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I nod, my heart swelling as I look at him. “Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”
It takes a moment for me to wrench my gaze from Duke’s handsome face, and when I finally manage to walk away, my legs are barely holding me up. I can feel his eyes burning into my back, following me out of the warehouse until the doors close behind me and sever the connection.
With my hands still trembling slightly, I drive the short distance to Mountain Brew and park outside. My apartment is through a side door and at the top of a spiral staircase, and I let myself in, immediately collapsing on the couch. Boxes are piled up all around me, books spilling out of them. I planned to do some unpacking today, but Duke has driven everything else from my mind, and even the Agatha Christie novel I started yesterday isn’t tempting me right now.
I just met the hottest man in the world…
And he’s coming to my apartment tomorrow morning.
3
DUKE
I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night. Instead, I paced around the cabin, my mind racing with thoughts of Ariana. Only when Scout gave me the stink eye for keeping her awake did I finally retreat to my bedroom, tossing and turning until morning.
I never usually take measurements for custom furniture. People do it themselves, telling me the dimensions they need. But I couldn’t resist an excuse to see Ariana again as soon as possible. Hell, I’d have left the store yesterday and gone straight to her apartment, but I didn’t want to show up sweaty and covered in sawdust. I’m not a vain guy. With my ugly scars, I can’t afford to be. But it doesn’t stop me wanting to look less like a wild animal before I visit Ariana.
After showering and washing my hair, I grab a comb and try to tackle my beard. It looks as wild as ever once I’m done, and I scowl at myself in the mirror before pulling on a fresh flannel shirt and jeans.
“What do you think?” I ask Scout as I head into the living room.
She hasn’t forgiven me for keeping her awake last night, and she stares blankly at me before getting up and sauntering away.
With a grunt of amusement, I grab my keys and hop into my truck, my pulse already racing. As I pull away from the cabin, I picture Ariana waiting for me, soft lips parted, her thick curves begging to be worshipped.
Fuck.
I wish I was going to see her for more than just taking some damn measurements, but I know there’s no way in hell a gorgeous young angel like Ariana would ever want a big brute like me. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and I’m a giant middle-aged grump with scars that will never fade. But even though I know it will never happen, I still need to see her again.
Need.
Not want.
It’s like an insatiable craving I can’t shake, burning through my veins, pumping me full of adrenaline as I enter Cherry Hollow. The spaces outside Mountain Brew are full, so I park down the street, the usual stares and double takes bombarding me as I walk toward the coffee shop. But I’m too damn excited to care.
Instead of heading into Mountain Brew like I did yesterday, I walk around the side of the building. There’s a door standing slightly open, and I duck my head to enter, heading up a spiral staircase before I reach Ariana’s door. Sucking in a breath, I raise my fist and knock.
The door opens immediately, and every muscle in my body tightens as Ariana appears at the threshold. She looks even more gorgeous than yesterday. How the hell is that possible? My eyes flicker downward, my cock twitching at the way her thick thighs fill out her jeans. She’s a fucking goddess, and it takes me a moment to speak as those golden brown eyes blink up at me.
“Hi,” I say, my voice hoarse. “I’m here to take those measurements.”
She nods, smiling shyly. “Come in.”
The apartment is tiny, and boxes of books overflow from every surface. There are spines stacked all the way to the ceiling, books of every color and size, from old leather-bound tomes to bright and colorful paperbacks.
Damn. No wonder she wants a bookcase.
“Sorry about the mess,” Ariana says sheepishly as I step over several boxes. “I just moved in and haven’t done much unpacking yet.”
“Where’d you move from?” I ask, unable to hide my curiosity.
“Only the other side of town.” She smiles sheepishly. “I figured it was time to be independent.”
It’s crazy to think that I’ve been sharing this town with an angel and didn’t even know. But I don’t have much time to process it because a second later, Ariana is leading me into her bedroom, and my heart feels like it might burst out of my chest.
The room smells like her—sweet and fruity—and my gaze drifts to her bed. There’s no damn way I’d fit on that thing, but it doesn’t stop me imagining Ariana splayed out on the mattress, head tipped back, her luscious curves on display as she waits for me to claim her…
Goddammit, I need to stop acting like a creepy old man.
