Tempting Playboy
Outside the window, a thick, sparkling blanket of white frost covered the lower meadow, turning the tall grass and the old apple trees into silver sculptures against the blue sky.
Inside, the chimney base stood solid and dry under its tarp, the lime mortar set firm against the cold.
Gia lay awake under the heavy quilt, her head resting on Leo’s chest, watching the sunlight move across the wooden ceiling. Leo’s arm was wrapped around her waist, his breathing slow, deep, and steady beneath her ear.
She reached out, picked up her small paper notebook from the side table, and opened it to a fresh, blank page.
Using a plain wooden pencil, she wrote a single line at the top of the page: