“Stop it.”  My voice is hard, surprising both of us.  “I didn’t say no, Nate.  I said let’s talk about it some more.  I want to be with you.  Let’s enjoy this beautiful home of yours and relax, just the two of us, with nothing else to worry about, for the next thirty-six or so hours.”

His face relaxes into a smile and he hugs me, tucking me under his chin.  “Don’t worry, baby, I’ll talk you into it.”

I just laugh and squeeze him tight.  “Let’s go for a run on the beach.”

“A run?” Nate asks as I pull out of his arms and walk into the bedroom to open my suitcase.

“Yeah.  I haven’t worked out much this week.”  I know Nate goes to the gym every morning before he follows me into the office.  “I need a run.”

“Okay.”  We pull on some workout clothes, our running shoes and hoodies and head downstairs to the back porch.

“Wow.”  The wrap around porch that does indeed circle the entire house, is extended out farther in the back, over a steep decline in the terrain that leads down to the sand below.  There is an outdoor kitchen, and plush furniture on the covered space.  The railing is made of thick rustic logs, most likely native to this area, and there is a long stairway that leads down to the beach.

Half way down the decline, the stairs stop at a large gazebo with more plush furniture and a fire pit.  It would be a great spot to sit in the evening with a glass of wine, roast some marshmallows and watch the sunset.

Nate leads me all the way down to the sand.  “Well, the climb back up is going to be one hell of a workout,” I remark dryly.

He chuckles down at me.  “Why do you think the gazebo is there?  I don’t need anyone having a heart attack on my property.”

We walk down to the shoreline where the sand is packed and wet and silently start to run, setting a steady, even pace, running in silence, listening to the water, the birds, and our feet as they rhythmically hit the sand.

We run around drift wood, over seashells, and even spot the carcass of a sea lion, most likely washed up during the tide.

“If you want to run ahead of me, it’s okay,” I say, breaking the quiet.  “I know your legs are longer than mine.”

“I’m good.”

I glance over at him, and he grabs my elbow, pulling me to the right.  “Watch out.”

He’s steered me around a washed-up log.

“Thanks.”

After about twenty minutes, we decide to turn around and head back.  We’ve run a long way down the beach, which means we have to run all the way back.

I slow down to a walk when I spot the dead sea lion.

“Julianne?”  Nate is out of breath.

“I’m fine, time to walk.”  I’m also panting and we walk toward the house.

“I love it here.” Nate’s eyes are fixed on the waves as they tumble toward us.  “It’s like when I’m here, nothing else matters.”

I love the beach too, and I know exactly what he means.

“Being at the beach makes me focus on myself.  I forget to worry,” I frown as I stare out at the water, trying to articulate my thoughts.  “I guess it’s my happy place.”

“You’re my happy place, baby.”

My head whips up to meet his gaze at his softly spoken words.  He just smiles and takes my hand in his as we continue along the shoreline.

“Come on, let’s feed you lunch.”

Chapter Twenty Two

“This is nice.”

Nate’s running his fingers through my hair.  We are lounging on the plush sage green couch in the living room.  Nate lit a fire in the beautiful stone fireplace, and it’s warm and comfortable.  After our run on the beach I took a shower while he fixed lunch, then he joined me.

“How did your kitchen get stocked?” I ask and close my eyes, loving the way his fingers feel in my hair.

“I made some calls,” he murmurs.

“Must be nice to have minions.”

He chuckles and tugs playfully on my hair.  “I don’t have minions. I have millions.”

I hear the playfulness in his voice, but I keep my eyes closed.  I don’t want to know how much money he has.  I know he’s excellent at his job, and he is clearly wealthy.

“None of my business,” I murmur.

“Don’t go to sleep on me.”

“You like it when I go to sleep on you.”  Hmm… he’s still playing with my hair, and the fire is warm.  “I don’t remember the last time I was this relaxed.  We have to come here often.”

“We can come here whenever you want, baby.”

Nate turned on the satellite radio while he was fixing lunch, and the music is flowing through the whole house through the sound system.  I Won’t Give Up by Jason Mraz is playing, making me smile.

“I love this song.”

“You do?”  I feel him reach for the remote and he turns up the volume.

I open my eyes and look up into his face.  How did I get this lucky?

“You spoil me you know.”

“I hope so. That’s the goal.” His thumb brushes across my cheek.

“You don’t need to.  I’m happy with just you.”

“This is me, baby.”

I sit up and cup his face in my hands.  His hair is still tied, and my fingers are itching to run through it.

“Can I take your hair down?” I ask.  His eyes flair.

“You can do whatever you want.”

I pull the tie out of his hair and run my fingers through the thick, ink black softness.  “Don’t cut it.”

“Okay.”  His arms are wrapped around me, and his eyes are traveling over my face, patiently watching me as I touch his hair, his face, his shoulders.

“You’re so handsome,” I whisper.

Nate leans down and lays his lips over mine, just resting them there, breathing me in.  I never knew such a light touch could be so intimate.  Finally, he kisses me sweetly and pulls back.

“I have something for you.” He whispers and I grin.

“It’s about time, ace.”  I quickly straddle his hips and settle my center over his crotch.  “This morning feels like days ago.”

Nate laughs up at me as he cups my ass in his hands and pulls me closer.  “Well, that’s not exactly what I meant, but I love the way you think, baby.”