Love Untouched (Unexpected) by Anne Leigh

unwelcome quiet in the car.
    “I want you to know that I really like you.” His voice was low as his hand lightly caressed mine that may have gotten cold from the A/C inside the car, or maybe from the awkward silence between us. “The way I feel when I’m with you, Brynn—well, I haven’t felt like this with any girl, in such a long time.”
    A surge of relief came over me. I was not the only one who felt that something was brewing between us, then. I was ecstatic it was not just me, not a one-sided deal, especially since I have come to really like him.
    His eyes were on the road but his serious voice was on me, commanding, asking me to listen. “You asked if Ace knew. No, she didn’t. I didn’t tell her, but I’m telling you because right now, I want you to know and I want to make it clear to you, for you to be assured, that what I have with you, what I’d like to start with you, will not be clouded over by what you might be thinking I felt for Ace before. It was a long time ago, ages ago. You could even say ancient.”
    I was about to explore his answer some more, but I got totally distracted when the car stopped in front of a majestic-looking mansion with a front gate pad where Kieran was punching in the security code.
    “Oh my god!” My voice could not hide the utter shock as I took in my surroundings. Lush greenery surrounded the property, the outside gardens looked well maintained, and the huge colorful flowers surrounding an architectural-looking fountain in the middle of the expansive entrance was exquisite.
    “What?” he asked, his brows atop his sunglasses arched in confusion.
    “You live here?” Sedona had said that Kieran came from an affluent family, but my goodness, if he lived in this sort of place; this was way beyond my thoughts of what affluence was. In fact, Kieran’s house almost looked as big as Ava’s Las Vegas mansion, from the outside.
    “I used to,” he said, his voice dissipating as he climbed out of the car and came around to open my door. “I now live in Arizona.” His face broke out into a smile.
    “Duh,” I sniggered. “Thanks, Mr. Obvious.” I stood in front of the house, unable to look away. Milo and I grew up in a four bedroom, middle class household. We were not rich but we were not poor either. When our parents died, we moved in with our aunt Margie. She had a smaller house but it was cozy. So, for me, houses like Ava’s and Kieran’s were fiction more than reality. For this reality to be right in front of my face was both enthralling and cold-water-dumped-over-my-head shocking in some ways.
    I heard Kieran’s light chuckle as he unloaded our bags from the car. He pulled on the handle of my luggage and carried my bulky, toiletry filled, shoulder bag across his right shoulder. Kieran was not ashamed to carry any of my bags. It was as if he knew that carrying women’s purses didn’t diminish any vital parts of his manhood. And it didn’t. Truth be told, nothing could diminish the in-born confidence he exuded. Coupled with the mysterious depths in those deep dark eyes, Kieran was hands-down, all man.
    He pulled my whole body next to his and hung his left arm around my waist, as he led me to the massive glass, French-inspired entry door, and turned the knob.
    “Don’t you lock the doors?” I was on fire with all the questions today. After I agreed to a weekend with him, Kieran was tight-lipped about the details. He just said that his parents were on vacation in Ireland, and his brothers were out-of-town so no one would be here, and that he wanted me to see where he grew up.
    “At night, we do.” He walked into the classically decorated living room. “But during the day, Talia works around the house with her husband, Matias, so there’s no need to lock the doors.” Sensing my next question, he added, “Talia and Matias hold the fort when my parents and brothers are not here.”
    My eyes fell on the view around me. It was intimidating and captivating at the