Southern Heat Book 1 : The Secret Room Read Free Page A

ceilings were high and the furnishings were exquisite. She had never seen anything like it.
     
    “This place is beautiful,” she said in awe as she turned in a 360 degree circle in the front entryway. “I would love to live in a place like this someday,” she whispered.
     
    “Yes, it is nice. The Tarton's don't appreciate it nearly as much as they should,” he mumbled.
     
    “What do you mean?”
     
    “I shouldn't get into it. This is business, right?” he smiled.
     
    “I think business left the building as soon as my dress ended up around my waist,” Amy laughed.
     
    “That was a nice moment, for sure...” Jack chuckled winking at her.
     
    “Ugh..... I shouldn't have brought it up....” Amy said putting her head in her hands in embarrassment. Her face was red. She suddenly realized that she was still wearing Jack's hat. She handed it back to him and he eased it up to his nose taking a long breath with his eyes closed.
     
    “Mmmm.... there's that smell again. Thanks for that. I won't get anything done for the rest of the day,” he said.
     
    “Do you flirt this much with every girl that comes here?” Amy asked point blank.
     
    “Nope. Just the good smellin' ones,” he said grinning as he plopped down onto the brown leather sofa in the main family room. “Ain't this the dumbest thing you've ever seen? A leather sofa in an antebellum home?” he asked looking around.
     
    “You know, you are supposed to be selling this place to me....” she said smiling as she sat down in the matching leather chair.
     
    “Yeah, well, let's just say that I hope someone buys it that actually appreciates it. This home is rich in history and the Tarton's have junked it up with all this modern stuff,” he said looking around the room.
     
    “Where will you go? I mean when I sell it?” Amy asked.
     
    “Not sure yet. If the new owners don't want me to stay, I might move back to Texas and try to get a job  on an oil rig or something,” he said.
     
    “You'd like to stay here, though?” Amy asked.
     
    “I love it here. This house was here in the Civil War. It was one of the few that was saved in this whole area. I love the land, but I don't love the Tarton's,” he said rolling his eyes.
     
    “Yes, I can see that,” Amy laughed.
     
    “You want some sweet tea?” he asked standing up and walking towards the kitchen.
     
    “I don't want you to get in trouble...”
     
    “I won't. They're gone until tomorrow. Apparently some country club function downtown. They're staying in a hotel tonight. The penthouse, of course. Gag....” he said sticking a finger in his mouth.
     
    Amy giggled hysterically at the face he was making. Cut it out, girl. You still have seven more months without a man. Be cool.
     
    As she watched him fix the sweet tea, Amy was amazed at how comfortable she was with him. It was like this was her house and that was her husband. She started imagining what it would be like to live there, secluded from the glare of city life, with her own family. The smell of the magnolia trees filtered into the kitchen from the open door to the patio. It was like heaven on Earth.
     
    “Here you go,” Jack said as he handed her a tall glass of iced sweet tea with lemon on the side. “I didn't  know if you liked lemon, so I put it on the side,” he said.
     
    “I don't actually, so thank you,” she said removing the lemon.
     
    “I don't like it either. Too froo-froo for me,” he said putting his pinky in the air like he was at a tea party.
     
    Amy laughed. Man, how she had missed having someone who could make her laugh. Did she ever really have a guy like that in her life? Not that she could remember.
     
    Jack took her out onto the veranda, and they sat on the big wooden porch swing that was hanging from the ceiling.  She sipped her tea as they talked about the property. The whole time she felt herself wanting to get closer to him. How was this possible? She just met him, but it felt like she