It's A Crime (26 page)

My hand still in his he
led me to the Black BMW SUV, identical to the vehicle we travelled in while in Manhattan, which was running, warmed and waiting down the cleared path.

Pure white
snow surrounded us as far as the eye could see. Cole led me to the front seat. I climbed in and clicked my seatbelt as he threw the duffle in the back and climbed into the driver’s seat.

“Cold?”
he asked.

“No.”
I was, but wouldn’t admit it. “Where are we? It is absolutely beautiful here. Like a postcard.”

“
My home in Vermont.”

“
It is amazingly beautiful. I don’t ever think I’ve known such quiet.”

I looked out the
window, watching a family of deer running soundlessly across our path, their hooves muffled by the snow. I’d been to Vail, Colorado, the Swiss Alps, and Iceland; none could compare to the majestic beauty of this quiet, pristine valley.

We
pulled up in front of the massive home. Cole walked around to my door and taking my hand, led me up the large wide wooden steps. I looked up as I climbed, seeing our reflection in the massive wall of glass.

I was raised with
money. I have money, but this transcended money. This was sick money, like my stepfather’s. I call it
over
rich; it was my mother’s thing, not mine, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy it.

Cole opened the door and we stepped into the large great room.
My eyes quickly scanned the room, resting on the tremendous river stone fireplace dominating the wall. The floor to ceiling windows allowed the pristine white mountain-view from anywhere in the house. The whole main level was designed with an open floor plan, perfect for entertaining.

I
continued scanning the enormous room. It was a beautiful but comfortable room, warm and welcoming. Six large cognac-colored leather sofas enclosed the massive fireplace. The vaulted ceiling was easily forty-five feet high. The logs making up the walls were each easily two to three feet in diameter. 
Rather large for a man with no family.  I wonder if he built it for Lauren.
  My nemesis, my monster, lifted her ugly head.

A
scattering of brightly colored area rugs were strewn about the expansive wood and stone floor. To the right of the great room was the large gourmet kitchen, an oversized granite island with several stools the centerpiece of the room. Stainless appliances and hand carved cherry wood cabinets lined the walls. The color theme, grays and browns, was carried to the formal dining area where a huge round table for twenty sat adjacent to a separate large stone fireplace dividing the room from the kitchen, giving it a cozy feel.

To the left of the kitchen, at the rear of the large great room,
was a wide staircase climbing up to the large second floor landing. I tilted my head back to admire the large, vibrantly-colored antique Native American rugs hung on the walls in ancient glory. My eyes continued looking upward, resting on the beautiful renaissance beams and antique wooden carved cathedral ceilings.

Cole turned to me.
“Here let me take your jacket.”

“What? You’re not going to give me the full tour?” 
I’m curious to see how the other half lives.

Chapter 27

He pulled my jacket off my shoulders and threw it on the nearby chair next to his. Grabbing my gloved hand in his, he pulled me up the stairs behind him. My curiosity coupled with his exuberance made my heart light.

I looked over the ha
nd carved banister with handcrafted wrought iron spindles, still amazed at the sheer size of the room and the fireplace. At the end of the hall, Cole opened a fifteen-foot tall solid wood door; it glided open effortlessly as he pulled me into the master bedroom suite.

The room
was enormous; the large handcrafted four-poster bed with an ornate wrought iron frame across the top was draped in beautiful diaphanous pale yellow silk, which flowed elegantly to the floor. Above the bed was a square skylight with a custom sunshade. While lying in bed, you could watch the stars at night and see the sunrise in the morning. Everything was stunning.

The sitting area and fireplace to the left of the room
looked comfortable and cozy with plush cushions. The handmade furnishings were understated, yet sophisticated, accented with beautiful woods and roughhewn stone. The wall of glass fully opened combining the private terrace with the sitting area. Outside on the terrace was a round fire pit, surrounded by chic furniture. Warmth penetrated through the wood and stone floor throughout the interior of the suite. The floor was scattered with stunning handmade plush carpets, all having a pale soothing yellow undertone. Cole put the duffle down on the bed and walked to the door on the left. Opening it, he motioned me to follow.

“The master bath.”
He stepped aside.

I stepped in and was awestruck.
Here I was, standing in the most exquisite bath I had ever seen. The shower, twice the size of the shower in the Asbury apartment and twice the elegance, protruded out of the side of the house and was embedded into the side the mountain. It looked like a suspended glass room shielded by the enormous great pines surrounding the home, like being outdoors surrounded by nature while you showered.
This is insane.

A
corner fireplace made of roughhewn stone faced the large Jacuzzi tub. The two vanities were simple, practical and elegant, fashioned of hand-carved wood and natural stone, the sinks and countertops hewn from rough edged granite complimenting the theme of the house. The antique wooden beams across the ceilings in here as well as the rest of the master suite were beautifully detailed.

“After you.”
He bowed.

“Why thank you
, kind sir.”

I
followed Cole from the bathroom to the master bedroom and through a door he held open leading into his private office. Another fireplace, more floor-to-ceiling glass, more rough wood and stone. Bookshelves on both sides of the fireplace were carved into the wood and chiseled into the stone. The dark wooden desk was polished to a shine. We walked out to the hall through another door.

“One of the
guest suites.” He stepped back so I could see a smaller version of the master bedroom, a stunning dark red. The bedding and the carpets matched the color of the walls. The floors were the same throughout, highly polished oak wood planks. The wooden king sized bed dominated the room, as did the thick wooden bed stands and dressers. The tops of the furniture were covered with thick dark red granite again with rough edges, giving it natural appeal. The adjoining bath was as splendid as the master bath had been, although not as large. This also had two vanities, also stone and wood, and a large double shower encased in glass.

Cole informed me t
he house had a total of eight suites including the master, all with en-suite bathrooms, consisting of a fireplace, sitting area, vaulted ceilings and Jacuzzi tubs, each a different shade of a sunset.
All this for one person?  Holy shit!

I
opened each subsequent door and peeked in quickly. The bedrooms changed little, all decorated magnificently, all within in the theme of the rest of the house, and all beautifully and impeccably furnished. My favorite, other than the master suite, was the room painted the color of the setting sun, a burnished orange, casting a beautiful serene glow.

We descended the stairs and
Cole led me to the left of the great room down the hall to the game room. This was another large room consisting of wooden walls, an antique pool table, a game table and a long wet bar with hunter green leather tufted chairs and its own dishwasher and refrigerator.

Next room
on my tour was the twenty-person theater. Glamorous double wide reclining leather chairs, deep burgundy hued draperies, which were now closed in front of the enormous screen, and twenty-some-odd speakers strategically positioned throughout the room, complete with popcorn machine and small wet bar.

We walked down wide spiral steps
to the lower level. Cole opened the door to the large spa area equipped the state of the art workout equipment, as well as a sauna and hammam. I walked through making a mental note to sink my body into the hammam later.

We resumed
my tour down the hallway and Cole opened a door revealing a beautiful crystal blue indoor swimming pool. The steamed air rushed out the opened door, heating my face. I was surprised at the size of the pool; the size of this home was deceptive.

The
last room at the end of the hall was an expansive wine cellar with illuminated glass walls. The selection of wines would make an oenophile jealous.

Cole held my hand as w
e walked back upstairs to the great room into the kitchen. A smaller round table in the breakfast room overlooked the majestic snow covered mountains.

H
uge sliding doors led out to a large deck. Cole slid them open with ease and we stepped out. A stunning, hand-carved archway led from the deck down to large covered patio with a stone floor, large fireplace and a massive built-in grill. Off to the distance was a covered, in-ground pool bounded on one side by majestic pine trees and the other an enormous hot tub.

“How
is everything…?” I trailed off.

“My staff readied
the house for our arrival,” he explained. “A couple, husband and wife, have a house beyond that row of trees.” He pointed to a patch of full-grown pine trees. “They’ve been with me here since I built the house.”

We climbed the wide steps and stepped back into the breakfast area.

“Oh.” I exhaled. “Is this the surprise?”

“T
his is the start of the surprise.” Cole smiled. “Would you like to see some of the property, or would you just like to relax after our trip?”

“I would love to
see the property,” I said animatedly, unconsciously rolling back and forth on the balls of my feet. “I want to see everything.”

“
You’ll need to put your jacket back on.”

I
returned to the great room and slid the jacket back on, zipping it all the way up.

“I’ll be right back.”
He left through the door at the east side of the house.

I was
wrapping my scarf around my neck when he returned. With his hand on the small of my back, Cole led me through the door he had just emerged from. It led to a long hall where we passed a large laundry area and additional freezers. We walked down an incline and when we reached the bottom, he opened the door at the end of the hall; I looked in and I couldn’t help but think 
Shit, he definitely has too much fucking money.

B
efore me was a cavernous underground room housing every type of engine-driven vehicle you could imagine. I counted four ATVs large enough for two adults each, trail bikes, motorcycles, a motorboat on a trailer, a sailboat also on a trailer, two BMWs—one SUV and one coupe—and eight mountain bikes which hung on the wall. Racks of skis, poles, helmets, and gear that would be required or desired for each of the modes of transportation were mounted on the walls. I felt like I just walked into an elite sporting goods store. There was even a boot and glove warmer.

Cole grabbed a
helmet from the seat of one ATV and handed me one. I put it on, not sure how to fasten it; sports that require a helmet were not typically my thing. He put his on and then helped me to fasten the strap securing mine in place. He leaned in and kissed me soundly on the mouth. Heat radiated throughout my body. Everything about this man radiated sex.
Now that is a sport I excel in!

He
walked to the ATV closest to the door and straddled the vehicle then started the engine. He directed me to sit behind him. I wrapped my arms around his midsection, snuggled close and placed my feet on the bars as he instructed. He pushed a button on a remote attached to the band on his wrist and the massive door opened slowly. He kicked the vehicle into gear and we rode up and out into the crisp, new white snow, the sun blinding. Cole lowered his goggles and with a gesture of his hand indicated I do the same. I complied and we headed toward the trail.

We
didn’t talk, as the engine’s roar was deafening. As we rode up and crested the top of a small mountain, lying below us, in the valley, was a lake. Now I understood the need for the boats. The lake was large, spanning out as far as I could see, and appeared to tuck around the curve of the large mountain on the opposite side. A large dock and boathouse, which looked like a smaller version of the big house, stood snow-covered.

It took us
over two hours to finish our tour and, although I loved being one with nature and all, I was cold and looking forward to sitting in front of that fireplace. When we pulled back into the huge garage and were removing our headgear, I turned to him.

“Cole
, you have a beautiful home here.”

“I wish you could have seen the whole property
. The deep snow made it impossible to show you the rest.” He went on, “You’ll just have to come back, possibly in the spring?”