Not at first glance, but she’d grown on him slowly. First, she’d laid a foundation built on intelligence. Next, she’d framed herself in humor and wit. After that, she’d been sheathed by shy glances and pink blushes that turned him into a house of lust and need. At least, he figured it was lust. After his divorce, any time he’d wanted a woman this much, he’d burned up and burned out pretty quick. But those women had been different. He’d started out wanting their bodies first. He hadn’t taken time to get to know them the way he’d taken note of Mariel’s personality. Immediately after his marriage ended, he’d been pretty busy fucking every woman he got his hands on. He’d explored every option available to a fully heterosexual male. It had been fun and easy, but eventually, empty. And then he’d walked into Mariel Gibson’s house. She’d smiled and drawn him in with the light of achievement in her eyes. Not many single women bought houses on their own. She explained her dreams of renovating the house to suit herself.
