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.”