The sound of the taxi’s tires crunching in the driveway sounded, and Chloe set the goodbye letter to Dominic on the table. It was short and right to the point. She didn’t mention anything that they’d done, didn’t even mention the fight. A simple, “Thank you for letting me stay here, but I think my time here is done,” was all that needed to be said.

  She made sure to let him know when her bus would be leaving, not so much because she thought he needed to know, but more so because she hoped—in the back of her mind—he’d come to her. Of course, she knew he wouldn’t.

  Chloe wasn’t stupid, no matter what she’d done recently that might have indicated the contrary.

  Chapter Ten

  Eight years later

  The road beside Chloe’s car sped by like a blur of gray and yellow. Finally, after eight grueling years of school, she was finished. She was a physician. It seemed surreal, almost like she was locked in a dream, a very good one at that.

  Now, she had another four years of internship to look forward to, to perfect her craft and learn even more, and she couldn’t wait.

  She tightened her hands on the steering wheel and breathed out slowly. Why she’d decided to head up to the cabin was still a mystery to her. It might even be one of the worst decisions of her life, but despite that, she couldn’t stop herself from making the journey. She was going to the one place she’d told herself she wouldn’t go ever again.

  But here she was, breaking that promise to herself.

  She supposed the only saving grace was that Dominic wouldn’t be there. Or maybe that was one massive letdown.

  In the past eight years a lot had changed. Her parents had decided to practice medicine in California. It wasn’t too much of a shock to Chloe, given the fact she knew they wanted to expand their profession and look into plastics. It wasn’t like she wasn’t used to being put on the backburner, though. Hell, the majority of her life had been only about her grades and future professional status to them. If she looked good, they looked good.

  Her parents had moved a year ago, but they rarely spoke, mainly just on holidays or birthdays, and even those conversations were stilted and awkward. They were much too busy with their own lives to care about hers anymore. A blessing, she supposed. Or maybe they were sick of everything, too, and moving was the only option they saw fit to rectify the shitty life they’d wrought?

  The one person that was always in the forefront of her mind, though, was Uncle Dominic. When everyone had found out Clara and Dominic had divorced, surprise was the dominant emotion. Chloe knew that she, along with everyone else, had thought Clara and Dominic would last forever. There was no talk about Clara cheating on him, and Chloe knew that if she hadn’t overhead her aunt and uncle’s conversation, she would have never known either. The blame was squarely placed on Dominic and his “inadequacy to be a good husband.”

  Chloe hadn’t spoken to her uncle in the past eight years. All of her information came from what she’d heard from others, eavesdropping, or inadvertently walking in on a private conversation. She wasn’t even sure why they cared anymore. After the divorce, it was as if they had never known him. And he hadn’t even been the one who’d betrayed Clara. He’d been the one who’d gotten the shitty end of the deal.

  She’d heard through the grapevine he’d reenlisted in the navy and had gone overseas. And that scared the shit out of her. With the wars waging all over the world, she feared hearing the news that Dominic was gone for good.

  She knew he beat himself up about what they’d done, and she wished she could take his pain away. If he didn’t feel guilty, why else would he have run away and became an active SEAL again? She thought of him every day—but to actually speak to him again, to see him again, after what had been said and done? That was all too much.

  As the hours passed and her tires ate up the pavement, Chloe couldn’t help but think about where her life had taken her. Her fondest memories were the ones at the cottage she was now heading to, and how sad was that? A childhood where you were happiest at a place that wasn’t even your home, with a person who wasn’t even blood related.

  Once she started her internship, she wouldn’t have time for anything else. During this break, before she started her residency, she needed to see the lake again, needed to see the little things that made up the memories she thought about the most.

  When she’d asked about whether the cabin was empty, her aunt hadn’t even questioned her. It was hard speaking to Clara because of everything that had gone down. But that was life. She’d moved on—Clara as well—and now Chloe was focused on making sure she was happy.

  Because that’s what mattered, and it had taken her a long time to realize that.

  ****

  The sun was starting to set when she finally reached the cottage, and the last rays of the sun illuminated the wraparound porch and pristine landscaping.

  Chloe pulled the car to a stop in front of the porch and shut the engine off. When she got out, she stretched, her gaze landing right on the lake. She couldn’t help but smile at the warmth she felt. Everything looked the same. As far as she was aware, no one had been at the cabin in years, yet everything looked well taken care of, right down to the mowed grass.

  Leave it to Clara to keep up appearances.

  She grabbed her bags out of the back of the car, and then headed up the porch. The same rock that sat by the front door sat by her feet, and she lifted it. Chloe grinned when she saw the spare key.

  After unlocking the door, she stepped inside and immediately smelled lemon. She turned the lights on and walked through each room, feeling her brows knit. The décor was completely different, sparse with a masculine touch.

  Despite the change of scenery inside, Chloe instantly felt like she was home. It was strange being here all over again, after being away for so long.

  She took the stairs slowly, looking at where the family pictures had once hung, but now white walls greeted her. When she reached the top, she headed toward the room she’d stayed in while here with her parents. The room looked exactly the same, right down to the bed and comforter. Memories assaulted her, and she swallowed, feeling emotions rise up as she remembered everything in vivid clarity.

  The cottage was very clean for no one having lived in it for years, but then again, she didn’t doubt a cleaning service had been hired to do the upkeep on it. Her aunt was a stickler for neat and tidy.

  And like a masochist, Chloe set her things on that same bed. It looked like she’d be staying in this room while here. After organizing her belongings, she went into the kitchen and started putting away the food she’d brought. When she opened the fridge, she felt her brows knit as she saw milk and eggs, yogurt and an array of other perishable items.

  Why in the hell was food in the fridge? Was Clara renting the property out? That was the only logical and rational thing Chloe could think of.

  But she shook her head and pushed it away, setting her groceries in the fridge and closing it.

  For the next hour, she busied herself by making some dinner, then made a plate and headed out to the porch. It was just like old times, and the feeling of never leaving crossed her mind. After she finished dinner, she leaned back in the chair and stared at the stars. She started to count them aloud, just like before. The time seemed to blur as she counted those little, bright orbs of light, wishing she could be that far away, looking down at someone else.

  “You used to do that when you were a kid.”

  She gasped and stood up so fast her plate fell off her lap and broke on the paved patio. Chloe turned around. She stared wide-eyed at the man who stood in the back doorway, leaning against the frame, his arms crossed, the light from behind him making shadows conceal the front part of his body lightly.

  Dominic. He was here.

  Chapter Eleven

  Her body’s response was instantaneous. Heart pounding wildly, adrenaline pumping through her veins, she felt the same rush she had felt all those years ago when he’d held and kissed her.

  “Uncle Dominic.” The words were breathless as they left her. He looked the same. Aside from a few silver hairs that reflected the moonlight, he was still all hard, powerful muscle and an imposing frame. It was awkward, to say the least, because all she could think about was what they’d shared all those years ago. Was he thinking the same? Picturing what they’d done?

  He stepped onto the patio and moved toward her. Her throat was suddenly bone dry.

  “I thought you were overseas.” She blurted out the words before she could stop them. “God, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to be the first thing that came out of me.” And now she just felt like an even bigger ass.

  “You’re fine, Chloe.”

  His voice was deep, husky. It seemed more masculine after all these years, if that were even possible.

  “I was overseas.” He didn’t elaborate, and she didn’t probe for more details. If he wanted her to know more, he’d volunteer the information.

  A thick moment of silence descended upon them, and Chloe found herself shifting uncomfortably. She cleared her throat and never thought she’d be in a moment more awkward than the day after she lost her virginity to Dominic.

  How wrong she was.

  “I-I didn’t mean to intrude. I didn’t know you’d be here.” She felt like she was going to pass out. This was uncomfortable and weird, and she hated it. “I’ll go because I don’t want to step on any toes.”

  Moving the chair out of the way so she didn’t have to get too close to him and make this even more awkward, Chloe stepped right on one of the pieces of broken plate that littered the ground.

  “Shit,” she cried out and lifted her foot instantly. But the awkward positioning had her losing her footing, and she started to fall forward. The ground came closer and closer, but right before she landed face first, Dominic was there, his arms wrapped tightly around her. He lifted her easily, moving her away from the shards that littered the ground.

  The feel of her body against his sent a flush of heat through her. “Uncomfortable arousal” wasn’t even a string of words she’d have used to describe what she felt in that moment. When they entered the kitchen and he set her on the counter, it brought back memories she’d tried desperately to suppress. But of course, she’d failed miserably at every turn. He was on his knees in front of her with her injured foot in his hand in the next moment.

  “The cut isn’t too deep, but it’s going to hurt like hell. Hang on, and I’ll get the first aid kit.” He stood and stared at her for a moment before striding off.

  Could she leave before he came back? Making a quick getaway crossed her mind, but how childish would that look? Not to mention she would be a coward. If he wanted her to leave then he’d tell her; if not, well, maybe they could just talk. That would be really nice after all these years of silence.

  When he came back into the kitchen, he held a small red box with a white cross on the front. He grabbed a chair and slid it across the floor until it was right in front of her. Dominic sat down and lifted her leg, resting it on his thigh. He looked at her foot again and made a tsking sound under his breath.

  “You should be more careful, Chloe.”

  “I tend to hear that a lot,” she mumbled under her breath and looked down at him, their gazes holding.

  “If you weren’t so anxious to get away from me you could have avoided this.”

  She instantly felt her face heat at his words, and had no retort to his comment. He was right, of course. As the silence progressed and he cleaned and dressed her wound, Chloe couldn’t help but think about the last time she’d sat on this counter in this kitchen.

  Trying to steer her thoughts elsewhere, she muttered, “I’m really glad you aren’t hurt. When I heard you’d reenlisted, I was afraid. It wasn’t like I thought you couldn’t handle yourself, but, well, you know.” Yeah, she was rambling. She’d overheard Clara telling her mother about it, and although both women had been really disinterested about the whole thing, Chloe knew they were gossip queens. They were probably glad he was gone, which infuriated Chloe. “Anyway, I’m just glad you’re okay.” She could have ripped out her tongue for how fast she talked. The words all seemed to roll together, and it was clear, even to her, that she was nervous as hell.

  He didn’t respond after she spoke, just continued to treat her foot. And that made her feel even more like an ass for saying anything at all.

  “I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sorry.”

  After he bandaged her foot, he didn’t let it go right away. He lifted his head and searched her face with his gaze. “You worried about me?”

  She licked her lips and nodded. “Of course.”

  Silence descended.

  He smiled. “No need to worry. I’m always careful.” She felt him gently stroke the top of her foot with his finger. “I won’t even get into how you found out I reenlisted, because I can only guess and imagine what was said.” He chuckled, his goodhearted nature something she loved about him.

  “Yeah, it’s probably best not to get into that part too much.”

  They both started laughing.

  He let go of her foot and stood. “I’d ask if you want to walk around the lake and talk, but I’m going to take a guess you’re out of commission for tonight at least. Can I talk you into a nice, boring evening on the couch? Maybe a movie?” He shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. “You’re here, and I’d love to catch up.”

  He was trying to lighten things up, because no doubt he felt the tension and awkwardness as well.

  “I’d love that,” she said and smiled, getting off the counter slowly so she didn’t add pressure to her foot.

  He moved toward her and helped her into the living room, and Chloe would be lying if she didn’t admit she loved having him close like this, even if it was innocent. The feel of him next to her, his hardness to her softness, made her close her eyes momentarily and had her praying for strength.

  Even after all these years, she still loved him.

  He settled her on the couch and sat in the chair across from her. It would be a lie if she didn’t admit she felt a little deflated that he didn’t sit beside her. Either he didn’t know what to talk about either or he was waiting for her to say something.

  She licked her lips and looked around the room. “You changed things.” Good. She watched as he shifted his large body in the almost too small chair.

  “Yeah, changed it years ago, as soon as I could. Never liked the décor, truthfully.” More silence passed. “Have you talked to your aunt?”

  She looked over at him with what she knew was a surprised expression. This had just gone to downright weird as fuck. Chloe nodded once.

  “I talked to her briefly before I came up here. I wanted to make sure it was okay. I was feeling nostalgic.” She rambled off those sentences. “But I really don’t talk to her. I don’t talk to a lot of my family if I’m being honest.”

  His brows knitted. “Really? If you don’t mind me asking, why not?”

  “Well. For one, she travels so much I find it hard to keep in contact with her. That and with everything that happened…” God, she was going there. “Yeah, we just don’t talk. Same scenario with my family.” She bit her tongue and gauged Dominic’s reaction.

  “Well, I’m glad she found what makes her happy.”

  How could he say that after what she’d done to him? She wasn’t about to ask him that flat out, but the fact that he seemed so good natured about it, that he actually wanted her to be happy, told her how he’d moved on with his life, how he wasn’t going to let the past dictate who and what he was.

  Maybe it was wrong of her to come here when she knew she had no business visiting, but she’d thought it harmless enough. But now she regretted it because it was going to be nothing but awkward.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, why are you here?”

  He laughed deeply. “I live here, Chloe. Remember?”

  Her face heated in embarrassment. “I-I didn’t mean to imply differently. It’s just, well, Clara is the one who gave me permission to come up here, so I just assumed…”

  His face became hard-set. “Clara has a hard time letting go of things, materialistic things, that is. And this house is right up there with the things she refuses to get rid of.” He smiled again, but it was tight.

  She wasn’t about to delve into that.

  “Oh.” What else could she say?

  A moment of silence stretched, and she could see his mind working.

  “I got the cabin in the divorce, but she seems to think it's a mutual ownership. I just don’t have the energy to argue with her anymore.” He leaned back. “But she probably thought I wasn’t here, and that’s why she gave you the all clear to come down.”

  She did not want to talk about Clara. Thinking it best to change the subject, Chloe said, “I’m really sorry about just showing up. I know I have no right just coming here, not how everything turned out with … everything.”

  “You are always welcome here, no matter what. It doesn’t matter that your aunt and I are no longer married. This is as much your home as it is mine.”

  She heard the catch in his voice.

  Chloe didn’t know what else to do or say, so she started to worry her bottom lip.

  “Congratulations on finally getting over that last hurdle, by the way. Your graduation is next month, right? I heard you’ll be valedictorian. I'm so proud of you.” He changed the subject seamlessly.

  Sitting up straighter, she was surprised he knew that. It wasn’t as if he spoke to the family any longer, so that meant he was keeping up with her. The fact that he was proud of her made her feel good.

  “Yeah, but how did you know?”

  He smirked and shrugged. “You know what they say about knowing someone who knows someone.”

  She chuckled softly. “Yeah, well, I’m just glad it’s finally over with.”

  He stood and walked over to the small bar in the corner. She watched him move, like a predator in the wilderness, all graceful movements and stealth power. Still, after all these years, she couldn’t get over how much she wanted him.