Behind The Proposal novel Chapter 12

"This seat taken?" the words came from a very familiar deep voice and she looked up and met his grey eyes looking down at her, a grin on his face.

She shook her head, an answering smile forming on her lips. He sat in the chair beside her, putting his take-away coffee on the table next to hers. Her feelings were intense and overwhelming, the chemistry between them burned hot. And Sophie knew that he felt it too by the way his eyes darkened whenever they kissed or he wrapped her in his arms. She felt safe with him. Something she hadn't felt before with a man.

"Hi, gorgeous girl," he said to Jasmine and ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Tom! Tom! Can you come and build a sandcastle with us again?" Jasmine shrieked, jumping up and down on her chair.

"Jasmine, sit down!" Sophie scolded for the tenth time that morning.

"Maybe later," Tom replied and Jasmine's face dropped. "I tell you what, if you're a good girl for Mummy today, I'll finish work early and meet you down the beach to build sandcastles again. Then maybe you and Mummy can come to my house for dinner tonight?" he whispered loud enough for Sophie to hear quite clearly.

Sophie fought the smile that was forming with everything she had, but it didn't help. He was too charming. She'd expected to have dinner with him again, but dinner at his house? That was a big deal. It was the one place they hadn't been yet.

"Yay! Yay!" Jasmine clapped and bounced up and down on her chair again.

Tom looked her way, a cheeky glint in his eyes.

"I thought you said you can't cook?" she raised an eyebrow.

It was supposed to be a holiday fling, but it didn't feel like it any more.

This was where Tom lived? It was luxurious, but simple at the same time. She could tell the house was expensive. It was double storey and had a superb lap pool with an infinity edge that overlooked a quiet part of the beach, and that was only the beginning. It was understated, but she could tell that no expense had been spared - both in the house, and the comfortable and relaxed furnishings. From the deep, inviting red sofas in the lounge room, to the elegant chairs in the dining room, and the massive kitchen with gleaming stainless steel appliances. Sophie could spend hours in that kitchen, with all that space and such an enormous oven she could cook to her heart's content. Then there was the outdoor area that looked out over the beach. It would be heaven to sit on the large day-bed on a clear day staring out to sea. She absolutely loved the whole place, without even seeing the upstairs.

"So did you build this place?" Sophie asked as she turned to face him, Jasmine still in her arms. She didn't want the little girl to put her sticky fingers on anything, or break anything.

"I helped design it, yes." He regarded her with a serious expression on his face as he placed his keys, phone and wallet on the end of the bench and then turned to open what looked like a wine fridge under the bench. "Wine?" he asked as he pulled a couple of bottles of white wine out, inspected the labels and put them back.

"Yes please," she murmured as she let her eyes roam over the paintings on the walls and take in all the gadgets discretely placed around the place - lots of buttons and things for Jasmine to get into. This house was just so very different to anything she'd ever dreamt of. She thought about her little three bedroom house back in suburban Melbourne and it seemed dull and grey and lifeless in comparison.