Headlines (Prime Time #3) - Ella Frank Page 0,66

me and sighed. “Sean…”

Before things got out of control, I reached for his hand. “How about we go and take a look outside.”

“You don’t want to see the rest of the house?”

“If you take me anywhere near a bedroom right now, it might turn into a you use it, you buy it situation.”

“Is that supposed to deter me?”

Judging by the look on his face, no. And I was tempted. Really fucking tempted. But who knew what kind of security setup a house like this had? The last thing I needed was my naked ass splashed all over Entertainment Now!

“Come on, let’s go check out the pool and lake. I know that’s one of the main draws for you, and personally, I want to see this private beach the listing talked about.”

“Deal. But don’t think I’m leaving without checking out the main bathroom in this place. Next to the bedrooms, that’s the most important place for me.”

“Hey, any place you get naked, I want to visualize.”

Xander looked around the kitchen, a sensual smile curving his lips. “Start visualizing, then. We get a place this private, you’ll be lucky if I bring clothes when we move in.”

If the real estate agent had been there, I would’ve signed the papers right then and there.

35

Xander

I PUSHED THROUGH the French doors that led out onto the paved patio area, and as the fresh air hit me, I took a deep breath in and soaked in the beauty of the place.

Bailey and Henri had been spot on with their recommendation. This place was the perfect blend of opulence and tranquility. It mixed all of the things that Sean loved: the outdoors, the seclusion, and the peace, while catering to my “uppity” ways.

I could definitely see us here, and judging by Sean’s reaction, I knew he was feeling it too. I smiled to myself as I checked out the pool that was off to the left, and directly up ahead there was a path leading through the sprawling property behind the house.

“This place just gets better and better.”

I turned to see Sean heading in my direction, and with his sunglasses on and the lake breeze ruffling his hair, I couldn’t get over how at home he looked here—and how incredibly handsome.

“It does.” I took his hand, then we headed toward the path. “Bailey and Henri were right, weren’t they?”

“Yeah, they didn’t do too bad.”

“Didn’t do too bad?”

“I mean, don’t forget, the place does belong to a criminal.” Sean scoffed. “I don’t know why I’m so surprised coming from Boudreaux.”

“It doesn’t belong to him anymore,” I said, and bumped into Sean’s arm. “And like Henri said, the fact that the seller’s husband is, uh…moving out—”

“Nice way to spin the facts.”

“It’s the truth, isn’t it?”

“It is.”

“Well, that does make her extra motivated to sell.”

Sean stopped beneath the arching canopy of leaves and pulled off his glasses. “You could really see yourself out here? This far away from the city?”

“Are you kidding?” I looked around us, and the fact there was no one here but us gave me a sense of privacy and anonymity that I no longer felt in the city. “The problem isn’t seeing myself out here, it’s wanting to leave once I get here.”

“Really?”

I knew I’d surprised him. I’d been the quintessential city boy as long as he’d known me. But over the last couple of months I’d realized there was something to slowing down and getting away from it all, and I had this man to thank for that.

“You’re surprised.”

“You could say that.” Sean slipped his glasses back on. “You’ve always struck me more as—”

“Be nice,” I teased.

“I was going to be. You’ve always struck me more as the kind who likes the conveniences a big city brings.”

“I always have been. But someone recently showed me the benefits of getting away from the city. That little trip you took me on?”

“Yeah?”

“It changed something in me, Sean. It made me crave that kind of peace in my everyday life. That freedom to just unplug and be me when the day is done. You told me you go out to Savanna to be reminded that there’s still beauty in the world. Well, I think this could be a good reminder of that too, don’t you?”

Sean looked around and nodded. “It definitely could be.”

We came to a white gate covered in vines. I pushed it open and looked down the stairs. “The beach?”

“That’d be my guess. Want to check it out?”

“Definitely.”

We followed the stairs down to a beautifully terraced