“I can’t with you anymore,” Eliza mutters. “What does it mean? Nothing for the Rawlings.” She stops and scowls. “I bet you have at least ten houses all over the world.”
“Yeah. I do. Over twenty. But none have you in it. I told you I’m here to stay. I am here for you.” My feet take me closer to her, I can’t take this distance any longer. “If you want to move, pick any of them.” Wide eyes swim with disbelief, her soft lips parting in wonder. My girl is getting it. “But I must warn you none of them feel as welcoming as this one. You can redo them too. You can do whatever—”
She cuts me off with a brush of her lips. A feather-light, tentative kiss that has me soaring. It’s over too soon.
My hands fly to her waist and I pull her against me, dipping my head.
“Do you understand now?” I caress her cheekbones, murmuring into her lips. “There’s no future without you. I’m completely yours. I love you, Eliza.”
She leans back, a look of wonder lighting up her face. “It’s starting to sink in.” The breathy edge of her voice goes straight to my groin, watery chocolate eyes swallowing me whole.
I pull her closer and kiss her hungrily. I can’t get enough of her now I have her in my arms and relief floods me. I kiss her until my lungs burn. Until I’m dizzy with her taste and my palms slide under the blue dress I want to rip off her so I can touch every inch of her skin.
“Let’s get back to your guests,” Eliza pants, resting her head on my chest. “Someone might come looking for you.”
“I’ll kick them out,” I breathe into her hair, and she laughs.
“Not if you really plan on living here.”
An annoyed sigh blows out some of her strands and I tuck her hair back behind her ear. “You’re right. But I want to show you something first.”
Eliza cocks a brow and tilts her head, but follows me to the edge of the estate, without barraging me with questions.
“Who the hell did I have the video calls with, if it was you all along?”
I laugh, remembering the utter confusion on their faces when I explained what I needed from them. “Some old friends from Harvard. They married right after college and moved to Thailand.” I brush the small of her back, desperate to touch her. “We owe them a visit.”
Eliza cocks a brow. “Sure, I want to congratulate them on their acting skills,” she huffs.
I stop in front of the large wooden outbuilding. “Did you wonder why this shed was off limits?”
She puffs. “More of a barn. I thoughtthe owners” —she stresses the words with mock reproach—“already brought some personal stuff and didn’t want it lying around the house while people were in and out…”
I open the doors and I hear her behind me sucking in a breath.
“Oh.” It comes out strangled. “Are these…?” Her hand covers her trembling lips and I give her a gentle push to go in.
This is her space. The one I built the second I signed the papers for the house. It’s filled with workbenches and tools and materials for her projects.”
She walks through the full-staked studio gingerly touching the worktables, hesitant, afraid they’re going to disappear in front of her eyes. Her face morphs and a playful spark lights up her eyes. “Weren’t you a tad overconfident?”
“I’ve had an epiphany, kitten. Not a personality transplant.”
“That would’ve been a tragedy.” Eliza melts my insides with a blinding smile and wraps her arms around me in a fierce embrace, welding the last pieces of me that were drifting aimlessly before I met her. She’s been putting me back together ever since and it took me almost losing her to realize it.
We make it back, hand in hand. I leave her to chat with Martha and offer to bring the old woman something to drink to give them some privacy.
“A yard so large begs for some kids.” Martha nods wistfully, looking out, not noticing my return. I know they don’t have any children and her words have no ill intent, but Eliza’s answer twists my stomach.
“Please don’t say things like that,” she whispers with an edge of panic in her voice. “We’re nowhere near that point. If he hears you, he might freak out again. I couldn’t come back from it if he accused me of wanting to baby-trap him.”
“Here’s your lemonade.” I hand Martha the glass.
“Um, thanks—” She jolts. “I better go find Sam.”
It’s the first time I’ve seen this woman unsure of something, so I lean closer. “Better be ready to babysit.”
The smile she throws me over her shoulder can only be described as smug. All is right in the world again. Except for the woman I’m madly in love with.
