“What vibe are you going with? Does Bentley want modern or traditional?”She flashed me a grin. “He gets both. Traditional with all the modern requirements hidden. I want to add to the rustic feel. Reclaimed wood floors. A cool texture to the walls. Skylights to add more sun. A huge hearth over the fireplace.”“I was thinking about adding logs to the outside.”“Yes! A log cabin in the woods. It’s the right setting.”“Tell me your plans.”“We gut it. Blow out the front and make it the focal point.” She indicated the left side. “Can you expand that wall? Make a sunroom off the kitchen for a dining area?”I knew it.“I think so. We’ll need planning approval, but as long as we’re sympathetic to the land, we should get it.”“We can upgrade everything and make it a retreat.”“What about the bedrooms?”“They’re a good size. Maybe we can add to the perimeter of the whole place?”“It’s all on a slab, so it can be done. We can get Jordan to check the building codes. There’s enough space, so I t

“Jesus, Liv. You feel fantastic.”She arched her back in agreement. “Please, Van,” she begged. “I need you.”“Hold tight, baby. I need you too.”I took and she gave. I demanded and she surrendered. I begged and she responded. I drowned in her and she engulfed me. We moved and rocked. Fucked and loved. The lounger creaked in protest and I didn’t give a care if we ended up on the floor. I couldn’t stop. Liv surrounded me, her cries music to my ears, her body a temple I wanted to worship in for the rest of my life. Her skin was supple and smooth, her hair a mass of fragrant waves around us. Her body was rounded and full, rich and malleable under my hands. Despite the differences in our bodies, we meshed perfectly, her curves fitting to my muscles as if sculpted for me alone. The feel of her hands on my body was heaven. I had never felt touches so gentle and warm. They made me ache with a tenderness that overwhelmed me. Caught me off guard yet felt as if I had come home.The feel of her,

I frowned. Her voice dropped, her gaze fixed on the table.“He questioned every decision my mother ever made. He made me so frightened, I stopped talking. He told me everything I said was wrong, so I stopped trying.”“Liv, baby…” I murmured, reaching for her hand to stop the constant movement of her fingers. She stared at our hands, clutching my fingers like a lifeline.“I don’t know what caused it, but one day he was starting in on me, and my mother snapped. She told him off in no uncertain terms. There was a huge screaming match, and he stormed out. She didn’t hesitate. She packed a bag, and we left. She kept saying it was one thing to criticize her, but she was done with his treatment of me. We went to my uncle’s place, and he helped us. She filed for divorce right away and I never saw him again.” She met my gaze. “It took me a long time to talk again, to be able to speak for myself. Chris tried to take my voice away too, and I almost allowed it. I can’t let it happen again.”“And

Dinner was a loud affair, Mouse excited to have a captive audience at her disposal. She was lively and chatty, often making me laugh with her drollness. She watched me eat, her eyes wide with amazement.“Are you sure you’re not a giant, Mr. Van? You eat like one.”Liv groaned and Elly chuckled.“Nope. But your mom’s cooking is awesome and a big treat.”Mouse stared at her plate, mystified. “Treat? It’s meatloaf.” She poked at the meat, pursing her lips. “A treat is a chocolate bar.”I laughed and helped myself to more of the meatloaf from the platter on the table. “Not for me, Mouse. I live alone, so meatloaf is a huge treat.”Her eyes grew even bigger. “You should eat here all the time, then. Mom makes stuff like this every night.” She sighed. “My best friend Sharon’s mom doesn’t cook. They order in every night.” She whined. “It’s so cool.”Liv grimaced. “And unhealthy. Not to mention expensive.”I leaned toward Sammy. “You know what, Mouse? I bet if I asked Sharon, she’d think havin

. I narrowed the choices to the top two. One we’ve worked with before, the other a newer company. Good reputation, seems to be a well-run organization, and they are willing to work within our guidelines.” He grimaced. “In fact, they seemed eager to do so.”Bentley frowned. “Something bothering you, Jordan?”Jordan was quiet as he mulled over his thoughts. It was something I liked about him. He never rushed with an important decision, and he always thought every angle through completely.“I met with the owners of both companies. Able Construction was slightly higher in the bids, but we’ve used them before and they were good. Not great, but good. This new company, WIN Construction, opened an office here two years ago. Their first place was out west, and all the reports I received had nothing but good things to say…” His voice trailed off, and he rubbed a finger across his chin.“But?” Bentley prompted.Jordan shrugged. “But, nothing. I met with the owner, John, and his foreman, Nolan. T