Page 133 of By His Vow

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows is a lake. The water is still, the sun glittering on the surface. And beyond that, there’s nothing but forest.

It’s stunning.

Silently, I move closer, utterly enthralled by the peacefulness of the scene.

It’s not until I’m halfway there that my skin begins to prickle with awareness.

Ignoring him and the effect he has on my body, I keep moving, desperate to get lost in the serenity of where he’s brought me.

“Where are we?” I ask again.

He refused to answer every time I asked yesterday. Maybe things have changed now the sun has risen.

“Kohler.”

“Wisconsin?” I ask.

“Do you know of another?”

“Do you need to be such a smartass? You’re ruining it,” I hiss.

I can practically hear the cutting remark he wants to respond with, but for some reason, he holds it back.

“It’s beautiful,” I breathe instead, trying to change the subject.

“Yeah,” he muses. “The view is pretty fantastic from here, too.”

My heart skips a beat, and before I know what I’m doing, I’ve spun around.

He’s sitting in a chair wearing only a pair of gray sweats and a smirk.

It shouldn’t be as hot as it is.

His eyes are dark and intense and locked firmly on me.

My stomach flip-flops, and it only gets worse when his gaze drops and he leisurely takes in every inch of my body.

I might be wearing his t-shirt, but the way he’s looking at me, I may as well be standing here naked.

“You stripped me last night,” I blurt, the words escaping without permission.

“Hmm,” he hums, his thumb dragging across his bottom lip as his eyes make their way up to mine.

My breath catches when our gazes collide.

“You were right,” he says, confusing me.

“I was?” I ask, my voice annoyingly raspy from just one heated locked stare with him.

Shut that shit down, Tatum. You do not want him.

“Yep. Your panties were fucking massive.”

Credit where credit’s due, he tries to keep a straight face, he really does. But only a second later, one side of his mouth twitches.

“Yeah, all right. Laugh it up. I wouldn’t have been able to wear that dress without them, so?—”

“Bullshit. You’ve got a banging body, Tatum.”