Page 63 of Attached At Heart
And yet, I couldn’t shake his words from our conversation about boundaries.
You can do anything to me.
He said I could do anything to him, but sharing a bed was too much? Was it because we weren’t trying to convince anyone of anything?
“I can sleep on the couch,” I said, pushing words out of my suddenly dry mouth. “I’m shorter. Makes sense.”
He shook his head. “I can’t let you do that, Lane. I convinced you to take this trip and booked this place; it’s my mess-up. I’ll take the couch.”
I sighed, recognizing his stubbornness when I saw it.
“We can take turns.”
Blake hesitated, his lips drawing in a tight line. But finally, he nodded. “We can take turns.”
I mimicked him, giving a nod of finality as the car pulled up to an adorable thatched-roof house surrounded by a smattering of pink flowers and encased by a wooden picket fence.
“Is this it?” I asked, feeling my stomach tighten with anticipation.
Blake checked his phone and then surveyed the house like he was comparing the two. “Looks like it. I’m hoping the view around the back makes up for the lack of a bedroom.”
“I think you’re going to love it.” The Uber driver tossed us a grin over his shoulder, his Dutch accent thick. “This is a beautiful stretch of the coast.”
I smiled back at him. “Thank you. From what I’ve seen, it’s gorgeous, and I can’t wait to see more.”
“Go check it out.” Blake jerked his head. “I’ll be right behind you.”
I didn’t need to be told twice, although I did stop to grab my suitcase from the trunk despite Blake’s grumbling. I dragged it with me, charging toward the house. I felt reinvigorated. Maybe because we’d finally arrived at our final destination, or perhaps it had something to do with the way Blake had been looking at me. I didn’t know, but I’d gotten a second wind. A touch of giddiness might even be flowing in my veins, but I couldn’t be sure. Because that would be weird, right?
Either way, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this way.
Blake had the house’s entry code, but I’d left him in the dust, rounding to the back of the house and promptly gasping. The rental home sat elevated from the coastline, which stretched endlessly. The dark waters crashed vigorously against an extended sandy shore, yet an undeniable serenity calmed my senses as I watched it.
Footsteps alerted me to Blake’s presence, along with a prickling sensation on the back of my neck, an awareness of him I couldn’t shake.
“I think the view definitely makes up for it,” I said before sweeping my gaze around the rest of the backyard. My jaw dropped at what I found inside the glass wall that lined the patio’s perimeter, walking through an opening in it. “Oh my God, is that ahot tub? And apool?”
Blake’s steps grew closer. “Did you pack your swimsuit?”
I turned to find him lingering a few paces away, his body tense.
“I threw it in at the last minute. I didn’t expect to beonthe sea, but I knew we’d be near it.”
Blake’s eyes darted to the shoreline and then back to me. His expression grew wary.
Oh, of course.Shit, I was an ass. Blake hated large bodies of water—ever since the drowning incident when he was younger. No wonder he was standing there looking like he might bolt back to the Uber.
“Blake…” I started, unsure of what to say. I didn’t want to bring his trauma to the forefront if he wanted to keep it in the background. “Is this going to be okay?”
He nodded, but it was curt, and his eyes hadn’t moved from the crash of the waves on the shore.
“We should message the rental hosts,” I said. “I’m sure there are other property options that aren’t by the water.”
“No, Lane. It’s okay,” he insisted, more forceful this time.
“If you’re sure.” I stepped toward him. “We don’t need to get any closer to the shore than this. It’s too chilly to go in the sea anyway,” I reasoned. “The hot tub will be perfect for this weather.”
His body remained strung tight enough that I worried if I plucked at the wrong cord, he’d break. But still, I inched closer, hoping I could reach him.
