“Hey there, Seattle, that was Life After You by Daughtry here on KLPR, Seattle’s best rock radio station. I have a special treat for our listeners. I got a call from Seattle’s own Leo Nash of the mega band, Nash, yesterday asking me to play their newest single from their upcoming album, Sunshine. The album doesn’t release for another month, but we have a sneak peak of the title track for you today. Leo tells me this song is dedicated to someone special. I hope you enjoy it.”

“Are you kidding me?” I ask, my eyes wide. Leo’s smiling softly and he grips the ends of my scarf in his fists and pulls me against him.

“Dance with me.”

He wraps me in his arms and as the piano begins, he moves us back and forth along the cliff, the wind blowing through our hair and stinging my cheeks. He pulls back briefly, so I can slip my arms under his jacket, and tightens his arms around me again, holding me close, looking down into my eyes.

I don’t wanna be your friend

‘Cause I’ve already let you in

Every time I see your sweet blue eyes

I know I need to make you mine

My walls crumble… and crumble

So all you see is the real me

When you smile

Your sunshine hits me

And the shadows in my soul

They are gone

He softly sings along, his eyes dropping to my lips and then back to mine. He kisses my forehead softly.

“I love this song,” I whisper.

“I love you,” he whispers back, bends me back into a deep dip, and then circles me more vigorously around the car. The song is swirling around us, the rest of the world has stilled, and it even seems like the crashing waves beneath the cliff have quieted.

Oh how many times

Did I stare at your lips

Wishing I could feel

Them on me

When you’re so close

Baby, I forget how to breathe

When you smile

Your sunshine hits me

And the shadows in my soul

They are gone

When I run my hand

Over your perfect skin

I know you see me

And not what I’m covered in

My walls crumble… And crumble

So all you see is the me I need you to see

I can’t look away from his eyes. This is how he sees me. What did I do to deserve him?

He cups my face in his hands and brushes my lips with his, gently nibbling and caressing my mouth, and then sinks into me, kissing me with all he has as our song comes to an end.

He pulls back, his stormy gray eyes happy and shining with lust, kisses my cheek and then releases me to lean in the car and turn the radio off.

When he turns back to me, his face is uncertain.

“When did you record the song?” I ask, a little out of breath.

“Last week.” He shrugs and pulls me back into him, my arms under his jacket again to keep me warm. “DJ and Gary came up from L.A. and we spent some time in the studio.”

“Was that your mysterious errand?” I ask and give him a mock-frown.

“Yes.” He chuckles and kisses my nose.

“I love it.” I kiss his chin and grin. “I really, really love it. Are you seriously naming the whole album Sunshine?”

“Yeah, we are.” He rubs my cheek with his thumb. “It’s appropriate.”

I grin and then look around us at the water, the trees, the cliffs. “So, no house, unless it’s wearing the invisibility cloak.”

“I didn’t know you’re a Harry Potter fan.”

“Sure.” I shrug.

“No house yet.” He nods and follows my gaze.

“What do you mean? Are you going to build a house on stilts?” I smirk and gesture to the Sound. “Do you know how many houses fall into the water every year here?”

“So, here’s the deal.” He kisses my forehead again and pulls back, takes my hand, and pulls me closer to the cliffs.

“This is as far as I go.” I plant my feet and stop. “I’m afraid of heights, remember?”

“Okay, scaredy cat.” He laughs and his eyes travel over the water. “Do you know how much I wanted to live on the water when I first moved out here? I’d never seen the ocean until I moved here when I was nineteen.”

He turns his eyes down to mine and squeezes my hand.

“You couldn’t find a house to buy on the water?” I ask.

“After the interesting afternoon with the last agent the other day, I thought it might be easier to build.” He shrugs. “Plus, then you’ll get exactly what you want.”

“Leo.” I swallow and try to keep my panic down. “I told you, I’m not ready to live together.”

“Me neither.” He laughs and turns to me, taking both my hands in his. “Do you know how long it takes to build a house?”

“Yes, Isaac is a contractor.”

“Great, he can build it.”

“But…”

“Listen.” He kisses me, his smile still in place, and I calm, just a bit. “We don’t even need to break ground until we both agree that we’re ready to take that step, Sam. The land will be here.”

“But it’s so far out of town.”

“No, it’s not.” He shakes his head and chuckles almost shyly. “I took the scenic route. I was trying to kill time while waiting for the radio to play your song.”

“How far out are we?”

“Only ten minutes from downtown.” He runs his fingertips down my cheek. “Think of the closet you can build, baby.”

“Oh God, it’s not fair to bribe me with a closet.”

“I’m not bribing you.” He tosses his head back as he laughs. “I want you to have full input on the house. You can have anything you want, whenever you’re ready.”

“Did you already buy it?” I ask, already knowing the answer. He looks down and frowns nervously and then looks back into my eyes.

“Yes. For us. For when we’re ready. It’s gonna happen, sunshine. You’re mine.”

He’s right. And I love him for not pressuring us into jumping into it right now, but rather letting things progress as they should.

“So, when we’re ready to move in together,” I clarify, “we’ll draw up plans and have Isaac build us a house here, on a seventy-five foot cliff?”

“Or on the grassy part over there.” He agrees.

I look out over the gray water, covered in dark clouds with white seagulls flying over it looking for food. A ferry is carrying people to one of the islands.

“It’s a beautiful view.”