“Like, is he nice? Does he seem like someone you can trust?” I pop another bite of fruit into his mouth and giggle while he chews it enough to answer me.
“He does. Very genuine guy. Generous with his knowledge. Seems completely smitten with Allie.”
“Whoa. Smitten, even. Must be serious. You used the word smitten.”
Before I can react, he scoops his hands under my ass, squeezing hard as he does, and lifts me up and over his lap. Then twists with me in his arms and has me on my back in the sand underneath him in a blink. “So sassy. Always so sassy.” He plants a smacking kiss on my lips and touches his nose to mine.
“You love it,” I say and give him a brattyduck lipsface.
“I do.” His eyes turn darker blue, like the ocean behind us, his expression serious. “And I love you.”
I think my heart actually stops for a second, then triple thuds against my ribcage. I part my lips on a sharp intake of breath. My exhale sounds unsteady, even to my ears. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used tohim telling me. “You sure?” I try to sound cheeky to camouflage the butterflies twirling in my stomach.
One corner of his mouth goes up in a smirk. He sees right through me. He sits up on his knees between my legs and pulls me up so I’m sitting now with my legs bent on either side of him, never taking his eyes off mine. “Yeah, Ever, I am.” He kisses me so deeply it takes us both a second to catch our breath. “I wasn’t sure I could love anyone—wouldlove anyone again. But the whole time Ashley was talking and walking me through his game plan, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. About us. That I could give you a life. A good life. And I realized that’s all I want. A life with you. A good one. Would you . . . want that? With me?”
I stop smiling as the gravity of his words settle on me. I nod my head slowly at first and then quicker.
His smile spreads, showing his teeth, and deepens his dimples. Then he pulls me up by the hands, stands and throws his arms around me, lifting me off the ground.
Instinctively, I wrap my legs around him, hug him with my whole body, tuck my face into his neck and I breathe in his scent. God, I love the way he smells. I kiss his neck just below his ear and rasp, “I love you too, Julie.”
Gone are the melancholy visions of college campuses, impressive libraries and what might’ve been. All I can see is Julian and me together. It consumes me. And my heart feels full. It’s okay to love my life, even if it’s not the one I thought I’d have. Maybe this one is better.
“Let’s go eat some tacos in a mansion, with a billionaire, and suss out this guy and see if he’s good enough for Allie.”
I find I’m giddy now at the thought of the next few days here. He kisses me again, soundly on the lips, and sets my feet on the sand. I gather my flip-flops and bag and reach for his hand as we make our way to the car and a patiently waiting Sean to take us back to our temporary home.
***
“Really, I’ll do all the heavy lifting—or rather my team will. The only thing that changes for you is flying down here once or twice a month to film content.” Ashley says this to Julian as we all dine casually around the kitchen island bar on homemade tacos, which are incidentally the best tacos I’ve ever eaten. And beyond healthy, according to our host. Over the surprisingly casual family-style dinner, Ashley (he’s known and called by his last name, except by Allie, who calls him Luke or Ash) shares the ins and outs of this new business venture. He’ll be the investor in Julian’s new company, The McKay Method. For a percentage, Ashley would essentially fund and spearhead making Julian the next big thing in the fitness world—as a branch of the Ashley conglomerate, but its own entity.
From the little I know and understand about basic business, it sounds legit, if a little too good to be true. But watching Allie with him might’ve given me the reason for his generosity. They are clearly, as Julian said earlier, smitten. It’s frankly beautiful to see. He is this specimen of virility, wealth and savviness who seems genuinely excited to share it.
Julian is quiet through dinner—not awkwardly quiet but reserved. He seems hopeful, asking insightful questions and trading ideas withboth Ashley and Allie. I mostly say nothing except when I can offer encouraging sentiments like “That sounds promising,” or “Ooh, that would be fun,” and “Amazing.”
At least, I hope I sound encouraging. I mean every word, but it’s hard to take our relationship out of the bubble we’ve formed it in. I’m protective of it, of him. Is protective the right word? Maybe I’m being possessive. I don’t like the thought of that, but I’ve never had anyone like Julian in my life before—not a boyfriend or committed relationship before him—and I’m a little out of my element, to put it mildly. When we finish the meal, I gladly offer to clean up as a thank you for the hospitality and let them continue their business planning. It’s a great excuse to listen and not feel required to chime in with inane declarations. I feel pulled in two. I want every good thing for this sweet, beautiful man, but I don’t want it to take him away from me.
So lost in my thoughts, I don’t notice the lull in conversation or my guy walking up behind me at the sink until he’s sliding his arms around my waist. He places a quick kiss on my neck. I tilt from habit to give him better access.
Ashley speaks up from behind us like we were in the middle of a conversation, telling me I’d zoned out on the group discussion and missed part of it. “Yeah, Ev, thank you for clearing the plates, but leave it. Let’s go for a walk and a soak after.”
Playing it off, I dry my hands and smile, nodding. The four of us, each couple holding hands, head out the back door off the kitchen/dining area and down the stairs of his deck to his private beach access. No wonder Allie doesn’t want to come home.
As if I’d summoned her to me with that thought, she snakes her arm through mine as we walk along the beach. “You were quiet throughoutthe business talk. What do you think?” She talks low enough that we won’t be heard over the sound of the waves.
Julian raced Ashley down the beach anyway and they’re now walking and laughing their way back toward us. It reminded me of how my mom always teased my dad about men never growing up. It’s cute watching them act like boys and drives home how much he and I live in our isolated bubble of Blue Lake. A bubble of our own making, but a bubble, nonetheless.
“It sounds like an incredible opportunity. One he shouldn’t pass up—especially if you trust Ashley the way you do.”
“He is probably the most generous person I’ve ever met.”
“Forgive me if I’m out of line here, but I think love looks good on you.”
Allie squeezes my arm with hers and giggles. “I do think I love him. And I think he loves me.”
It’s dusk, so I can’t see if she’s blushing, but her words sound like she probably is. “You think? Or you know?” I ask like we’re besties, which is how she’s made me feel since I moved to Blue Lake—like an equal.
“I know. He wants to marry me.” This she says quietly, leaning into my ear.
