Page 36 of Unwrapping Love

His eyes were searching hers. “Maybe it’s only me.”

She didn’t want him to think that. “It’s not,” she said as quietly as he’d been talking. “It feels as if it’s a dream. Then I have to ask myself if it’s just the forced proximity we find ourselves in.”

The two of them were alone in this gorgeous mountain retreat.

The power had gone out two hours ago, but the generator kicked on just fine. She wouldn’t have even known if Rowan hadn’t told her with the quick flicker of lights.

“It is a pretty romantic setting,” he said. “Two lovers getting away with nothing but nature around them.”

“I’m sure you’ve brought a lot of women here for weekends just like this.”

He laughed and stepped back, his hand reached for hers to bring her closer. “Actually, no. That would be Nelson. We don’t make a habit of bringing strangers to West’s homes. Nelson got his ass reamed for it the first time he’d done it. He was twenty-two and it was a winter break from college. He let people in town he didn’t know come up for a party.”

She couldn’t imagine having this at her leisure now, let alone in college.

“So West is going to be mad I’m here?” she asked.

“No. I’m not Nelson. First off, I’m more responsible even though my family might have given the impression I take nothing seriously.”

“Meaning you’ll take care of the property?”

“Yes,” he said. “I’m the closest to this and come here the most. West actually likes that I stop in as often as I do. But I’ve done nothing more than bring a few guys with me to hit the slopes. I like my space. Space I got little of growing up. This is my sanctuary to get away from work.”

“I can understand that. For me it was my grandmother’s house.”

They moved to the couch in the basement and sat to look out at the snow that wasn’t stopping. There was over a foot there already, moving close to two if she was guessing. Rowan had already gone out and plowed the driveway twice and together they shoveled off the decks.

He’d been mad she’d done it, but she told him she’d be fine. She knew how to manage her blood sugar with activity and the last thing she was going to do was sit around while he was out in the cold.

Thankfully, there was extra winter gear here that she’d put on.

“You don’t talk much about your family. Can I ask why?”

She sighed. “Lots of drama with my sister,” she said. Did she really want to share this? She never had before.

“Her kids in the house?” he asked. “She had to have started young.”

“Sandy is a whore. It’s horrible to say that, but I’m going to because it’s the truth rather than try to count the number of men I know about. Her whole life was about getting attention any way she could and from whoever.”

“Yikes. That means men.”

“Yep. She was having sex at fifteen. I think she had more sexual partners before she graduated from high school than I’ve had now at twenty-six. Half the guys she was with my parents would never approve of. So like a double whammy. And shealmost was never without a guy on the hook before she ditched the current one.”

“Since you brought it up,” he said, nudging her arm. “What’s your number?”

“Really? You want to go down that path? How many have you had?”

His eyes got wide. “Put my foot in it there. But I’m sure not nearly as much as you think.”

“Still a lot more than me, I’m positive. I’ve had four. I was a slow start and didn’t have sex until college. All my partners were relationships. Bet you can’t say that.”

“Actually,” he said, “I can. I’m not into one-night stands. I’ve never had sex with a woman without intending it to be exclusive or developing into something.”

But that didn’t mean it did. Only that he was open to it.

He was older than her. Hotter. Probably crazy popular.

He spent a lot of his time on the beach with his shirt off.