Page 100 of Wilde Abandon
Dean stopped at PH2.“Meeting’s at eleven.Meet you at ten-thirty.”With that, he used his key card to open his door.Before he closed it, he turned back.“I’ll give you the tour later.Fox is anxious for you to see your place.I’m glad you came.”He held his door wide, giving her a glimpse of a massive living room and floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the city.“This can be overwhelming at times.But then I remember it’s just stuff.A big empty place.Except when Fox and Max are over.Then it feels like home.”
She understood what he was telling her.“I’ll see what I can do about making our place home.”
Dean nodded.
“For all of us,” she added.“Because family is always welcome.”She wanted him to know that she considered him a brother, too.Just like Fox did.
“I wasn’t sure about you at first.I thought you’d be dazzled by all this.”
“I am a little bit.”
“I get that.But on the plane, I heard you and Fox talking.You appreciated that he got you breakfast more than you gushed over the private plane and gourmet food.”
“I appreciated both, especially that Fox took the time to think about getting me breakfast and finding out what I’d like…you can’t put a price on that.”
“That’s what we all keep trying to remember.It’s the little things that matter the most sometimes.”
“They aren’t little if they mean something.”
Dean looked past her at Fox.“If you don’t marry her, I will.”With that, he closed the door.
Fox just stood there staring at her.
“What?”
“If I hadn’t fallen in love with you already, I would have just now based on that conversation.”
“All I did was say the truth.”
He tugged her hand to get her to follow him down to PH1.“Dean and Max think things will change because we’re together.”
“I’m sure each of you at one time or another have had girlfriends and paid more attention to them instead of each other.For a while, anyway.”
“Yes.But you’re different.You’re not just some woman.You’re the one.And I am going to marry you.We’re going to build a life.And that means things will change between me and Max and Dean.”
“It doesn’t have to.I like them.I don’t mind that you guys are so close.In fact, I’m used to being around family all the time, so them coming and going from our place…not a big deal.”
Fox tapped his key card to the scanner, then opened the door and pushed it wide.“Welcome toourplace.”
Melody stepped into the apartment and took in the massive expanse of the place.“My whole apartment would fit in your kitchen.”That was past the office on her left.Natural wood cabinets, white countertops, stainless steel appliances, and black accents in the pendent lights over the breakfast bar and chairs.While the office looked well used with a massive desk holding three monitors and tons of folders and papers, the living space looked only partially furnished with two facing leather sofas, a massive wood coffee table between them, and three mismatched chairs that complemented each other with their green, blue, and purple fabrics that matched the light blue throw pillows on the couches.The massive gas fireplace on the right wall boasted a thick natural-wood mantle that had nothing on it.Two black lights were mounted on either side of the huge black, white, and dark blue abstract painting.
Though the seating area took up the center of the space—fireplace on one side, a floating wall on the left that held a giant flat-screen and media cabinet beneath—it left a huge expanse of empty space along the wall of windows and the back of the apartment.On the left side of the fireplace, massive double doors stood open.On the right, a dark hallway led to other rooms, she guessed.
Hardwood floors throughout made everything flow and seem even more expansive.
“What do you think?”
“I like it.It just feels so big.”
“It is.I’ve got the basics, but the place needs more to make it feel warm and welcoming and like people live here.”
She chuckled under her breath.“The only spot that looks lived-in is your office.”
“I spend most of my time in there.”He looked around the space.“What would you add?”
“A dining room table by the windows with lights overhead.A place where our whole family can sit and eat and talk.”
Fox’s eyes went wide.“I actually didn’t think of that.We fit at the bar.Not all the places where I grew up had a place for me at the table.”