“Why would you ever leave this place?”
I felt him shrug. “This is where we come to get away from life. Everything else is in New York. It’s only a matter of time before it drags you back.”
I shook my head, looking out the wall of windows at the ocean. “Nope. Never leaving.”
He laughed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Fine by me.” He pressed a kiss to my temple and grabbed my hand. “Come on, let me show you around.”
We walked through the house — through the living room, the massive library and media room, the gourmet kitchen — then down the hallway where the bedrooms were. The master bedroom was more than half the width of the house with a bathroom that was bigger than my bedroom in Manhattan. I gaped at the giant soaker tub.
“I’m getting in that at some point.”
He chuckled and set our bags down. “Still want to sleep on the boat?”
“Absolutely not.”
Cooper walked up behind me and slipped his hands around my waist. I leaned back into him, feeling his solid body behind me, and he rested his chin on the top of my head. I caught sight of our reflection in the bathroom mirror and couldn’t tear my eyes away.
We looked carefree and full of life, windblown and young and alive. And in that moment, everything shifted, moving forward in a jolt without having moved at all.
He looked down at me, and I looked up at him, and when he kissed me, I knew nothing would ever be what it was before.
STAY
Cooper
I ADJUSTED MY TIE IN the mirror over the dresser, smiling at my reflection that evening.
Maggie. All day, all night, in my dreams and in my arms.
I looked at the man in the mirror, barely recognizing who I saw looking back. I was me, the same me I’d always been — same nose, same eyes — but somehow, everything had changed.
The feeling of certainty, of rightness, overwhelmed me again. I was high off of it, off of her. Off the perfect day and her lips and her laugh.
I realized that the man I saw in the mirror looked different because I was hers.
It was a feeling I could get used to.
Purpose.
Maggie stepped out of the bathroom but stopped in the threshold, hanging on to the doorframe as she lifted her foot to adjust her heel. Her dress was simple and black, the neck scooped low, her black suede heels dainty and sexy all at once. She stood and looked up at me with eyes bright and blue, scanning my body.
When she made her way over to me, she laid her hands on my chest, slipping her fingers under my lapels. “I can’t handle you in this suit.”
My hands trailed down her waist to her hips. “I can’t handle you in this dress.”
She smiled and kissed me gently.
“We’ll never leave, Mags.”
“There’s food here, right?”
“I’m not letting my ‘no rules night with Maggie’ go to waste. I’m going to feed you, take you on a real date like I can’t in New York.”
She chuckled. “West would approve.”
My smile slipped, and I cupped her cheek. “Would he?”
She didn’t answer, only sighed.
“I have to believe that if we were honest with him—”
But she shook her head, her eyes on my lips. “Not tonight. Okay? Today … today’s been one of the most perfect days of my life. I don’t want to think about what happens tomorrow or what happened before. I just want right now. Can you give that to me?” Her eyes met mine.
My throat was tight — I couldn’t speak. So I nodded.
“Thank you. Now, let’s go eat shellfish until we can’t move.”
I laughed, though the tension never left me as I grabbed her hand and took her down to the garage. She shook her head, hand on her hip when I turned on the light.
“A Porsche? That’s so predictable.”
I shrugged and walked over to the black Boxster. “It’s my beach car.”
She followed, the beat of her heels against the concrete echoing in the room. “I don’t think I’ve ever actually ridden in a Porsche before.”
I smiled. “Well, allow me to introduce you.” I opened the door for her, and she slipped in, looking around, wide eyed.
“Swanky, Coop.”
I chuckled and closed her door, walking around to climb into the driver’s seat. She perked up when I started the engine.
“Oh, that sound.”
“Just wait.” I took a second to appreciate Maggie dressed like she was, sitting in my Porsche, looking like an absolute fantasy. I smirked and backed out of the garage, taking off up the driveway with the chirp of my tires.
She giggled. “Okay, I guess I see the appeal.”
I laughed.
We drove into town and parked on the main drag in front of the bistro. I helped her out of the car and offered her my arm.
I was king of the universe with Maggie on my arm.
We stepped into the quiet restaurant, following the host through the dim dining room and to a table for two with crisp white linens. I pulled out her chair, and she smiled at me sweetly as she set down her clutch and took a seat.
The restaurant was dark enough that the only light seemed to come from the cluster of candles on the table. I glanced around to see the faces of other patrons like islands in the dark around us. Our waiter materialized next to the table with a smile and poured our water, introducing himself and giving us a brief rundown of the menu before disappearing again, leaving us alone.
I sat back in my seat watching her look over the small menu, her brow creased just enough to know she wasn’t quite sure of herself.
“This all sounds delicious, but why aren’t there prices?”
I smiled. “The price is per meal. Just pick three courses.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Do I want to know how much it costs?”
“Probably not.”
She sighed and shook her head, red lips curved into a smile as she glanced back at her menu. “I don’t know that I’ve ever eaten dandelion before. And oxtail … is that actually …”
I chuckled. “Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like.”
“Oh. Maybe I’ll stick to lobster, then.”
I glanced at my menu. “They’ll pair our wine, if that works for you?”
“I’m sure they’d do a much better job than I would.” She looked up at me. “I’m a little intimidated.”
I gave her a reassuring smile. “Well, here’s a tip. Everything here is amazing. It really doesn’t matter what you choose.”
She seemed comforted. “I suppose that makes sense, what with the unspeakable price tag and all.” She laid her menu back on her plate and reached across the table for my hand. “Thank you, Cooper.”
I took her hand and ran my thumb across her knuckles. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m just glad you’re here. This has been …”
Her face softened. “I know,” she said quietly.
I put on The Smile, skirting the topic like I’d promised. “Not that either of us doubted I could convince you to come.”
Maggie laughed and squeezed my hand. “No, I’m just a sucker for you. I’m generally much more fastidious in my decisions.”
“Oh, I know. We’re old buddies, the rules and me.”
“Never stops you from trying to break them though, does it?”
One week. This is it. Don’t let her go. I pushed down my rambling thoughts and shrugged. “I didn’t break them. Just bent them a little.”
The waiter appeared again and took our order, removing our menus with a smile and a quiet whoosh before he was gone once more.
I steered the conversation away from us and sat across from her, hanging on every word, every smile, as a small part of me held its breath, not knowing how long our moment would last. I watched her face when our food came, as she took each bite and moaned ever so softly, the light in her eyes sparking with adventure.