Free Week, Day One

I sort of forgot to do any actual preparation for it this weekend, lol, but The Only One is currently free in the Kindle store (including all international Amazon markets as well!). So far it's doing rather well, with some help from a Freebooksy promo that ran this morning, and I'm hoping it maintain some of the momentum over the week.

If you have not yet read The Only One, head on over to Amazon and grab your free copy! And if you need some incentive, have a little excerpt featuring some flirting and mutual appreciation ;) I'll try to post a few more excerpts this week, so keep an eye out!

"So, as you can see, the floor plan is completely open," Piper said as Richard stepped in behind her. 

Richard nodded as he stared around. "Just like her flat in London, so I know she'll love that. And I think she'll really love the exposed brick too." 

Piper nodded as well. "It's both sort of traditional and modern. Everything is updated," she said, leading him into the kitchen. "All of the appliances are new, but you've got the exposed brick, the cabinets have this sort of rustic look to them, and there's this great window here –" She turned, gesturing at the large window that took up almost the entire outside wall. "And it's got this wonderful recessed area, so she could put a small table here. The view isn't great from here, it's a little bit better upstairs, but it lets in a lot of light, as you can see." 

Richard nodded again as he moved over to peer out the window. Jill's flat in London was much bigger, but it was a space she shared with her girlfriend and their two cats, while this would just be temporary. He thought this would be perfect for her, but he'd take a few pictures and send them to her, just to make sure. 

Turning abruptly, he bumped into Piper, who had been standing behind him, and grabbed her arms when she stumbled back with a squeak. 

"Sorry," he said quickly, his gaze dropping to her face, and then farther down to notice that she wasn't wearing a bra under her dress. It was quick, hopefully too quick for her to notice, but shame still twisted in his stomach, and he let her go as he took a step back. 

"Sorry," he said again, lamely, and she just shook her head, flashing a smile, though he thought she seemed a little dazed. 

"It's all right," she murmured. "Let's, um, go upstairs to the bedroom." 

There was a frozen moment, during which her eyes widened and her cheeks burned red, and he almost smiled, but instead walked wordlessly past her to the spiral staircase that led up to the bedroom. 

"I like this staircase," he said, giving her an opening to get back on topic. 

"Yeah," Piper said, and he thought she sounded a little relieved. "It's antique, and though the railing that runs along the edge of the loft is newer, it was designed to match the stairs. So this, plus the windows and exposed brick, gives it a nice industrial touch that I think she'll like, based on what you told me about her apartment in London." 

"I agree, I think she'll really like it," Richard said as he stepped into the loft space. "And she'll love this," he added, staring around. 

Piper nodded as she moved into the middle of the loft, spinning on her heel with her arms out at her sides. "There's a lot she could do up here. Obviously, it's meant to be the main bedroom, but she could put a couch up here and make part of it sort of like a private lounge, or a desk for an office space." 

Richard nodded as well, walking over to the wall opposite the window and finding a large walk-in closet through one door, and a full bathroom through the other. 

"She'll definitely love this tub," he said with a grin. 

Piper laughed, and headed back down the stairs. She pointed out the half bathroom situated directly underneath the upstairs bathroom, a washer and dryer lined up beside it, and then crinkled her nose as she turned to face him again. Richard hid another smile, thinking the gesture was far cuter than it should be. 

"There's no extra kitchen storage beyond the cabinets, so no pantry or anything, but I think that would be an easy fix." 

"I don't think that'll be a problem," Richard said, and started into the kitchen. "And you just reminded me that she wanted me to check the cabinets, just to see how much space she'll have." 

Piper followed him, leaning against the counter as she watched him squat down to inspect the bottom cabinets, phone in his hands to take pictures. She bit the inside of her lip as she watched him, unable to resist checking him out. Today was the first time she'd seen him in jeans, and it did nothing to quell her urges for him; if anything, it made them worse, because she could better see the lines of his legs, and how trim his hips were, and the shape of his – 

He straightened suddenly, making her blink and glance away, and when she looked back, he was reaching up to open the top cabinets. Her gaze flicked down, over the small flash of stomach revealed as his shirt rode up, and then farther down, over the front of his jeans. 

Closing her eyes briefly, she turned her head and opened her eyes to look at the clipboard in her arm, staring hard at the top sheet that listed the apartment information, and silently thanked whichever deity was responsible for men in well-fitting jeans.