When Max had first brought Alice to his home, her response to the lovely Queen Anne where he lived had been full of wonderment and promise. The house sat on a large lot surrounded by woods, a secluded piece of the world where a person could hide away from society.
Her eyes had rounded to see the property, her lips parting on a soft sigh at the possibility of living in such beauty with a man who could see to her every desire and need.
Like a love struck teen, her heart had beat a soft patter beneath her ribs as he’d guided her up the front walkway and into the home.
And just like the outside of the house, the inside was elegant and painstakingly cared for. Clean and immaculate, the interior reminded her of something you’d see in a magazine, of a home that any normal person would love to own, but could never hope to afford.
Giving her a tour, Max had warned her that the basement had not been restored or remodeled like the other rooms, and as such, was dangerous due to aging wooden stairs and crumbling bits of foundation that were a hazard to anyone who attempted passing through in the dim light that was down there. He warned to her to stay out of the basement for her own safety, but assured her that the rest of the home was hers to travel as she pleased.
Alice hadn’t been surprised by his description of the basement. Older homes often required a lot of money and care to bring them back to the state they’d been when first built, so she’d ignored the warning and didn’t wonder if there was something down there Max didn’t want her to see.
Perhaps it had been the house itself that washed away every bit of logic and instinct that Alice had left in her, because almost as soon as they crossed the threshold, she found herself saying ‘yes’ to anything and everything Max would offer her.
Theirs was a whirlwind romance that was the stuff of dirty novels and sickly sweet movies. Almost as soon as Alice agreed to marriage, Max set to work to plan every detail of the ceremony.
But even before they could be joined as husband and wife, Max insisted Alice leave the apartment where she’d lived, leaving everything behind except for her clothes and the possessions that were precious.
Her first night living in the house with Max felt like the first night in her life when she’d been able to take a full breath. Gone were the days of a family that didn’t want her. Gone were the sleepless nights where she worried how she’d be able to afford her rent.
Money was no longer her concern.
She was wanted and cherished.
But there were still secrets inside her she needed to express, secrets that needed to be shared before the first night they spent in the same bed together.
“I’m going to cook dinner for us tonight. It’s been a long day for you with the move and it’s the least I can do to help you get settled.”
Max smiled down at her as he led her into the large kitchen and assisted her into a chair at the kitchen island that broke up the interior space.
Rounding the island, he pulled open the fridge and selected several vegetables and a large slab of meat to place on the counter. A knife set sat on the island nearer to Alice, and after placing the meat on a cutting board near the sink where he stood, Max turned around.
Nodding his chin towards the island, he had an easy grin on his lips when he asked, “Would you mind handing that to me?”
His sparkling blue eyes locked to hers, an arrogant tilt to his full lips that made her shift nervously in her seat. He was beautiful in any situation, but in his home, in the place where he felt most comfortable, he was absolutely divine. Wavy hair, black as a raven’s shimmering feather, hung loosely over one side of his face and concealed his scar. Alice swallowed down a knot in her throat. She was nervous around him suddenly, nervous about what the night might bring. Lost in thought, and mesmerized by the man that stood before her, she blushed when she realized he was waiting for something from her.
“I’m sorry, what?”
He laughed, the sound charming and full of humor. "The cleaver," he explained. “Would you hand it to me, please?”
“Oh!” Lips rounding on the word, she felt her cheeks heat up even more, her arm moving quickly to pick up the heavy utensil and reach over the island to place it in his palm.
Settling back down into her seat she realized there was something about this man that flustered her completely. How she’d be able to keep her senses around him, she wasn’t sure.
It was an entirely new situation for Alice, one where she wasn’t judged or criticized. But there were still things in her life he didn’t know or understand. Her stomach churned with anxiety because she had no choice anymore but to tell him.