I Crave You - C.C. Wood Page 0,55

managed to look comfortable and homey, like you could lounge on the couch on Sundays and binge watch a show on Netflix.

I meandered down the short hall that led to the kitchen. I gaped when I saw what awaited me. Another, smaller living space stood off to the left with a grey microsuede sectional. It was slouchy and appeared soft. It wasn't as sleek or pretty as the one in the other living area, but I bet it was even more comfortable.

A huge flat screen TV was anchored to the wall facing the couch and there was a low coffee table in front of it. A dining area stood between the den and the kitchen. A rectangular table with six seats was set for three. Jacks and Brody were in the kitchen area and envy, pure and sharp, surged through me as I gazed upon perfection.

The long countertops were clean, cool white quartz. Surprisingly, they were a little cluttered with appliances, cooking utensils, and two bowls, one full of apples, oranges, lemons, and bananas, and the other full of onions and garlic. I wondered if he'd already had all this stuff or if he'd just bought it for their new home.

The gas range had four burners and a cast-iron grill over a larger burner in the center. It also had two ovens. A stainless steel fridge with French doors, a cooling drawer, and freezer on the bottom fit perfectly between the cabinets.

And what beautiful cabinets they were. Pale greyish-blue with simple brushed nickel pulls. The center island was large enough for both food prep and people to eat at the bar on the opposite side. The stools were awesome, a matte black with industrial-style screw seats.

It was my dream kitchen. And I wanted it so, so bad.

"Just in time," Brody said as he bent down to pull a pan out of the oven.

It said a lot that I was so distracted by his kitchen I didn't take the time to check out his ass.

He carried the glass pan to the table and set it on a trivet. For some reason, my mind snagged on that detail. Brody Murphy not only owned a trivet, he used it.

I put my hand on the bar and ran my palm over the quartz. So, so pretty.

"Cam?"

Still a little hazy from kitchen envy, I glanced up at the sound of Brody's voice. I also kept petting the counter. Smooth counter. Clean counter. Want. Want. Want.

"Earth to Cameron McClane," Brody called.

"Hmmm."

"Do you like my counter?" he asked.

"Yep. It's so pretty...and shiny."

Brody stifled a laugh. "Do you think you'd like to admire it from afar while we eat dinner?"

"I guess so," I answered with a sigh.

Jacks was grinning when I finally sat down at the table. "I like our kitchen too," she stated.

"It's my dream kitchen. Down to the color of the cabinets and the tile on the backsplash." I glanced at Brody. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I want to move into your house. I mean, I could just visit the kitchen, but I think we'd all be happier if I lived here. The kitchen included. Do you have a room available for rent? I'd even take something under the stairs."

Brody just shook his head and started cutting up the enchilada casserole.

"Under the stairs?" Jacks asked, confused.

"Like Harry Potter," I clarified.

"Who's Harry Potter?"

If this had been a sitcom, there would be the sound of a record player screeching inserted in that moment. I stared at her. "You don't know who Harry Potter is?"

She shook her head, wide-eyed.

I turned to Brody. "You have fallen down on the parenting job, Brody Murphy. How does your child not know about the Boy Under the Stairs?"

He shrugged. "I was worried the books and movies were too scary for her."

I frowned at him. "Hmmm. You may have a point. We could try the first one and then decide if we should continue. How does that sound?"

"Movie or book?"

"Both."

He shrugged. "It's up to Jacks. I don't mind if she's interested."

I turned toward his daughter to find her watching us with serious eyes and I understood one thing. If this relationship between Brody and I continued to grow, if we were going to get anywhere close to what I wanted, we would need to handle Jacks and her feelings with care. She was the most important person in his life and I never, ever wanted to come between them.

"Does that sound okay, Jacks?" I asked her.

She considered me carefully for a