He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again. She felt herself becoming entangled in him, and she felt a solitary tear roll down her cheek.
“I know,” he whispered. “I knew it the moment we met. You were different.”
“This is all I know,” she said as she moved her hands around the room and pointed at him. “Nothing else. Just you.”
He smiled and pulled her back down so they were lying facing each other.
“I didn’t want to scare you,” he said. “That’s why I kept it quiet.”
She looked into his eyes and she suddenly remembered the people at the bookstore, the way they had looked at him, and the girls who had walked in before he had arrived talking about someone being spotted in town.
“You must live a pretty crazy life,” she sighed as she put her head on his chest and traced her nails up and down his abs.
“You have no idea,” he said as he kissed the top of her head.
There was so much she wanted to ask him, and so much she knew that she would need to know. But, for now, she didn’t want to spoil this perfect moment they were sharing together.
Right there, in that room, it didn’t matter who he was outside of it. They were together in each other’s arms, and that was all that counted to her.
She was falling for him.
Head over feet.
And she already knew there wasn’t ever going to be a way she would be able to stop.
When he kissed her goodbye at the end of her driveway, her body was aching, and she didn’t want him to leave, but she knew he still had a lot of work to do.
“I need some rest,” she said with a giggle. “You’ve nearly broken me.”
He grunted and pulled her closer to him and kissed her again hard on the mouth.
“Well, rest up, babe,” he said. “Because I’ll be coming for you later.”
He winked and then he walked back toward his bike and climbed on it. He revved the engine and smiled at her, before he floored it out of there and back toward Ocean Road.
Melissa let herself into her house with shaking hands and when she closed the door behind her, she gasped and slid down the wall.
Cleo came bounding over to her and nuzzled into her, purring loudly and meowing so lovely that it made her heart melt.
“Wow, Cleo,” she whispered. “You’re never going to believe what’s happened…”
She scratched her cat’s little head and smiled.
“I’ve met someone,” she barely even dared say it. “I’ve met someone, and I know, I feel it in my bones, that it’s real.”
She forced herself to her feet and she made her way through to the kitchen where she fed Cleo and poured herself a glass of water. She felt bruised, but in a good way, and she also felt cared for and adored.
When she flopped down in her bed, she wrapped her arms around herself, just wishing that it was Nate who was holding her there, and it was him that she was sleeping next to rather than being alone.
Her phone was lying next to her, and she was fighting the urge to pick it up and open a search engine.
Sure, she had heard of Nathan Woods. But she knew absolutely nothing about him. She didn’t even really know what he looked like without the beard.
She bit her lip and buried her head in her pillows.
She wasn’t going to look.
Not yet.
Like he had said, things were too perfect, why complicate them so soon…
She would find it all out eventually.
Every last little detail of what the media had decided to portray him as, however, from what she remembered, she had never heard anything even remotely negative.
But he was her Nate, and she didn’t want her version of him being diluted with anything else.
Not yet.
She smiled as she closed her eyes and thought of all the ways he had made her come.
He was incredible.
He was fantastic.
And he was hers.
She really had met someone she could see her life unfolding with. He could have been unemployed and traveling the country working the odd shift in dive bars and it wouldn’t have made any difference to her.
All in.
She was.
Now and forever.
8.
“Okay, we really need to talk,” Carly said as she blustered into the bookstore several days later and slammed her purse down on top of the counter. Roz was still away worshipping the sun, and Melissa was still in charge of making sure nothing went without a hitch amongst the paperbacks.
“Erm, okay…” Melissa said with raised eyebrows as she took hold of Carly’s hand and steered her toward the back of the bookstore and away from the wandering eyes of the customers.
“So, first of all, where the hell have you been?” Carly asked with an annoyed pout. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for like four days and I haven’t heard a damned thing!”
Melissa went to open her mouth to speak but Carly raised her hand to shush her.
“And second, what are all these rumors flying around town that there’s some mega tech billionaire staying locally and that you’re dating him?”
Melissa rolled her eyes and laughed.
“Are you serious?” she asked.
“Deadly,” Carly said with a wry smile as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her. “I want full disclosure, right now.”
Melissa smiled and pulled her further into the belly of the book-store, their conversation hadn’t exactly begun quietly, and for that reason, several people were looking at them as if they thought a fight was about to break out.
“Keep your voice down,” Melissa hissed. “Who told you that?”
“Some guys were here at the poetry slam the other night and apparently some guy who looked like Nathan Woods came in, wrapped his arms around you, and then you both disappeared.”
Melissa shrugged.
“That all sounds a bit crazy,” she said, but she could tell that Carly wasn’t going to buy it.
“Tell me, Mel,” Carly said. “I know something is going on.”
Melissa kicked the door open to the back of the stock room and pulled her inside.
“If I tell you this, you’ve got to promise not to tell a soul,” she said sternly.
“Fuck, is it true?” Carly asked with wide eyes.
Melissa nodded.
“I didn’t know who he was, it’s the same guy that was at The Boathouse with us…”
Carly rubbed her chin and looked as if she was trying to cast her mind back.
“I can’t even really remember his face, but obviously, I know you’ve been really into him.”
“Well, yeah,” Melissa said. “And it just so happens that he’s the CEO of Gold-Ghost…”
Carly covered her mouth and leaned against the wall.
“Insane,” she said. “But also, pretty cool! What is he doing here? And what have you been doing? Where have you been?”
Melissa had assured Nate of her confidence, and she wasn’t going to admit to anyone else that he was truly there in town. For now, people could speculate, but as he had said, it was probably only one or two people who had thought they may have recognized him. And they would never know for sure, especially now that he had his bearded disguise. When she had finally turned on the TV, she had been shocked at some of the news reports, the media were speculating if Nathan Woods had gone AWOL as he hadn’t been seen around the office in Palo Alto for weeks, and with a big acquisition suddenly halted, his state of mind had been called into question.
She knew he was fine, and she knew he had made his decision for the benefit of his initial vision and his company. He wasn’t going to sell, he was going to keep pushing forward and not sell out for an easy life.
Melissa smiled and thought wistfully of how she had spent the past week of her life in his arms. The way they had laid together, the way they had made love, the way he had made her feel things no one ever had. Each moment had bro
ught new and exciting revelations, and their souls had merged so quickly that she already felt deeply bonded to him on so many levels.
There was no way she could even begin to explain it to Carly, so she wasn’t going to try. And even though this girl was her best friend, she understood the importance of what Nate was doing there in town. He was at the end of a soul-searching mission. He had traveled down the coast looking for answers, and when he had stopped in her quiet little town, he had finally found them.
He had big decisions to make, and he had confronted his demons. Soon, he was going to be ready to go back, and he was going to take back control of the reigns. He was strong and he was powerful, he had an incredible business mind and he was focused and determined.
What Melissa had come to learn was that didn’t just apply to his career, it was also how he saw his love life.
He was all in.
When he had found her, he had known that she was different, and he was determined to make her his. Now that he had her, he had told her quite bluntly that he didn’t want to lose her.
She was on cloud nine.
She felt exactly the same way, and she felt as if she were being swept along in a whirlwind of romance and passion. She truly had never been more content in her entire life.
“When are you seeing him again?” Carly asked with wide and excited eyes.
“Well, we’re together pretty much all the time,” Melissa laughed. “But for God’s sake, Carly, you cannot tell anyone that it is actually him. Okay?”
Carly nodded her head and Melissa had full faith in her. If it was one thing the girls had, it was the bond of trust and to keep each other’s secrets.
“Keep me updated,” Carly said as she reached out and hugged her, kissing her on the cheek. “I’m happy for you, I truly am.”
“Thank you,” Melissa smiled.
“But be careful, I know what you’re like with that heart of yours,” Carly warned with a raised brow.
“Believe it or not, it seems that he’s the same,” she smiled as she wandered back to the front of the store and Carly left.
She felt as if she were in the middle of her own incredible fairy tale. The whole week had been so intense, but so perfect, she didn’t even want to broach the subject of Nate potentially leaving soon.
She looked around the bookstore and sighed.
She really did love it there, but it wasn’t hers. It wasn’t something she had built herself and was nurturing, she was busy helping Roz build her dream. The problem was that since Melissa had met Nate, she had discovered how much she truly wanted to build her own.
At the end of the day, after she had closed down the store for the night, she began her walk back toward Ocean Road and took a few moments to unwind. The view along the coast was so incredible, and if she ever did leave town, she knew she would miss it. But it would always be home, and if she did decide to go and see what else was out there, she knew she could always return.
As she wandered down the driveway toward Nate’s hideaway, she stared up at the lush green trees and smiled. The sun was peering through the branches and making patterns on her skin, and she could smell the delicious scent of nature all around her and the salt from the sea.
Nate’s bike was outside and leaning against the garage and she felt her heart skip a beat. The excitement she experienced when she knew she was going to see him again was like nothing she had ever known before.
Even from the front of the house she could smell the delicious scent of barbeque and she could hear the low, dull tones of rock music drifting out to meet her. She opened the front door and descended the stairs in the hallway, and when she saw him outside on the terrace, grilling meat and drinking beer, her heart swelled.
How had she been so fucking lucky?
This man, he was everything rolled into one.
Lover, incredible friend, chef, business superstar, and also full of culture and experience.
She bit the tip of her thumb and grinned.
He turned and saw her standing there and his face cracked into a smile. His tan had darkened even more during the week and he looked fresh, as if he had been basking in the sun all day and then in a long, hot shower. The little creases around his eyes made them shine even brighter, and when he took a step closer to her, she already knew they were going to have another perfect night together.
“Hey,” he smiled as he reached her and wrapped his arms around her.
He kissed her hard on the mouth, with so much passion she melted into his arms and felt herself heat up inside.
“Hey,” she whispered as their lips broke apart and they stared into each other’s eyes.
“Did you have a good day?” he asked as he held her there, taking her all in and nudging his nose up to meet hers.
“Yes,” she said before she kissed him again “And what about yours?”
“Enlightening as always,” he mused. And then he slipped his hand into hers and pulled her toward the doors that were all open along the back of the house.
Out on the terrace he had music playing and the barbeque was sizzling with steak and vegetables. He turned them over and passed her a glass of red wine which he had already poured for her, and she took a seat at the big old wooden table and watched him.
Down on the beach, some kids were running around with their dogs and catching the last bit of sun for the day. It was so idyllic there, Melissa couldn’t imagine ever having to say goodbye.
“I love this place,” she said.
“Me too,” Nate told her. “In fact, I have some news.”
She sipped her wine and gave him her full attention.
“Oh yeah?” she asked him with interested as he lay down his tongs and turned to face her.
He had an amused look on his face and she could tell that he was excited about something.
“I was going to save it until we were having dinner. But I can’t wait…” he looked as if he was about to explode with delight. “I’ve bought the house.”
Melissa looked at him for a moment and then she smiled.
“What do you mean?” she asked him cautiously.
“This place,” he said as he held his hands up to display their surroundings. “I’ve bought it.”
Melissa felt her jaw sag open a little and she looked at him as if she didn’t know whether to believe him or not.
“Are you serious?” she asked with a wide grin.
“Yes,” he said. “I don’t want to say goodbye to here. It’s where we met, it’s where I’ve made some huge life changing decisions, and it’s the place where we became us… It has memories and meaning. And for that reason, we’re never saying goodbye to it. Not ever.”
Melissa’s heart raged in her chest; was she actually hearing him correctly? He had bought the beautiful hidden beach house that they had spent the most perfect week in?
“Oh my God, Nate,” she gasped. “That’s amazing.”
He nodded his head and smiled at her.
“I did it for you,” he said. “I know this is your home town, and I want you to always have somewhere here.”
She felt her heart dance even harder and she saw the look in his eye that she had seen before. She recognized it as an important moment. She knew he was about to say something huge.
“I need to leave,” he said as he came and sat down next to her and took hold of her hand. “But I don’t want to go without you.”
Melissa gulped and she had a ringing in her ears drowning out any other noise.
Was this actually happening?
“Nate…” she tried to whisper, but he squeezed her hand tight.
“I don’t expect you to tell me anything right now,” he said quietly. “But just know, when I go, I want you to come with me. Come and stay with me in Palo Alto… you won’t need to worry for anything.”
Her head was spinning and she was looking into the eyes of the most incredible man who was offering her everything in the entire world.
They had bonded so fast and
real, and she had always known that the time was going to come when he was going to have to leave this place. He was going to have to leave the town behind and go back to his life in the crazy world of Silicon Valley. She had feared that he would leave and never come back… but he didn’t want that to happen.
He wanted her to go with him… and not only that … he had bought them a house in her home town.
“We can come here every weekend,” he said as he ran his hand through her hair. “We can do the place up, extend even on the side,” he pointed to a patch of land to the side of the terrace and grinned. “I can see it all now. It would be incredible.”
Melissa was lost for words. She truly didn’t know what to say.
It was as if all of her dreams had finally come true.
Nate served them dinner and they ate cuddled up together on a long bench, covered in a blanket and sipping wine and beer while the sun went down.
“There’s no way in hell we’re ever letting go of this view,” he said.
“I agree,” she smiled. “This house and this stretch of beach, it truly is special.”
He kissed her on the top of the head and she nuzzled further into him. They had both changed each other in so many ways. Nate had been sworn off women and lost that doubt that anyone could truly ever love him only for him. And Melissa had been so badly burned she hadn’t been sure she ever wanted to risk another broken heart.
Together, they had fixed each other.
And now it was time for them to commit. Were they going to go forward?
“What about my job at the bookstore?” she said suddenly as she looked into his eyes. “I’ve worked there for quite a while, and if I leave then I won’t have anything to come back to if this doesn’t work.”
“This will work,” he said with a warm smile. “But don’t worry. I’ve already thought of that, I’ll chat with your boss if it would make you feel better. I’ll make sure your position is always open should you ever want it back.”
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