by Marni Mann
I hadn’t even considered how my statement could affect him. Over the past several months, he had become one of the biggest parts of my life.
I put my hand on top of his, linking our fingers. “I know. You make me feel that every single day.”
He kept his hand on my face, holding it tighter than before, and I released his fingers when he said, “When’s your lease up?”
“Not for another two months.”
“What are you thinking?”
I’d been weighing the options in my head since Molly and I chatted about it over lunch, and I’d come to a conclusion.
“I’m going to give our landlord his sixty-day notice next week, and I’ll start searching for a studio apartment.”
His hand dropped to my thigh, fingers spreading across the width of it. “Don’t rush. You can move in here until you find a place or stay permanently, which is what I’d prefer.”
I felt my eyes widen.
His hand returned to my face like he knew I needed it there.
Because this conversation didn’t feel real.
It felt like a fairy tale.
One I wanted to live in forever.
I found his hand again, needing the hills of his knuckles and the heat from his skin. “You want to wake up next to me every morning?” I had so many questions; it just felt important to start here.
His stare didn’t waver, and I felt it all the way in my toes.
“More than anything.”
My eyes welled, the first drip only making it a hair past my eye before he caught it.
“So would I,” I whispered. Another tear fell; I was unable to stop them at this point. I threw my arms around his neck, hugging him to me.
While I squeezed, I glanced over his shoulder at the condo that was soon going to become my home. I had no idea what that would be like, but I knew Lance would find a way to make my life fit in seamlessly here.
“Tell me what night of the week you want to see Molly, and I’ll make it happen.”
I unraveled my arms, needing to see his face. “How are you going to schedule girls’ night?”
He smiled, and it was more devious than I’d ever seen from him. “I’m Marshall’s boss, Chloe. That won’t be difficult.”
My head tilted back, and I laughed so hard. “My God, that was hot.”
He was just as loud as me, and when we finally quieted, I stared at him, a smile still covering our faces.
“I’m so ridiculously nuts over you.”
“Baby …” He held me in his arms again, and I could feel his heart, how fast it was beating, how it was matching my own. “Remember something, Chloe”—his lips pressed into the top of my head—“I will fix anything for you; you just have to come to me.”
I squeezed his shirt into my fist, inhaling the scent of power that came off his skin. “I believe that.” I took another breath, feeling the stress leave my body. “And I promise you, I will.”
Thirty-Two
Most nights, Lance and I kept the shades open when we went to bed so we could wake to the light of the city. Tonight was no exception; it was just still dark out when my eyes flicked open. But the moon and adjacent buildings gave enough of a glow to show me the ripples in the white comforter as Lance moved beneath it, his hands locking on the sides of my body.
“Oh God.” I quivered.
The T-shirt I was wearing was his, and he moved it aside to kiss across my breasts and down my stomach, continuing to go lower until I felt him breathing against my entrance. The first swipe of his tongue was over my panties. It was just a tease but enough pressure to make me moan.
My head pushed into the fluffiness of the pillow, my knees bent, and I hissed, “Lance,” as he moved an inch lower and teased me again. I loved that when it came to my body, he was never in a hurry.
He kissed the outside of my thighs, biting, tasting my skin before he gradually moved the material and kissed each bit of skin he revealed until I was fully exposed. “My queen,” he groaned as he licked my clit, pausing at the top, breathing against me. He was still for just a moment before his tongue began to flick back and forth, his two fingers plunging inside of me.
“Yesss,” I breathed, and I clung to the pillow under my head, concentrating on the way he was devouring me.
His fingers combined with the friction from his mouth, and the build was there almost instantly. And that was what he wanted; I could tell by the ferocity he used to lick me.
“Lance …” My body was on fire, holding on to this sensation for as long as I could. “Fuck.”
He was moving even faster, and breath was panting through my lips, my thighs becoming so numb that I couldn’t hold them apart. His tongue began moving from side to side, his fingers grinding into me deeply, and I couldn’t fight the build any longer.
With each thrust of his hand, each swipe from his mouth, a new wave of pleasure burst through me. And my hips rode out every one, bucking against his face, earning myself longer, fatter licks. Before he pulled away, he softly kissed my clit, and then he worked his way up my body, pausing to give each nipple a kiss. Resting next to me on the bed, he pulled me onto his chest.
“Good morning.” I giggled, wrapping my leg over his.
“I had a dream about you.” He kissed the top of my head. “And when I opened my eyes, there was only one thing on my mind.”
I turned my face, kissing the spot where my cheek had been. “Feel free to start every morning that way.”
He laughed. “You’re forgetting, you usually get up before me.”
“Damn it.” I smiled, tracing my fingers around the hair on his chest. “How much of you do I get today? Or are you spending most of it at the office?”
“All of me …” The little light showed me the curve of his lip, how it was growing across his face. “All day.” His hand moved lower until he was gripping my ass. “And all night.”
I locked our gazes. “You can have anything you want right now. What is it?”
He didn’t hesitate when he said, “I just had it.”
Eight months, this man had been mine, and he still continued to blow my mind.
“What’s your next pick?”
His fingers went to my neck, holding it there for a few seconds. “To have you all day.”
I lifted his hand higher so I could kiss it, planning the blow job I was going to give him in the shower after I fed him. “Done,” I said. “Now, how about some breakfast?”
“I’d like that.”
I kissed his cheek, climbed off the bed, and said, “Meet me downstairs in a few minutes,” on my way to our bathroom.
Once I finished washing up, I stuck my hair in a messy bun and slid on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top and slippers before I headed for the kitchen. There was a loaf of French bread on the counter that I’d picked up from the market yesterday. I cut it into thick slices, dipping it in an egg bath and setting it on the buttered griddle.
I was just placing the last piece on the stove when Lance came up behind me, circling his hands around my stomach, holding me just like that.
“Smells delicious.” He kissed the back of my neck. “Do you want coffee?”
“I would love some.”
While he went over to the brewing station, I flipped the bread. And while I waited for that side to brown, I grabbed some fresh strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries from the fridge and added the fruit to the plate, eventually putting a few pieces of French toast on each one. I sprinkled cinnamon over the bread, and I set the plates on the table along with some heated syrup. Then, I took a seat next to Lance at the bar.
He lifted his fork and broke off a bite full. “This smells incredible.”
I took a drink of my coffee, my eyes briefly closing while I swallowed. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get mine to taste like his. “Mmm.”
My lids opened just as he was smiling, popping a few strawberries into his mouth before he said, “You surprised me today.”
“Yeah?”<
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“With the pitch you have coming up next week, I assumed you’d be at the office all weekend.”
I shrugged, taking my first bite of fruit. “I should be there. I just don’t have it in me.”
“Anything you want to talk about?”
I took in a forkful of the French toast. “I’m not happy there anymore.” I paused, gathering my thoughts. “You know traveling was a part of my job that I loved, but since I’ve gotten promoted and this position is grounded, I just feel extremely stuck.”
“I had a feeling.” His hand was on my back, rubbing across my shoulder blades.
I took a deep breath, setting my fork down. “It’s the only job I know; it’s going to take me a second before I’m ready to leave it.”
He turned my chair to face him more, and our knees touched. “Take all the time you want; there’s no reason to rush this.”
“Promise me something?” I wasn’t looking forward to this part of the conversation. When he nodded, I added, “Promise you won’t pull any strings, and you’ll let me do this on my own?”
It was an offer he made all the time and one of the sweetest things he could ever do, but I couldn’t accept his help. My career was my own, and I wanted it to remain that way.
He nodded. “I’ll only step in if you ask me to.”
I reached across the small space, my hand going to his cheek. He hadn’t shaved yet, and the stubble felt so foreign on him, but his gaze was one I wanted to live in.
Forever.
“I love you,” I breathed.
We didn’t say it constantly; he wasn’t that kind of man.
We said it during the important times.
Like this one.
“I love you, baby.” He brought my fingers up to his mouth and kissed them.
I got off the stool, and I hugged him.
And neither of us said another word.
We didn’t have to.
Thirty-Three
“What do you think?” Lance asked as he wrapped his arm over my shoulders, pulling me closer to him.
We were in the backseat of an SUV that had just picked us up from the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport. And as we drove with the windows down, the sun warming my face, I got the faintest hint of coconut.
“I think we should stay forever.”
It had been a colder fall than normal, and Boston had left my body completely chapped, but I could already feel the humidity moisturizing my skin.
“You know I can make that happen.”
I heard the smile in his words and snuggled into him harder but kept my eyes on the window. From what I had seen so far, Sarasota was beautiful, a city that hugged the gulf with a skyline full of buildings that shimmered from the ocean. “I’m in palm tree heaven.”
His lips went to my cheek, and he left them there. “Florida smells so good on you.”
I turned to give him a quick kiss, staying nuzzled in his chest until the driver slowed, pulling into a narrow, almost hidden path. There was so much greenery; it was hard to see where we were headed, but after a very short drive, the road opened into a large courtyard, and in the back was the house. The two-story contemporary home was made of the most stunning white stucco and blue glass.
The only thing Lance had told me about this trip was the town we were coming to and that we were staying a week. The rest was a surprise, which was my favorite way to travel with him. But what I knew about this wonderful man was that there was something special to him about Sarasota, or he never would have brought me here, and I couldn’t wait to see what it was.
Once the driver opened my door, I climbed out, and Lance’s hand immediately clasped mine before he brought me to the entrance, pressing several buttons that unlocked the door. It was only open a few inches, just enough to peek inside, when my eyes widened, air quickly filling my lungs.
“Oh my God, Lance.”
He continued to open the door even more, revealing a sight that couldn’t be more breathtaking than the one I was staring at.
“Welcome to Siesta Key,” he said, his hands now on my waist.
I couldn’t look at him. I was too fixated on the scenery. “This is …” I started, but then my voice faded as my feet took me deeper inside while I searched for a way to put this all into words.
The massively high ceiling and all the glass created a giant, open space that was centered around the view of the most spectacular beach I’d ever seen in my life. And this home showed that view from every angle—the sky, the horizon, the ocean, and sand. From every place I stood, whether it was in the kitchen, living room, or the incredible pool deck, I could see every detail of it. Some places were indescribable. Vail was close, and so was their ranch in Montana, but Sarasota was the top.
“Paradise,” I finally whispered when I felt his hands again.
“This is the best one.”
I tangled my fingers in his. “We definitely agree on that.”
And while he held me, we stayed silent, listening to the sound of the waves, staring at the water and sky and the way the two almost clashed because they were such vibrant but different shades of blue.
He kissed the top of my head, and he left his lips there, breathing me in. “Happy two-year anniversary, baby.”
It was the third night of our stay, the evening of our actual anniversary, and Lance had hired a private chef to prepare dinner. Once we got dressed, he took me onto the pool deck, where a table had been set up with candles and flowers and all white linens.
The sun was just starting to lower in the sky, the blue changing to different shades of pink and purple, the water really beginning to darken to black.
“Is this real?” I paused in front of my chair, unable to take a seat yet. The sky couldn’t be more breathtaking, but seeing the beach and ocean underneath it and the spread he had put together for us was an unforgettable combination.
“I knew you would love it here.”
He gave me the softest kiss, and helped me into my chair, pushing me closer to the table. He took the seat across from me, smiling as he placed his napkin on his lap. We’d been in the sun nonstop since we arrived, and he looked so delicious with a tan.
“I’ll never get tired of seeing the amazement on your face when you witness something for the first time.”
I felt my eyes glimmer as his words passed through me.
So many more firsts.
And these were because of him.
“I’m so curious … why has it taken you so long to bring me here?” I took a quick glance at the horizon, the pink turning to magenta. “We’ve traveled all over.” I grinned as I thought of all the trips, the weekends skiing in Maine and the ones in Utah and Colorado, weeks spent in Europe and the Caribbean during the holidays. “We’ve even been to South Beach.” I then gazed at the house, taking in all the glass and white and beauty. “Seems like, aside from Vail, it would have been one of the first places we visited, especially if it’s one you love the most.”
With an expression on his face I wasn’t able to read, he rose from his chair, lifting his champagne glass before he walked over to me. I grabbed my drink as well and then clasped my hand in his. And silently, he walked me onto the sand. The way the property was nestled on the corner, this section of beach had more privacy than the others, so it felt like we were all alone.
We were halfway to the water, the sky filling with bright orange tiger stripes, the sun getting closer to the edge of the ocean, when Lance began to slow. And when our eyes connected, I knew I was finally going to get my answer.
“When I was in elementary school, my parents bought a house on this beach,” he started, his voice so gentle and smooth. “Whenever we came here, my father changed. He relaxed and turned into this calm version of himself that we rarely ever saw. I was too young to understand, but as I got older, I felt it—the pressure to get good grades, to pass the bar, to take over the responsibility of my family’s legacy. And I found, every time I came here, I was doing the same thing as my father.”<
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When he paused, I squeezed his hand, and there was the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips right before he kissed me. It was tender, no deeper than a breath, but his scent and presence and mouth took ahold of me. He pulled back just a few inches, and his navy stare was just as powerful.
“The reason I never brought you here is because it’s taken almost a year to build this house, and now, it’s finally ours.”
I scanned his eyes, my chest filling with an immense number of tingles. “Ours?”
He reached for my cheek, holding it so steady. “Our place … our home.” He brought my fingers up to his lips, kissing every knuckle.
I couldn’t breathe. His gaze was so intense, how it was locked on mine, holding it in a way that felt completely different. It deepened, something I hadn’t thought was possible, and he slowly brought my hand down to the small bit of space between our bodies. Once he held it there for a few seconds, he took a step back and gradually got on his knee.
“Oh my God,” I breathed, my free hand going over my mouth.
“Chloe …” He looked up at me from the sand and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small black velvet box. “Even after I dropped every one of my faults on you, you never tried to change who I was. You’ve always accepted the impatient, demanding man that I am, and you haven’t fought this lifestyle that I dragged you into when I know you would still probably prefer a much less lavish one.”
Tears stung my eyes, and they dripped, nothing I could do to stop them.
“Baby, you haven’t left my mind since the moment I met you.”
I felt his emotion in every inhale, I saw it, and it was grasping my heart, melting it.