Page 17 of Wake Me Up Before You Cocoa

That was the way he’d always remembered her. Happy, content within herself, selfless and giving, and enjoying life, even when it was hard or challenging.

For years he’d pushed his memories—and love—for Marina away. Especially when he thought she was married and living two thousand miles away! But Wade remembered those moments of despair thinking he’d never see Marina gain—and would never have the chance to truly love and cherish her.

He’d had to accept that he’d lost her forever.

And now here she was . . . available, single, sweet, and more beautiful than she realized—and he remembered.

Wade ran both hands through his hair, as if trying to shake Marina out of his thoughts. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking these things about another woman.

But this day had changed his entire perspective of the last eight years since they’d parted ways after college graduation.

A whole new paradigm had just replaced the old one.

Yet, Wade still had no clue what wasreallygoing on inside that head of hers.Marina had been hiding her thoughts. Hiding her old self. Or had she changed that much?

Not on the surface, of course.

Marina still wore her distinctive vintage style. Cute black boots on her feet and dangly earrings that brushed against her slender, pale neck. The funky antique store was a perfect fit for her. All of her quirks were still there. Endearing and adorable as ever. He even recognized that subtle musky perfume she used to wear. Floating around her, invisible, but seductive.

“Okay, get a grip,” he finally spoke out loud as he almost ran a red light.

Wade vowed to push the image of her away again. There was nousbetween him and Marina any longer. Hadn’t been in nearly ten years. It was over. Done. Finished. Goodbyes had been said. No looking back. So why did he feel so melancholy?

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thoughts that had stirred up so strongly.

He had the fashionable and stylish Lydia now. He was a different person with Miss Lydia Gravois, a former New York model, daughter of Philip Gravois, the impressive CEO of Gravois Manufacturing and Business Enterprise Systems.

Wade had become the person he was supposed to become. Driven, ambitious, disciplined, visionary, and ruthless when it came to real estate development. And enjoying the success of his hard work and smart investing.

Clicking the garage door opener, he smoothly parked his Bentley Continental inside, grabbed his briefcase and entered the house through the back door which led directly into a marble foyer—not a laundry room or mud room. The architect of the house had been married to an impressive interior designer.

Entering the airy sitting room opposite the dining room, he noticed a pair of high heels sitting to one side of the sofa and a black Hermes handbag lying on the wide armchair.

His heart sank for a moment. He needed time to unwind before dinner, his mind racing with the unexpected events of the afternoon. . . finding the lost cell phone, seeing his college girlfriend after eight years and drinking hot cocoa together. It almost seemed like a dream now, but he knew it was real.

“Lydia,” he called out, a bit more sharply than he intended. “You here?” He didn’t like it when her mother dropped her off at his house earlier than expected. She had a bad habit of never informing him before changing plans.

He loosened his tie, wondering where she was. Before he could turn around again, a pair of slender arms wrapped around Wade’s torso as Lydia purred, “Hello, darling, welcome home.”

She stood on tiptoe to nibble at the back of his neck while slipping around to face him, her hands on his chest and then up around his neck as she leaned in to kiss him, then leanedback to gaze at him. “There’s more where that came from, Mr. Kennedy. But we don’t have to wait for our wedding to get to the honeymoon. We could honeymoon tonight.”

Wade’s entire body jolted at her words. He tried to hide his reaction by smoothing a hand down the back of his neck and giving a humorous grin.

“Hey, what can I say?” he went on with a small laugh. “I’m an old-fashioned guy, Lydia. I want a proper honeymoon after the wedding vows. If I recall, that’s what we agreed to.”

Wade listened to himself, wincing at how formal his words sounded—talking like that to the woman he had committed to marry and spend the rest of his life with.

“Is that why you won’t let me move in to your big, beautiful house? Youknowhow I adore New Orleans’s historic Garden District. And I do declare that you have the prettiest house of them all.”

Wade laughed at that. “What you’re describing is your parents’ New Orleans house. The place you grew up—minus the years at the modeling agency.”

She lifted one shoulder and gave a sultry pout. “I spent most of my time in smoggy Los Angeles or noisy New York City. Um . . .” She paused for a moment. “Speaking of residences, I’ve already let my apartment go and moved my things to my parents’ house. Daddy said I could live with them while Mother and I plan the wedding—unless you want to invite me to live here withyou.”

“We’ve already discussed this, Lydia,” he said firmly.

“But by next year, I’ll be living here as your wife! What different does a few months make?”

“We must all make sacrifices,” he told her with a dry chuckle and changed the subject. “Are you ready to head to the restaurant? I’m starving.”

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