“We’re staying here for the night?” I asked him. I noticed a bag in the backseat when I first got into the car, my only indicator for today’s journey away from the city.

  He pulled up to the door in the semicircle driveway outside. “Kinda sorta,” he said, turning off the car, and after he had, he reached out for my hands. I gave them to him, and he pressed his mouth to my skin before lowering them to look at me. “I want you to tell me everything you feel when you walk in, all right? You won’t hurt my feelings so be honest. Promise?”

  The tingles of the unknown, excitement, went off inside me like buzzing bees. I could say nothing but, “Okay.”

  After grabbing the bag out of the back, he guided me to a set of wide doors, his hand resting at my back, and the tiny elements of the place drew my gaze in every direction. The intricate designs in the brick path that lead to the house, the woodwork around the windows of shiny, crystal glass. Trimmed hedges lined the outside and the boxes underneath the windows had an array of the most beautiful pink flowers.

  Griffin let go of me just to retrieve his keys and open the door, but then, he made it back, with me the whole way while he presented this place. I noticed the smell first, sharp and crisp like everything was new. He flicked on a light and a chandelier at the top lit a large foyer. The bulbs cast light on white walls and shined on polished, marble floors. I was honestly surprised by the sheer size of the interior, so open. From the outside, the place had a rustic, quaint feel. The inside; however, had the expanse of a ranch home, and really, that’s what the place reminded me of in a way. His home back in Texas. He took me around, dropping the bag in, what I assumed, was a living room since there was a fireplace. But since there was no furniture, I couldn’t be sure. Griffin toured me through similar rooms, each bare, but each more beautifully constructed than the next. The home had a simplicity about it, but a loveliness in its attention to detail. All the polished knobs had intricate designs in them and all the white paint sparkled with flecks of something shimmering beyond the surface. This place didn’t need a stitch of furniture to be appealing. It just was.

  The tour paused at a set of French doors. Griffin opened them, and they lead out to a backyard. Though enclosed by brick fencing the sight of the beach, remained nearby. In fact, if one popped up a chair, nothing but water and sky was there to greet the eyes. This beach wasn’t like the one back in the city. It wasn’t busy and full of people. It was just there, untouched.

  “So?” Griffin asked, coming around me and resting his chin on my shoulder. “What do you think?”

  The question confused me as I gazed at the beach. I faced him. “About what?”

  He smiled. “The place? The beach, the house. What do you think of it?”

  I shook my head, trying to be let in on the secret. “It’s great. Well, gorgeous really, but why?”

  He let go of me, lifting his hand out to the abyss. “It’s yours,” he said, turning to me to take my hand. “The beach. The house. Everything. But only if you want it. I had it built.” I blinked, and a deep chuckle hummed from his throat. He brought me closer by the hands, kissing them. “I made it for us. For you.”

  The words, I didn’t have. I could simply stare at him, shaking my head. This place? This place was mine and his? But?

  “It’s so far out,” I told him, walking onto the deck. He wasn’t far behind. I turned. “You won’t mind driving? Taking a ferry to get into the city—?”

  “If you want it,” he paused, coming over to me with his hands in his pockets. He gazed around before placing a set of the warmest eyes on me. “Then this place is perfect for me. The area is private, and really, the drive isn’t bad. I never wanted to live in the city, Roxie. That’s not how I grew up. I like small and quiet. I like small and quiet with you.”

  I pushed hands up his chest, holding onto crisp lapels. “I like small and quiet too.” He knew me too well.

  Because he knew me.

  He brought me to him, a hand behind my neck, a kiss as he bent his large body to me. He swept me up in his embrace, and then his arms as he picked me up and brought me over the threshold of the house like a blushing bride. I had to be blushing. I was with him.

  Griffin did a few things while we were inside and one of those things was kiss me breathless, my feet as if on a cloud despite the fact that he’d set my toes down shortly after entering back in the cottage. He swept away, leaving me longing for more, and I watched as he turned on the fireplace. The room filled with the thick smell of burning embers. That combined with new home, it was perfect.

  Griffin retrieved the bag he brought it from the entryway, and then preceded to line the floor with the items inside. He donned the floor with a checker blanket, laying it out delicately, and once he had, he filled it with the goodies of an afternoon picnic. He had small baggies of sandwiches, pre-cut fruit, and the whole lot. He impressed me more and more every day. How was it that I’d come to find him? Oh, yeah.

  He found me.

  I came over, joining him on the floor as he arranged the spread. He seemed to take so much care with it, unzipping open each little bag and making sure each plate had ample food, and I pressed a hand to his chest. I wasn’t hungry for that. Not at all.

  His blond lashes flashed up, finding me under lengthy hair. I dampened my mouth just before touching a firm kiss to his, tasting his scent as I did. A breath escaped his lips and a deep noise, hummed from his throat, making his Adam’s apple twitch. If I wasn’t turned on already.

  He grabbed me by my waist, bringing me to my knees, and every nerve within me set off with excitement. Even more so, with every touch he made to my skin. His hand started at my arm, pushing up into my shawl. He squeezed.

  “Roxie…” he breathed and my mouth filled with the word, his tongue. He brought me to my back and his sheer mass surrounded me, his weight so perfect on top of me. His chest hit my breasts and my legs fell apart easily to wrap around him. A wave of heat flourished deep in my core and I thrust my hips up to ease it.

  He groaned, pushing my thigh down with one hand while he pulled off my shawl from my shoulders with the other. He tugged down my sleeve.

  “God, Roxie,” he said, seeing skin. His hand pushing under my top, he found my breast, palming through my lacey bra. And all the while, he kissed my neck, making my insides burn with pleasure. Gripping my waist, he pushed my top up, pulling it off with ease, but then he stopped. He stopped to look at me.

  His mouth closed and he reached out, touching me again. He touched my hip, my waist, my covered breast, and then shoulder before closing his eyes.

  I brought my arms in, watching as he let the moment go and kissed me. He kissed me so softly, gently. He tilted my chin with it, pausing only to change the angle of his lips before touching his mouth to mine again.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said, his fingers sliding my bra strap down my shoulder. Kissing the swell of my breasts, he placed his words there. “Please, you have to know. You gotta know.”

  What he was saying, felt familiar to me. In fact, I knew I’d heard him say something similar to me before when we were in school. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but I remembered. He continued to kiss me now, sweet, passionate, but my nakedness became more and more apparent with every kiss, with every word, he persisted against my mouth.

  I put my hand on his chest, smiling. “Do we have pillows? A blanket?”

  I felt really exposed I guess and he stopped kissing me, pushing a hand through his hair. He turned his head, staring at our abandon picnic, and then sat up completely. “Maybe we should cool it for a little anyway. Eat first?”

  Had I hurt his feelings? I didn’t want to stop. I just wanted a blanket. I sat up, sliding my hands to his cheeks. His gaze had faced the floor, but he looked up when I leaned in and covered his mouth.

  “I want this,” I said, not wanting him to feel like I didn’t. I’d engaged it after all. He’s all I wanted. “I want this now. I want you now.”

  There seemed to be some resistance in his mouth, his lips, but he didn’t fight me long. I took the reins this time, forcing him to his back. He always liked it when I did that. He braced my hips with the move, kissing me hard, but I slowed at the sudden wave of heat that hit me when he did. The world tilted and I placed my hand to my head, trying to relieve some of the dizziness that came with the heat flash.

  A warm hand touched my cheek. “You okay? What’s wrong?”

  I didn’t know exactly, but settled it on the quick moment. That and his kissing, I had a little laugh at the situation. “I’m okay. I think you just quite literally took my breath away.”

  He pulled his hand from my face, laying it to rest on my leg. “What do you mean? You can’t breathe? Or…” He was already rearranging our position, making moves from underneath me to getting me upright.

  My hand on my head, breathing was the only thing I was doing apparently. Sweat coated my fingers. I waved him off as he got me stationary to the floor. “I just got a little dizzy. Hot.”

  This only concerned him more, putting worry into those blue eyes. Reaching over, he grabbed the bag he brought in. A gray Thermos came out of it and the sound of metal cracked the air when he turned the lid into a glass. He poured a clear liquid into it from an insulated container, and then put the cup to my lips. Cool water instantly touched my mouth and the heat of the room went down, the dizziness receding.

  I watched Griffin over the glass as I drank, feeling better already, but terrible at the same time for worrying him. He sat at the side, arms up on large knees. When I was done, he offered me more, but I held Dr. Chandler at bay.

  “I’m fine. I’m fine,” I told him. “I swear. I just got a little dizzy when we turned. That’s all.”

  “Maybe you should try eating something,” he said over his knees, watching me with turned down lips.

  I nodded, figuring that could only help, and so cheese replaced the Thermos lid. He let me nibble only moments before that turned into pre-sliced pineapple from a plastic container, but I held him off at the sandwich, holding up the cheese and pineapple slice I still had in my hands. “Can I finish these first?” I asked with a chuckle. But he didn’t laugh. In fact, he frowned more.

  He placed the sandwich down on a piece of plastic. “You just haven’t eaten a lot today is all? That’s probably why you’re dizzy.”

  A hint of agitation lined a voice I only heard directed toward me as soft, calm. My stomach turned. Had I worried him that much?

  “I’m… I’m sorry,” I said, not really knowing why I was apologizing. Really, I didn’t know why. But I did.

  Closing his eyes, he turned away, dampened his mouth. He let out a breath. “For what, Roxie?”

  I shrugged, again I didn’t know why. “You seem mad or something. If I did something…?”

  “No, you didn’t,” he paused, lifting his head. He swallowed, drawing a hand down his mouth. Letting it go, he reached out, his hand coming to settle behind my neck. His other went to my shoulder and he shifted to rest our brows together.

  “That just scared me I guess,” he said, his mouth moving shallow breaths over mine. I really had worried him. He closed the space, kissing my mouth just once, before raising his hand. He placed it to my cheek, brushing a finger down my skin. “I don’t want you fainting on me, okay? So, please can you eat something? We’ve been running around all day. It’s easy to get tired.”

  Even though I felt I was fine, this seemed like something he needed to be okay. With a nod, I obliged, not wanting him to worry anymore. He quickly got me a plate together, filling it with pieces of deli meat, cheeses, and a healthy portion of fruit. He placed a sandwich on the edge, and then slid the platter of it all onto my lap. He watched me eat, but he didn’t eat himself. The whole thing felt kind of tense, intense. Wanting to lighten the mood, I grinned a little while I slid a piece of pineapple into my mouth.

  “Wanna share?” He’d been running around to after all.

  I think my smile made him smile. The tension gratefully broke and he lifted a hand, waving it. “I’m good. I like watching you.”

  So I let him, that frown long faded away, and I could see he really did enjoy watching me. Maybe because he thought it pleased me. I didn’t know. Whatever the reason, he didn’t seem upset anymore and that was only a good thing. I got full rather quickly, the cheese filling me up like Christmas dinner, but that space on my plate didn’t go bare for long. Griffin got celery out, placing it there and a scoop of peanut butter followed from a small jar. At least it would have if I let him. I stopped him mid scoop as he dipped a plastic spoon into the container, pulling back my plate. “I actually have a enough. I’m probably only going to eat the fruit and be done.”

  “Done?” he paused, lowering the spoon. “Done because you’re full?”

  “Kinda sorta.” I paused, crunching that celery stick he’d placed. “I just haven’t been very hungry lately.” And I hadn’t. That was true. Sometimes I stopped myself when I felt like I was overindulging. This looked to be heading there, and since my stomach told me I was full, I stopped, naturally.

  He put the peanut butter down, the spoon on the open lid beside it. His large hands went into his hair. They came over his head to fall behind his neck, and I didn’t understand.

  I set the plate onto the checker blanket, watching him now.

  What’s wrong with him?

  Sliding a hand over his bicep, I reached to figure that out. His gaze followed the movement when he turned his head. And though he covered my hand with his, warmed it, he didn’t look me in the eye. No, he only placed focused on our hands.

  “What’s up, Griffin?” I asked, touching my forehead to his temple. “What’s going on? You’re acting funny.”

  He closed his eyes, whispering something I couldn’t make out. He was speaking too softly. I didn’t catch any of it until… well, I did.

  “You really don’t see it do you?” he asked. To me? The air? I didn’t know. Either way I didn’t understand the question.

  So I moved closer. “What?”

  “You just don’t…” Folds formed in his lids when he squeezed his eyes tight, and then he opened them, his gaze shifting its way down my face. “You don’t see it. What you’re doing? Not at all do you?”

  I blinked, shaking my head. I really had no idea what he was talking about, but the concern in his eyes? Well, that sped my heart, made my mouth so dry.

  He took my hands, squeezing them as they fell into his lap.

  “You’re not okay,” he said, and my head rushed. The words… they sounded so choked as they escaped his lips. He dampened them, and I saw something I’d never seen before when he lifted his head.

  He had a shine in his eyes.

  He touched my cheek, shaking his head. “I’m so sorry, baby.”

  Why was he saying this?

  “Why?” came out my mouth, but it was empty. Soft.

  He swept a hand down his face as if tired, fingers forming around his mouth. He lowered it, holding it out to me. “If I’d have been there, Roxie… If I’d been there for you. I…” A hand went back to his hair, and I couldn’t breathe. I forgot how to in the moment. His gaze lifted to me, his head shaking. “I haven’t seen you eat hardly anything today, Roxie,” and my eyes flashed. I didn’t know what I expected him to say with the way we came into this conversation, but it wasn’t…

  It wasn’t that.

  “And you’ve lost weight,” he continued on, moving closer. He put a hand on my face, his eyes scanning. “You’ve lost so much in such a small amount of time. I can see it. Can’t you see it?”

  His sight dropped below. From my face, to me, and then his hand released me, but not by its own accord. It dropped because I drew back from him. I pulled away, covering myself. My breasts in nothing but a bra.

  My jaw went hard at him, my nostrils flaring. “I’ve been working out.” He knew that. He shouldn’t be asking me this. Saying these things…

  Like I did something wrong.

  He nodded once. I assumed at my previous statement. “Yes, I know you told me. But I’m worried you’re not doing it the right way. You’ve changed. It’s draining you. The life out of your face… Your eyes…”

  I couldn’t believe this, and I found laughter erupting from my throat. Swallowing it, I attempted to bring him down from this crazy notion. “Griffin…”

  “My dad noticed, Roxie.”

  And so I blinked again, feeling the sting of a slap though nothing but words touched me.

  He closed his lids, tapping a fist on his leg. “Pop,” he said, opening his eyes. “He saw it before even I did. He saw you not eating when he came down to Miami. Ordering nothing but salad you picked at. It worried him so he talked to me about it yesterday.”

  His pop… He seemed mad at me when he came down. I thought he was mad at me…

  “And with Troy calling me.”

  My eyes flashed up again.

  “Telling me basically everything Pop confirmed…” He took my hands, bringing them up to his face. “I thought he was crazy. What he told me didn’t make sense. It didn’t make sense because I know you, Roxie. I know you and this isn’t you. It’s not you. You’re so strong. You’re…” His voice went out again for a moment, and I watch him lower his head. He put a hand to his chest. “And that’s when I knew it was me. I was busy. I got so wrapped up in bullshit that I didn’t take care of us. I didn’t take care of you. Roxie, I’m—”

  I drew back with a breath, shaking my head. I didn’t like this. Where it was going and what he was doing. I didn’t like this.

  Not at all.

  I made him let go of me, tossing his hands away while I grabbed my shirt and shawl scattered about.

  “Roxie…”