Page 10 of Beginnings By the Sea

I couldn’t help but grin at his compliment. “I’ve had a few ask me out since moving here, but I’ve been focused on building my practice. It wasn’t until recently that I decided to try dating again.”

Cohen grinned. “Then I guess I got lucky moving here at the right time.”

We both laughed softly, but then the smile slowly faded from my face as thoughts of Miles crept in. I knew I couldn’t keep my failed marriage hidden from Cohen if we were going to pursue anything serious.

“Nyla? What’s wrong?” he asked with concern etched on his face.

The familiar burn threatened behind my eyes, and with a heavy sigh, I turned to look at him fully. “I was married before,” I said softly.

His expression shifted from surprise to sympathy. “Really? What happened?”

I laughed but there was no humor to it. “Stupidity,” I answered.

Cohen snorted. “Obviously, on his part.”

“No,” I replied, shaking my head. “It was mine.”

Cohen’s expression was full of disbelief. “I’m having a hard time believing you. What happened?”

Quickly, I held up a hand. “First off, I didn’t cheat. Neither one of us did. My ex was too good of a man to do that to me.”

“Then what went wrong?” Cohen wondered; his eyes narrowed curiously.

A heavy sigh escaped my lips. “My ambition is what went wrong. I put all my energy into my job and lost focus on my marriage. My husband wanted to make it work, but I couldn’t seem to ever leave the hospital. It was hard to say no when they needed me. Helping people has always been my passion.” The familiar sting in my heart came back; it was regret. “The problem,” I said, fighting back the burn behind my eyes, “was that I never helped myself, or my husband for that matter. He deserved better than what I gave him.”

Cohen cupped my cheeks in his firm grasp. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up over the past.”

I shrugged. “It’s hard not to.”

His hands slid from my face. “Do you still keep in touch with him?”

“No,” I replied, turning my gaze to the ocean. “It’s been over two years since the last time we spoke. My heart hurt too much trying to keep him in my life. I thought a clean break would be best.” Cohen wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his side. “That’s why I buried myself in work. Not long after that, I met Everleigh. She was a lifesaver.”

Cohen let out a sigh and guided me down the dock back toward the parking lot. “Look at it this way, if you were still married, you wouldn’t be living in Oak Island with your own medical practice. Things do happen for a reason. Also,” he began, and I could hear the smile in his voice, “if you were still married, you wouldn’t be here with me.” His voice was low and gentle, like a whisper of a breeze on the ocean water.

I laughed. “That’s true.”

We stopped at my car and Cohen moved closer, the moonlight outlining his strong jawline. His hands were warm against my cheeks as he leaned in, his gaze never breaking from mine. A thrill ran through me as I waited for him to make the next move. Our breaths mingled as he paused, lips parted slightly.

“I know it’s our first date, but I’ve wanted to kiss you since the second I saw you tonight.”

My pulse quickened with anticipation. “Then what’s stopping you?” I whispered, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.

Cohen didn’t say anything. Instead, he leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. It was a soft kiss as if he was asking for permission. I didn’t hesitate to give in to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. He tasted like wine and sea salt, and I couldn’t get enough of him.

His hands trailed down my back, sending shivers down my spine. Cohen pulled back from the mesmerizing kiss, his thumb caressing my cheek.

“We should probably call it a night,” he murmured.

I could only nod in agreement; this was our first date, and I wasn’t ready to take things any further than where we had already gone.

“Yes, we should,” I said with absolute certainty.

He opened my car door and kissed me again before stepping away. His emerald eyes glimmered in the moonlight as he smiled down at me.

“Have a good day at work tomorrow. I’ll see you at The Beachcomber.” He glanced down at himself and adjusted his suit jacket self-consciously. “And I promise I’ll do everything I can to fit in. No suits, I promise.”

That made me laugh. “You do that. But I know that you’ll like my friends and vice versa.”

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