Illusions Complete Series Read Online Free PDF Page B

bread, baked, evidently, by hand. He also brought out some Caesar dressing in a container. Also freshly made. He chopped some romaine lettuce, and then shredded some Parmesan Cheese. The entire meal was simple and freshly prepared.
    As we sat down to eat, he raised his wine glass. “Cheers! Bon appetit!”
    I smiled. On my first bite, I was amazed. More than amazed. “Oh my god, this is delicious! I feel like I’m eating in the best Italian restaurant!”
    He smiled, too, blushing profusely. “Try the bread.”
    The bread was infused with rosemary and something else. It, too, was divine. “This bread is amazing! What herbs did you use?”
    “Rosemary and lavender.”
    Lavender. Who would have thought?
    Even the butter was delicious. It was herb butter, and Ryan explained that he had melted the butter with garlic and herbs, than let it set up.
    Then the dessert. Ginger pear flan. “I found the recipe in one of my cookbooks.”
    After dinner, he finished giving me a tour of the rest of the magnificent house. There were six bedrooms, including one that had been converted into an enormous office. I smiled upon going into the office, seeing that he was human, after all – he had papers everywhere piled up, randomly, on his desk, and magazines were strewn all over a table. Some of the magazines were related to his work as a bank president - Inc . and the Wall Street Journal, for instance. But some of the magazines were more relatable to me – I saw that he had subscriptions to People magazine and Entertainment Weekly. These were two of my favorite magazines. He also appeared to have subscriptions to GQ and Maxim. And I had to smile upon seeing several copies of Star Magazine. He looked embarrassed. “Guilty pleasure,” he said.
    “I love that magazine too!” I said, smiling. “You always gotta know what is going on with the Kardashians and Jennifer Aniston.”
    Maybe we'll get along after all.
    I also noticed a life-size stuffed Donald Duck in the corner. I looked at Ryan, thinking that he was going to explain the enormous bird. He didn’t say anything about it, though.
    While seeing the office made me start to relax, seeing the rest of the house made me intimidated once more. The house had everything – a wine cellar, a game room, a home theatre, a fully-stocked wet bar, and fireplaces in every bedroom. The master suite was magnificent, and the master bathroom was….there were no words. Sunken marble tub which could comfortably seat several people. Brass fixtures, marble counters. Even the toilet looked expensive.
    I was in awe, to say the least. This home must be worth at least a million dollars. Plus, the home backed up onto a golf course.
    I drew an enormous breath, trying to banish the thought that I would never fit in here. Ever.
    There was one room with a closed door. Ryan didn’t open the door to this room. I thought it was odd, as he happily showed me every other room.
    I let it go.
    After the tour, we went back downstairs and laid by the fireplace in the living room. He played with my hair and stroked my cheek. Both us drank the wine from his winery, finishing off one bottle and opening up another. Music played in the background, an Ipod mix of Frank Sinatra, The Silver Sun Pickups, Gotye, Muse, Johnny Mathis, The Police, Blue October, and Adele, with a little Def Leppard and REO Speedwagon mixed in for good measure. Very eclectic tastes, much like myself.
    He was staring at me, not really saying anything, just gently playing with my hair, lying next to me on the rug. He kissed my forehead lightly.
    “Um, do you want to spend the night here in the guest bedroom? I know you've been drinking.”
    I looked at him quizzically. I was anticipating a full-on seduction, but he had barely touched me.
    “Sure.”
    He led me up to one of the guest bedrooms. It was some guest bedroom. Like the kitchen, my entire apartment could fit into this bedroom, and there was a fireplace in the corner. An enormous sleigh bed