In the Eye of the Storm by Samantha Chase Read Free Book Online Page A

square foot home.  It was much larger on the inside than it looked from the outside, apparently.  Besides the six bedrooms and eight bathrooms, Stephen has a state-of-the-art office that rivaled the actual office he had in Raleigh.  There was a formal living room plus the more casual one she had seen earlier with the stone fireplace.  The dining room had a table that seated twenty without the leaves in it and she could have parked her car in the laundry room! 
    “Isn’t this all a bit much for one man?” she finally had to ask as they re-entered the kitchen.  “I mean, it’s wonderful and it’s gorgeous, but unless you’re planning on having like, a dozen kids, why get such a big house?”
    He laughed at her observation.  “No, I don’t plan on have a dozen kids.  I don’t plan on having any, as a matter of fact.”  Holly turned to him in utter surprise.  “I don’t plan on getting married either.  I just wanted a home that had everything that I ever wanted.”
    “So what you always wanted was a big house to live in by yourself?”
    Well when she said it, it didn’t sound palatable.  “No.”  Yes.   “I like the location, I love the property.  Everything in this house is state-of-the-art.  I can entertain here.  I can bring clients here and not have them feel like they are in a bachelor pad.”
    “Ah.”  He was trying to sell her on the idea but she had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to this than he was saying, but decided to stay quiet.  “I guess I can understand that. 
    And hey, if things don’t work out for you with the company, you can use this place as an upscale resort and charge for the rooms.” 
    There was amusement in her voice that made him chuckle.  “And why would I want to do that?”
       “Well for starters, the bedrooms are larger than any hotel room I’ve ever stayed at.  The bathrooms are spa-quality.  You managed to provide everything a stranded traveler could ever need.”    She thought quietly for a moment before adding, “Well, almost everything.”
    “Only almost?  What did I miss?”
    “There were no chocolates on my pillow.”  Simply stated, she sat herself down with all the properness of royalty and Stephen knew he had never seen anything as delightful.  He walked over to the pantry, opened the door and stepped inside.  A minute later he was standing next to Holly with a square of foil-wrapped dark chocolate in his palm and bowed butler-style next to her. 
    “I’ll be sure to remedy that tonight, Madame,” he said in a deep, serious voice that had Holly cracking up. 
    “Now that’s more like it.” She smiled as she took the chocolate from his hand.  “Can I request one for each pillow?”
    “Aren’t there like forty pillows on that bed?”
    Shrugging, she replied, “A girl can get hungry in the night, can’t she?”
    Placing the bag of chocolate that he had behind his back on the table between them, he sat back down.  “So, what do you usually do on a rainy Saturday afternoon?”
    “Laundry.  Food shopping.  Pay the bills.  Rain or shine,” she answered.
    “Sounds exciting.  Sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t have any laundry that needs to be done.  We could watch a movie?” he suggested.
    Holly remembered the media room he had downstairs in the finished basement.  He had a mini-movie theater, with theater seats; they were the deluxe kind the resembled recliners.  Yes, she could definitely see herself curled up in one of those buttery soft leather chairs watching a movie and…
    “Okay, I know you’ll think I’m crazy considering my earlier comment, but…”
    He arched a dark eyebrow in response.
    “Can we make snacks to bring down there with us?”
    He laughed out loud.  Honestly, Stephen could not remember the last time he had laughed this much with anyone.  Since waking up this morning or, rather, since Holly came back this morning, he felt lighter than he had in a long time.