And just like that, as though I’d summoned him with my text, he was walking into my cottage.
The dawning sun spilled across the hardwood floors, and the kitchen smelled like the perfect morning—buttery cinnamon sugar baking into homemade dough. It was sweet and rich and something you’d want to wake up to every single morning.
Like Noah, actually.
I closed the French door behind me, and then the man I’d been dreaming of looked around slowly, like he was trying to take it all in.
“It looks even better than the videos,” he said.
“You’ve been watching my videos?” I asked, stopping on my way to the kitchen.
He scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah. I guess that sounds kinda creepy…”
“No.” He’s here!
He’d been watching my videos!
“Not when it’s you,” I added.
Which was totally true, only…I was actually, pretty careful about not putting too many personal details online, something I’d learned the hard way. “I didn’t say where I live. How…how did you find me?”
“There was a shot in one of your videos,” he said, stepping closer. ““It was the break—right past the rock wall. I’ve surfed that stretch. I knew exactly where you were.”
I blinked. “Seriously?”
“Yeah.” His eyes met mine.
“So, you just… thought you’d come down and do some…surfing?”
“Surfing was the back-up plan.”
“Did you need a back-up plan?” I asked, turning toward the coffee pot, trying to keep my tone light.
“I hope not.”
I reached for a second mug and poured. “You still take it black?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder.
He hesitated. “Actually…make it how you make yours.”
That caught me off guard. I stirred in a little creamer, a pinch of sugar—just enough to take the edge off.
“Thanks.” His fingers brushed mine as he accepted the cup and, a pull of heat—from him, not the coffee—had me hesitating.
He wasn’t in a hurry either.
When I let go, he shook his head. “Seeing your videos, you just doing your thing…I couldn’t stay away any longer.”
“Why would you want to stay away?”
But also, why hadn’t I thrown myself into his arms like I wanted to?
“I didn’t.” He glanced up, his eyes looking more blue than gray. “But everything between us…even though it felt like I waited a lifetime to actually kiss you, this…we…happened so fast. And I didn’t want to get in the way of you figuring things out. I would’ve liked to talk about everything before things blew up in Vegas, but…”
I nodded, remembering how hollow I’d felt on that plane. “Probably would’ve been a good idea.”
“Yeah. But.” Huge wince. “My mom.”
I rolled my eyes. “Moms, sheesh.”
