Her Backup Boyfriend (Entangled Bliss) (Sorensen Family) (14 page)

Chapter Fourteen

Kate wasn’t sure what kind of work she’d envisioned getting done on Saturday with Dominic arriving bright and early, ready to get started on the next project. Even with the French doors closed while she worked at the dining table, her attention kept wavering every time she heard the steady sound of his work boots overhead or clomping down the stairs. And she’d look up from the table, anticipating the possibility of seeing him pass by the French doors, giving her that silly grin that turned her stomach inside out.

How much longer could she pretend to work before venturing out for his company?

Focus, Kate.

She stared at the words in front of her, but her mind was on the steady sound of footsteps arriving outside the dining room again.

Tap, tap.

She looked up to see Dominic waiting on the other side of the glass doors. That man was damned temptation.

“Come in,” she said. As if she could deny his company.

In a red flannel shirt, the sleeves rolled up above his forearms again —why even bother with long sleeves?—he had a down-to-earth appeal. “I’m heading out to the dump. Wanna take a break? We could stop and get something to eat.”

“The dump, huh?” He had to be kidding, right? “Well, as tempting as that sounds, I think I’m going to take a pass. Besides”—she glanced outside her window at the dark sky that had consumed the bright sun of earlier—“you’re not going to make it without being hit with a torrent of rain.”

He grinned. “I like to live dangerously. Come on. You’ve got to eat. My treat. Besides, there was something I wanted to show you.”

“Like what?”

“It’s a surprise. You’ll have to come with me.”

Said the spider to the fly.

But, God help her, she really, really wanted to go.

She looked at the work scattered around her. She supposed she’d gotten more than enough done for now. There was always later. Who wouldn’t want to spend their afternoon at the city dump? At least it would be an unlikely place for her to suddenly lose control of her hormones and maul him.

“Let me get my jacket.”

The inside of the truck shook when Dominic slammed the tailgate closed. That had been faster than she’d expected since, between Dominic and a couple guys from the dump, they’d made quick work of unloading the haul. He climbed inside and buckled up before easing the truck from the dock.

Just in time, apparently, as the dark skies that had threatened rain for the past hour suddenly released their torrents. She loved a good rainstorm. Especially when she was still dry and cozy and warm inside.

“You know, that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I had envisioned acres of rotting garbage and the putrid smell of waste. And what do you know, my appetite is still intact.”

“Good. Because I’m starving.”

“Okay, so where are we going?”

He flicked the windshield wipers on and threw a smile at her. “All in good time. I thought we’d stop and pick up the food on the way. How does Chinese sound?”

“I’ll eat just about anything.”

“There’s a menu in the glove box. Have a look.”

She opened it to find a handful of different takeout menus. Mexican, pizza, Thai, Jimmy John’s, and Chinese. He obviously came prepared. She wondered briefly what else she might find in the glove box but didn’t think he’d take kindly to her snooping and shut it reluctantly.

Kate perused the menu while the bluesy twang of Emmylou Harris flooded the cab.

Thirty minutes later, a bag of Chinese food was nestled at her feet, and the aroma of sweet and sour filled the truck. With the steady beat of rain on the windows and top of the cab combined with the music and gentle swaying of the truck, Kate’s eyes grew heavy.

This was nice. But drowsy as she was, she kept her attention on the scenery, especially when Dominic turned off the main road and they ascended a smaller road that wound higher and higher up the canyon. At least the road seemed to be recently paved.

It took her a moment to realize they’d reached their destination when Dominic put the car in park and looked over at her. “Ready?”

She looked at him like he was crazy. “For what?”

He grinned and grabbed the bag of Chinese food and a thick blanket from the seat and turned off the engine. Was he seriously taking her to a picnic in the middle of a downpour? “You’ll see. Come on.”

“It’s pouring out there. Are you serious? We’ll get soaked.”

“Trust me.”

Sheesh. She looked outside again as he pushed his door open and ran around to open hers for her. Reluctantly, she brought her coat over her head and followed him. The ground was muddy and they headed down a thinning path and into what felt like a veritable forest.

This was not how she’d envisioned this day going. A visit to the dump. Trudging through the woods for a picnic during a drenching cold rain shower.

The raging rush of lust and desire that was hitting epic highs every time she glanced down at Dominic’s backside as they continued their hike.

They reached a slight clearing and she looked farther ahead. Was that a cabin? With no other choice but to follow him, she continued on, the coat held above her head already soaked through and dripping onto her. Without the protection of the woods, the wind hit them hard and she shivered.

They stopped in front of a set of steps, and she looked through the opening in the coat again.

Wow.

It was actually a house, not a cabin as she’d originally thought. A massive house that spread over a good chunk of property. A wide porch wrapped around the front and side of the house disappeared around the back. The outside of the house was a mix of natural stone and wood, treated and stained a rich chocolate, which had probably been why she’d underestimated its size. It seemed to blend in with the surrounding environment.

Dominic climbed the three steps and stood on the porch, studying her.

“What is this?” she asked.

“My home.”

She looked up at the low eaves that covered and protected the wide porch, almost hugging it and keeping it dry and protected. There was a wind chime hanging to his left.

This wasn’t at all what she had expected.

“It’s still a work in progress. But with the winter season ahead, I’ll have the next few months to finish getting it into shape. So I’m taking my time. Making it mine.”

She felt oddly humbled. Touched that he would bring her here to share something of himself like this. There were no words and fortunately, he wasn’t waiting for any, already slipping a key in the heavy wooden door and pushing it open.

“After you.” He stepped aside and she walked in, her footsteps echoing on the plywood under her feet. It was barely warmer inside than it was outside, and she breathed in the damp smell of rain and pine and…plaster?

The room was empty and bare and extended to the back of the house, where she could see full-length windows extend floor to ceil— She stepped forward and realized she had incorrectly assumed this was a one-story home. Ahead of her, she could see that the windows extended down to another floor below.

They reached a banister and stopped. Her mouth opened. The view was incredible. Both inside, where she could see a great room with a massive stone fireplace, and outside where she could see the lines of the trees, the tips of the canyon ridge, and the whole world, or so it seemed.

Dominic took the stairs to her right, and she followed. Several sliding glass doors opened up to a wide deck that would allow a person a view of everything. Nothing was out there now, probably because they were in the middle of November, but she could envision a patio set, a porch swing, a barbecue. Children playing in a tree house. Swings over on the north end of the lawn, maybe even a trampoline. The kind of stuff she’d dreamed about having as a kid.

“Told you there was a lot of work,” Dominic said from behind her. He was standing at an island and pulling the boxes and containers of Chinese out of the bag. Bare cabinets were behind him and she spotted a basic sink and a small dorm fridge in the corner.

She cocked a brow. “I see you pulled out all the stops for the appliances.”

“They’ll be along when I’m closer. But this fridge holds drinks, leftovers, whatever I need when I’m up here working.”

She looked behind her at the open expanse of windows and space. The stone fireplace. And even though the floor was still plywood, the walls only drywall, no appliances or light fixtures other than the glaring light from the work lamp in the corner, it was…breathtaking.

“It’s beautiful, Dominic. I can’t believe you’re undertaking something like this on your own.”

“Well, on my own and with the help from a few subcontractors we use at Sorensen Construction to get the walls up,” he added wryly.

“How did you come up with the design? Did you hire an architect?” she continued, walking around, like she hadn’t heard him. “This floor plan is amazing.”

“I did it.”

She swirled around and met his gaze. “You designed this? Imagined all of this and made it real? You really are a genius.”

Dominic ducked his head, but not before she saw a look that could only be described as pride. He grabbed the blanket and came to stand next to her. “I wouldn’t say a genius. Besides, I wouldn’t have been able to go as big as this without the resources so easily at my disposal.” He threw the blanket open. It curled up on the edges and she bent down to smooth them over.

“Now you’re being modest. This place is incredible. You’ll have to give me the grand tour when we’re done eating.” She sat back and turned to see Dominic at the fireplace. Within a moment, a blaze came to life.

“Gas fireplace,” he said, as if he had to offer an explanation.

“Practical and environmentally correct.”

“Precisely my focus when I was studying architecture up at the U,” he said and returned to the island for their food.

Kate stood and helped him bring the cartons and a couple of paper plates over before taking a seat. “Pretty big space for a bachelor like yourself. Planning to open a bed-and-breakfast? Maybe an orphanage?” she teased.

“Nah. Just wistful thinking. Someday I plan on having a full house. A wife, kids. A dog or two. The works.”

A lump filled her throat unexpectedly. Not that these things were anywhere on her list of things to accomplish, but it sounded nice. He was going to make some lucky woman quite a husband.

“What are you going to do with the area upstairs?” she said, uneasy with the current topic and wanting to change courses. “It’s kind of open for a bedroom. Unless you like that whole lack of privacy thing.”

“A game room. Or an office. Not sure. Maybe both. There’s also a master bedroom over that way with a master bath.” He nodded to his left. It was next to the great room, which meant it probably had the same amazing view. “It’s part of why I wanted to show you this place. I’ve started some work on the tub area, and I thought you might be interested in taking a look. Maybe you’ll see some features you want to use at your place. Anyway, across from that master room is a smaller room. Downstairs is another open room and space for two or three more bedrooms.”

“You are ambitious.”

He delivered a devilish smile and raised his brows. “Or realistic.”

Her stomach did a somersault, but she wouldn’t let him see his effect on her. She rolled her eyes instead and took a bite of some kung pao chicken. Which was pretty fantastic. She took another bite. “Either this is the best Chinese I’ve had in a while, or I’m insanely hungry.”

“Nope. It’s pretty good. I’m friends with the owners, actually. They’ve been in business almost fifteen years.”

“I’ll have to go there more often.”

She must have bit into a pepper because suddenly she was coughing, her eyes watering. Dominic sprang up and headed to the small fridge and grabbed a bottled water. She accepted it gratefully and took giant gulps. He went back to the kitchen and looked into the fridge as her coughing slowed.

“Want a beer?”

She nodded and Dominic grabbed two bottles and returned, settling back on the blanket. He twisted the top off one bottle and handed it to her before doing the same to his. “I hope you don’t mind my asking, and if you do, tell me to mind my own business, but…what ever happened between you and Michael. Why’d you two end things?”

Why had
Michael
ended things might be the more appropriate question.

Kate tipped her beer and tasted the yeasty flavor as she mulled it over. She gave Dominic’s question another minute of consideration and waited for the usual pain at thinking or discussing this subject.

Nothing. Except a little sadness at remembering the pain it had once caused her. Disappointment. The memory wasn’t even as gut-wrenching as it used to be.

She realized he was still watching her and waiting. “It wasn’t us, really. We were fine. It was more what Michael and I could never be. What I could never be.”

There was a dark glimmer in his eyes, a tightening of his jawline. “What you could never be? What the hell kind of shit is that?”

She leaned back, crossing her legs in front of her to get comfortable. “My family lines don’t trace back to the first settlers. I don’t have a trust fund that would rival the per capita income of a small third-world country,” she offered in explanation. “As I’ve mentioned before, to Michael’s family, just like Payton’s, that was important. The lineage most of all. They envisioned vacationing with their in-laws in Kennebunkport with little golden-blond grandchildren running around. Not redheaded rednecks.”

“I would hardly call you a redneck,” Dominic said, his tone light, but the tightening of his fist belied his real anger.

Unable to keep his gaze, she toyed with the beer bottle, tipping it side to side as she continued. “Michael was okay with it all. At first. But eventually it started to put pressure on our relationship. You probably remember Nicole mentioning the weekend brunch they were going to at his parents’ house? That was something I was never privy to in the three years we dated. It reached a head when Michael’s sister got engaged to a Huntsman. They fawned all over the happy couple. It wasn’t long after that Michael came to realize we just weren’t ideal for each other.”