Considering everything I'd discovered about Hawthorne house in the previous year, I definitely should have guessed that there was a hot tub. I'd known about the heated swimming pool in the backyard — and the enormous bathtubs that could pose as such.
The hot tub, however, was special because it lay nestled on Jameson's balcony.
A balcony that could be accessed only by walking through his bedroom — something I'd never done before. So when Jameson had invited me to join him on a cold December night, of course I'd agreed.
Even so, as I stood outside his door, my fingers paused on the knob. I'd already decided knocking wasn't worthwhile since he wouldn't hear me between the walls sandwiching his terrace. With a deep inhale, I continued my pursuit. I forced my fingers to twist the knob and then push.
As the polished hardwood creaked inward, making me wince, I caught my first glimpse of Jameson's bedroom. Eclipsed with tones of cyan, beige, and ivory, his walls seemed far too basic to belong to him. Dramatic contrasts were what I'd been expecting.
The rather dull colors, however, were offset by a large, four-poster bed taking up the majority of his bedroom. Sitting on a low pedestal and draped with blankets, the bed's comforter was set in a deep shade of green.
So deep, in fact, that I was certain it matched his eyes.
Beautiful.
I shifted my eyes to study the remainder of the room, although I'd guessed most of it already. Trinkets bestowed to him by the old man lay within glass confines above his bed. On the east wall, dusty bookshelves heaved the weight of textbooks, scrolls, and an obscene amount of riddles. I inhaled every detail, although the one my gaze was most drawn to was the bed.
"Care to join me, Heiress?"
The deep, familiar voice interrupted my train of thought.
As I lifted my chin to see the infamous Hawthorne, Jameson added, "Or would you prefer to stare at my bed for longer?"
My gaze remained on him — or rather on his black swim shorts and tanned skin — as I refrained from scolding myself for blushing.
"It's bigger than mine," was all I could think to say.
"Hawthorne men need more space."
"For what? Your ego?"
His crooked grin twitched. "Clever, Heiress. I hope you're not here to compare bed sizes, though."
Shaking free of my thoughts, I took a couple steps forward and bestowed him my hands. "Should I follow you? Or is there a secret passage to your hot tub that I'm unaware of?"
"Maybe." Jameson pulled me with him as he parted the sliding pane of glass that led to his balcony. He tossed a wickedly mischievous grin over his shoulder. "Guess you'll have to find it next time."
Next time.
There was going to be a next time.
"Deal," I agreed, a challenge in my eyes.
Jameson returned the gaze as he led me onto his wide, symmetrically arrayed balcony. It was probably the largest one the mansion contained, considering its circular expanse and artfully laid wooden boards.
It screamed expensive in seventy-five languages.
The highlight, however, was not the sun setting on the Texas skyline. It was the hot tub tucked in just the right area to watch it dip below the horizon.
Jameson eyed the towel I had wrapped around me. "I hope you have something under that, Heiress, because I'm not the only one that lives in this house."
I fought my laugher. I knew better than that.
For one thing, Grayson was swimming in the pool a few stories below us. And I expected that Xander was up to no good who knew where. One peek out the window would ruin him for the rest of eternity had I not been wearing something beneath.
Shedding my towel, I climbed into the hot tub before Jameson had a good chance to see my bathing suit.
"I would have helped you in, you know," Jameson murmured as he joined me in the steaming water.
"I don't need a gentleman."
Jameson eyed my crimson two-piece before meeting my eyes. "Good. Because I don't feel like being one."
The next half an hour consisted of low, murmured words between kisses, and two pairs of greedy lips. Near the end, my limbs were weak, my cheeks were flushed, and my eyelids threatened to fall.
So when Jameson asked me to stay the night in his bedroom, I nodded and promptly let him carry me away.
