Page 22 of Tides of Redemption
“A leap of faith,” I repeated, my voice rough with emotion.
His smile lit his entire face, transforming his features into something real and precious. “For you,” he said simply. “For us.”
For the first time in eleven years, I allowed myself to imagine a future with him—not just days or weeks, but years. A lifetime.
It was terrifying. It was exhilarating.
It was worth the risk.
Two weeks had felt like both an eternity and a heartbeat. The days had blurred together in a strange mix of anxiety and joy as Caleb and I circled each other, growing closer while trying not to focus on the uncertainty still hanging over us.
We’d fallen into a routine—coffee in the mornings at Tides & Tales before opening, shared lunches when our schedules allowed, while talking about everything and nothing, nights tangled together in bed. It felt like we were rebuilding something precious piece by piece, yet always with the awareness that the foundation wasn’t quite secure.
The loan approval loomed over everything. Caleb didn’t mention it, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his hand would slip into his pocket when Mary Anne called, the slight furrow in his brow when he checked his email. We were both trying not to think about what would happen if it fell through.
My apartment felt different now that Caleb was a regular visitor. Books he’d bought stood in neat stacks on the coffee table. A sketchbook sometimes appeared and disappeared. A spare toothbrush had taken up residence in my bathroom. Small markers of his presence that made my heart squeeze every time I noticed them.
I was arranging books on my shelves—a task to keep me busy—when the knock came. Three quick raps, familiar now. My pulse quickened as I crossed the room to open the door.
Caleb stood on the landing, his expression unreadable. His sweater and pants were impeccable, as always, but his hair looked like he’d been running his fingers through it repeatedly. He seemed both exhausted and vibrating with energy.
“It’s done,” he said simply.
My breath caught. “The sale?”
“Oui. Just signed the paperwork.” A smile broke across his face, transforming it completely. “Mary Anne and I closed the deal.”
Joy surged through me, so powerful it felt like electricity in my veins. I reached for him, pulling him into the apartment and into my arms in one movement.
“You did it,” I whispered against his neck. “You really did it.”
His arms tightened around me. “I can hardly believe it myself.”
When we pulled apart, his hands were trembling. For all his confident exterior, this was monumental—he’d just committed himself to a business, to a town, to a life here. To us.
“Are you terrified?” I asked, leading him to the couch.
He laughed, a slightly shaky sound. “Completely. I just signed away more money than I’ve ever seen in my life, for a gallery in a small coastal town, when I could be at the Louvre.” He shook his head. “By any objective measure, it’s insane.”
“Second thoughts?” My heart squeezed with sudden anxiety.
“Not even for a second.” His expression softened as he reached for my hand. “This is where I want to be.”
The certainty in his voice made my throat tight with emotion. I leaned in to kiss him, trying to pour all my feelings into the connection. “Let’s celebrate,” I whispered, a breath away from his lips. “Fuck me, Caleb.”
He shook his head. “No.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Caleb
Mason reared back, his eyes widening with hurt, the warm intimacy of the moment suddenly chilled. “No?” His voice cracked slightly, vulnerability replacing desire.
I cupped his jaw gently, feeling the coarse scruff beneath my palm, the strong line of definition I’d traced in dreams for eleven years. “I’ll make love to you,” I whispered, pouring meaning into each word. “Not just fucking. Not anymore.”
Something shifted in his expression—the hurt dissolving into understanding, then tenderness. He melted into my arms, his firm body suddenly yielding as he dropped his head to my shoulder. I felt the warm dampness of his breath against my neck as he spoke.
“I love you, Caleb,” he murmured, his voice rough with emotion. “I never stopped loving you, even when we were apart. Thank you for coming back into my life.”
