“It’s not oceanfront, but it’s on the water—”
“Which was always your dream,” she finished softly
He turned her gently by the hips to face him. “You remembered.” Something warmer than surprise flickered in his eyes.
“How could I forget the vision boards you and Ethan made freshman year? He thought it was stupid, slapped something together, and got a D. But yours…” She looked past him at the house. “It’s the same. You got the exact dream you mapped out.”
“When I saw it, I knew I had to have it.”
“I’m so proud of you, Alec.” Emotion tightened her throat. “I know a lot of hard work made this possible.”
“My dream’s missing one thing.”
“A chocolate lab!” she guessed. “That’s doable. All you need is a fence.”
“It’d have to be invisible. HOA rules.”
She couldn’t keep from grinning; she’d pegged it right. “Ethan would tease you mercilessly if he knew you lived somewhere with rules about fences and fountains.”
“I don’t mind.” He tugged her hand. “Come on. Let me show you the house.”
He was already moving, towing her behind him. “It was a rental. The previous tenant had four boys. It needed work—mostly cosmetic. Paint, new floors, patching a bunch of holes. The owner was underwater on the mortgage and desperate to sell, so I got him to come down on the price. Shitty luck for him turned into a sweet deal for me.”
He led her through a spacious kitchen, into the adjacent dining room then the front rooms. Dove-gray walls, crisp white trim, crown molding—all clean with simple lines. She liked it instantly, but the place was practically empty. A lone recliner angled toward a wall-mounted TV. Two stools at the kitchen island. Nothing else. The emptiness felt intentional—as if waiting for something to fill it.
“I did most of the work myself,” he said. “Finished the last room a few weeks ago.”
“It’s amazing,” she said as he led her upstairs. “Some furniture and pictures on the wall might be nice.”
“I’m good with a hammer and nails. A color palette and texture, not so much. Maybe if I had help picking it out.” He glanced at her, unmistakably hopeful when he asked, “You game?”
Helping him meant they’d do it together. A flutter of excitement ran through her. “That sounds like fun.”
He bypassed the other rooms, heading straight for the open door at the end of the hall. The master suite opened around them, dominated by a massive king-size bed with a matching chest along the wall.
She wasn’t surprised that the bed was made and the room neat as a pin, consistent with the rest of the house. Alec had always been careful with the things he valued—disciplined even as a kid.
He pulled her flush against him, and his voice dropped—smoldering heat in it he didn’t quite let loose. “I’ve been picturing you here since I left you this morning.”
“In your house or in your bed?”
“Both. Though you featured more in one than the other.” His head dipped, lips close to hers.
For a heartbeat, she felt the same spark he’d lit when he’d spanked her—the one that stole her breath without warning. Then it cooled, as did he.
“I didn’t bring you up here for that.” He stroked his thumb across her lower lip, gentle and restrained. “I wanted you to see my after-work relaxation view.”
“Seen one sunset, seen ’em all,” she whispered, rising on her toes, drawn up by an uncommon boldness inside her.
His mouth claimed hers with a heat that stole her breath. When her knees wobbled, he pulled back, steadying her. The retreat left her confused and did nothing to ease the slow burn smoldering inside her.
“I don’t want to go too fast for you, sweetheart.”
She looked up at him, heart thudding. “You’re not,” she said quietly. “I’ve been thinking about this too.”
“You’re certain? This will change who we are, irrevocably.”
“I’m sure,” she breathed.
