“Mmm.” I stretch and blink, light spilling in through the window. “Already?”
He nods and leans in, brushing his lips across my forehead. “Welcome to Washington, D.C.”
I sit up slowly, confused and a little breathless. “Wait. What?”
He grins like a man who’s been dying to spill a secret. “We’re in D.C. Thought it’d be a good weekend to visit a friend of mine.”
I blink, trying to process. “You brought me to another country to meet a friend?”
“Technically, it’s not another continent,” he teases. “And Sebastian is more like family.”
I peer out the window as the jet begins to taxi. The world outside is cast in early spring light—soft and golden, the kind that hints at warmth just around the corner. The trees are still bare, but some are starting to blush pink with the first whispers of cherry blossoms. The air is crisp and clear, and the monuments rise in the distance like they’ve been waiting for us to arrive.
“Wow,” I breathe. “It’s beautiful.”
He watches me, content. “It’s even better with you here.”
I glance back at him, my heart skipping again. “So... who is this mysterious friend?”
Nate reaches for our coats as the engines slow. “Someone who’s going to make today very interesting.”
“Is he as dramatic as you?”
“Infinitely more,” he says with a laugh, taking my hand. “But he’s one of the few people I trust. And I wanted him to meet you.”
The words settle deep inside me. I don’t know why they mean so much, but they do. Maybe because every little step with Nate feels like a thousand unspoken promises. And I’m starting to believe them.
As the door opens and the cool D.C. air spills in, I squeeze his hand tighter.
“I still can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
He winks. “Where’s the fun in that?”
And just like that, we descend the stairs into a new city—one I’ve never been to, with a man I’m falling for faster than I can admit.
And something tells me the best part of this trip is still ahead.
The coffee shop Sebastian picked is classy but understated—warm lighting, dark wood, the kind of place where power brokers sip lattes while closing deals. But it’s the man waiting near the window who steals all the air from the room.
He carries himself like he was born to lead. Sharp suit, sharp jawline, impossibly still. There’s no fidgeting, no shifting, just stillness. And when he turns to us, his eyes linger on Nate first, then flick to me. Assessing. Curious.
“Sebastian,” Nate greets him, reaching for a handshake that turns into a friendly shoulder-pat. “Thanks for making time.”
“I owe you more than coffee,” the man replies with a faint European accent. His voice is smooth, but there’s weight behind it.
Sebastian turns to me, and Nate immediately gestures between us.
“This is Isabel,” he says, pride in his voice that wraps around my name like silk. “My fiancée.”
Sebastian’s brow rises—barely—but I catch it. “Fiancée,” he echoes, glancing between us. “Well. That escalated quickly.”
I can’t help but smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine.” He offers his hand with a quiet nod, not a kiss-to-the-back kind of gesture, just enough to tell me I’ve passed whatever test he’s already put me through.
We order our drinks, and once we settle into the corner booth, Sebastian leans back.
“So, how did you two meet?”
