I awkwardly give her another hug, then follow my mysterious alpha date to his car. I climb in, and he heads down to the beach car park.
He parks with the headlights facing the ocean.
“What are we doing now?” I ask a bit nervously.
“We’re waiting for Elijah and Devon.”
“Oh.”
Mack leans back in the seat, turning his head to watch me. “You’re really, really beautiful, Sofia. And I’m so glad you came home, I know I keep saying it, but it feels like a dream.”
I shift on the seat, but he just reaches out and covers my knee with his hand. Awareness surges through me, and I stare at it, my skin tingling.
“I know that you need to keep this as fake dating for a minute, but I’m curious. Would you like to see our home?”
I jerk my head up. “What?”
“I’d like to take you home tonight. I think you’ll really like it. Nothing has to happen. I just want to show you where I live.”
I hesitate, but he’s looking at me like that, and I can’t say no. “Okay, Mack. I’d really like to see your home.”
He smiles in relief. “Good. That’s really good.”
A couple of minutes later, with Elijah and Devon in the SUV, Mack looks at me.
“Ready?”
Am I? I don’t know.
“I’m ready.”
Chapter 17
Elijah
Sofia glances at Mack repeatedly as we get closer and closer to home. I can see her putting things together. When we finally park in front of the lighthouse, she appears to have lost her ability to talk. I reach out and rub her shoulder.
“Breathe, Sol.”
“You live here?” she squeaks.
“Yes.”
“You bought the lighthouse?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” she asks in an almost shout.
I glance at Devon. She is not ready to hear that we bought it because she loved it. Because she told me one night while we were kissing that her most secret wish was that she could get enough money to restore the lighthouse and live there.
Nope, I am in no way spilling that.
I get out of the car and open her door. The lighthouse looms tall in front of us. I love it. I did it for her, but I found myself loving it for me.
“Come have a look. We don’t have to stay if you don’t like it,” I insist.
She blinks at me, and I wonder if she’s remembering that night, too. She abruptly slips out of the car. I don’t have time to back up before her scent hits me, and I lose my ability to think clearly.
