suite and was attached to a well-stocked library.

I likened it to chateaus or villas I had seen in magazines.

There had been nothing like this where I grew up.

Homes were run down and, in some cases, falling down.

But the Morton main house looked like a castle in comparison.

Tonight, when I stepped inside the room, I went to the far end, where his library was.

Two chairs flanked the large window that overlooked a pasture.

Large wooden bookshelves lined the wall from floor to ceiling.

A library ladder stood along each side of the shelves that slid along tracks for easy access to the books on the top shelves.

If Heaven was a library with overstuffed chairs, I was definitely there.

Sitting in one chair, I caught sight of papers sitting on the table.

“Well, what do you think?” Gavin spoke as he sat down in the chair across from me.

I hadn’t heard him come in. “What is all this?” I asked, picking up the top page. “Are you starting a new business?” He nodded.

He nodded. “I did some research in Montana, and I asked my business analyst to apply the metrics here.”

“And?” I asked rather impatiently.

“It’s a more profitable idea here than I ever imagined.

What I’m going to do is build state-of-the-art architectural homes.

They’ll be built to specifications on site, then moved in pieces to their forever locations.

” He looked at the papers I had placed back on the table before he crossed his arms behind his head and stretched his long legs out.

The stubble on his face made him look distinguished and made my heart flutter a little.

The men in the community were required to be clean shaven, so to me, men with five o’clock shadows had always been mysterious and sexy.

“Ellie, are you listening?” His question shook me back to reality.

“Umm, no, sorry. I was lost in another thought?” I stammered.

“One related to the business?” he asked.

“Well, kind of,” I mumbled. It wasn’t an outright lie.

“You’re talking about ready to move homes that aren’t the typical style?

” The plans here were stunning. “I know you can’t build every style of home you’re going to offer but will you use an example home furnished with the different finishes you are going to offer?

That way you can show how it will be moved and things like that.

” When Gavin didn’t respond, I looked up from the plans.

He had a pen in hand and was writing frantically.“What else you got?” he asked, an eager expression on his face.

“What about packages? Like gold, silver, and bronze? Each gets a different level of personalized interaction. Bronze, for those who choose to do the consults over video conference rather than in person. That way, your market can extend outside of Texas. Silver, they come to the site and walk through the sample home and pick their finishes. Gold, flown in on the jet, put up at a hotel in Dallas and brought here by a car service. Really wine and dine them.” I shrugged.

It was basic and maybe small-minded, but Gavin ate it up like it was the best thing he had ever heard.

“What should your title be?” He raised one eyebrow at me.

“You want my help?” I hedged.

“Well, yes. You’re my wife. For however long you want to be. We should work together too.” He said without hesitation.

“I have no education Gavin, so I doubt I’ll be much help. I don’t even know how to run the simplest things on a computer.”

Leaning over, he placed his hand on my knee.

“We’ll get you training for anything you want to do.

Right now, I’m just happy you’re as excited as I am about this.

Don’t tell anyone yet. I am just checking into the viability right now.

” His words were firm, but he didn’t have to say them to me.

This was his news not mine so it wouldn’t come from my lips.

“I won’t say a word. But you will keep me updated, right?” I asked, hoping he wouldn't leave me out.

He stood and moved over to the television and turned it on before flopping down on the bed.

This has become our nightly routine. We would talk some. Then he would watch TV, and I would read. But tonight, I wanted to be closer to him. I could still feel his hand on my knee, and I wanted to feel more.

I settled in next to him, and he turned to look at me. “Well, this is a nice surprise.” He held out his arm, and I scooted closer, snuggling up against his side.

My heart was racing. We had been this close multiple times, but tonight was different. Was it because he had opened up about the business? Or was it because he believed in me and wanted my opinion and help?

“Ellie,” Gavin whispered. “I want to kiss you.”

“I wouldn’t put up a fight,” I replied, giving him a soft smile.

He lowered his head and brushed his mouth against mine. If I thought my pulse had been racing before, it was as if I had been running a marathon now. Gavin’s lips were soft, but his kiss was forceful, passionate, and possessive. Our tongues fought for space.

The show on the television long forgotten, Gavin rolled over so his body pressed against mine. Breaking the kiss, he looked at me, breathing heavy, just like I was. “Well, that’s not where I thought this would go,” he said as he smiled sheepishly.

“I thought it was nice,” I replied quietly, looking away from his eyes.

“Look at me, Ellie.”

When I obeyed, he continued. “Do not ever be ashamed of how you feel.”

His words made me think back to all the times Ray had made me feel dirty after sex.

“Besides, we’re married.” He claimed my lips again, and I wrapped my arms around him. He was an amazing kisser, and the feelings coursing through my body were different from anything I had experienced before.

Was this what falling in love felt like?