Beautiful Creatures Series

Chapter 24: 2

Katelyn rolled out of bed around eight that morning. Nigel was already up and gone for the day. She took a quick shower and then threw on a pair of white shorts and a sleeveless black tank top with small pink flowers embroidered along the neckline. She had left her long dark hair down.

Barefoot Katelyn headed downstairs. She would have liked a coffee, but since she had no kitchen, coffee was out of the question. There was a large cooler in the living room that Nigel had filled with refrigerable items such as milk and a wire shelf with pantry items. So at least she could pour herself a bowl of cereal.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Katelyn turned around the corner and screamed when she came face to face with a large stranger in her home. Her shriek had startled him as much as he had her. “Sorry,” he said quickly. “I’m Darrell,” he introduced himself. When she did not recognize his name, he continued. “The contractor remodelling your kitchen.”

“Oh,” she sighed.

“I’m sorry to have scared you. Your husband told me on the phone last night that you would be expecting me.”

“Yes,” she said, trying to catch her breath.

Katelyn took a moment to look him over. He was quite a sight. He was tall, at least 6’2”. His short blond hair was peeking out from beneath his worn, tanned cowboy hat. The faded light blue jeans he wore did nothing to hide his long powerful legs and his amazing male attributes. Because of the summer heat, he was only wearing a light grey undershirt, which hugged his sculpted torso and showed off the well-defined toned muscles of his arms. Katelyn could see the top of an American bald eagle in flight tattooed across his pecks. On his right bicep, it looked like some sort of wild demonic wolf tearing through his flesh from the inside out as if trying to escape from within him.

His strong jaw was shadowed with light stubble. She would suspect he had not shaven in a week. It was an unkempt lazy look, but on him, it had to be the sexiest thing Katelyn had ever seen. His features were a strange combination between all men with a boyish appeal. Then there were those eyes. His eyes were… amber? Strange to see that colour twice in as many days. Still, this man was gorgeous.

“I let myself in. Your husband gave me a key so I could come and go while he was at work. He told me you would be around.”

“He’s not my husband,” why the hell had she said that? “I mean, he’s not my husband yet. We are engaged… he’s my fiancé.”

Darrell chuckled. “Yeah, I understand how engagements work,” she felt stupid. “It is Kate, right?”

“Katelyn,” she corrected him. Again, she did not understand why she had corrected him. The whole world called her Kate, Nigel, her friends, her family… but to this man, she did not want to be Kate. She wanted to be Katelyn.

“Sorry… Katelyn,” he corrected himself.

Her name rolled off his tongue in a sultry, seductive way. When he said her name, it was like they were in bed together, and he was whispering sweet nothings in her ear. It made her skin shiver with delight. It was that moment when Katelyn noticed that Darrell was holding a to-go tray with two large coffees and a brown paper bag with the logo of ‘The Chef’s Table’ on it.

The Chef’s Table was Aspin’s best restaurant. It served breakfast through dinner and did very well. Their food was the best. She knew this because her father was the night chef at this particular eatery.

coffee first and then the bag. “I bring coffee and bagel breakfast sandwiches,” had he brought her breakfast? “I just thought, given that

thoughtful of him. “You really didn’t have to,” she said

was at the restaurant anyway, dropping my sister off for her shift and picking

he could not take it back, she decided to accept his

put it back together, you are going to love it,” he said with a smile that could melt ice. She

table where her laptop and camera were sitting. When she got home last night, she had transferred the pictures she had taken to her laptop so she could review them and upload them for sale. She placed her bare feet

him, Katelyn’s gaze lifted and met his. “You should put something on,” he said. Katelyn looked down, and her shorts and tank top thought they were maybe on the more revealing side she was covered. “Your feet,” he chuckled, “this is a construction site. Don’t want you cutting your foot on a nail or stubbing your pretty little toes,”

keep my feet off the floor,”

said, taking a bite from his bagel

a young man, probably not that

his sandwich and picked up his tool belt, wrapping it casually around his

big job

look,” she

boss always

“I am the boss.”

“Really?”

as if he were meeting royalty. “Darrell Savage of Savage Construction,” he reintroduced himself playfully, then stood up and winked

your own business. You seem awfully young to be a businessman. What are you,

“I have been in business for myself for two years

sure you

labourer for other companies since I was 16, and before that, I would help my father with household projects. Believe me. I know what I’m doing. I even built

She

the ground up.”

your hands,” Katelyn instantly blushed when her words

in more ways than

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255