Page 24 of Yours, Forever

She looked a bit wistful as she gazed in that direction, but I couldn't see anything from our spot.

She sighed. "As for the mansion, I think it would make a sweet boutique hotel. It'll be difficult either way, as both the marina here and the dock over there need repairing, and the mansion property doesn't currently include a boat."

"Hmm. I can see that." I gazed at her. "You're a great tour guide."

She pursed her lips to hide a smile. "I haven't even shared any gossip."

"Do you think I could get it from Daniel?"

"I doubt it."

Her eyes followed a couple walking by; she stepped closer to me. Our bodies touched. I got the message without her needing to spell it out.

I put a strand of her hair behind her ear, and leaned down to whisper close to the sensitive patch of skin. "Could I bribe you?"

"You already did. I'm set."

"Put your arms around me."

She smirked but did as told. "You're a bit too comfortable giving instructions, sweetie."

"Of course I am." I dug my nose in her hair and took a breath; a chance like that wouldn't present very often. The smell of it, fresh and herbal, was better than the flowers we'd admired before. "Does it really surprise you?"

Even though I couldn’t see it, I knew she had rolled her eyes.

"I guess it shouldn't surprise me."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her. "You must be cold. Let me warm you up."

"I'm not cold."

"Let me hold you anyway. The couple is looking at us, right? I thought you wanted them to see how in love we are."

"I do. They're part of the heritage committee. Basically, they don't want things to change, and they organize swiftly to put up barriers for younger people like Daniel and me. They think new faces and change will make things worse. Out of all inhabitants here, those are the ones who could waggle their tongues if push comes to shove."

"Mmmhh." I pulled her a little closer. "That sounds like subtle gossip, but gossip nonetheless."

"Just a taste."

"I see. I'll get more stories out of you."

"Only so you don't get in the middle of any feuds. I'm helping you with your due diligence, is all. Making sure nothing gets in our way."

Her show of loyalty was the last nail in the coffin of my resolve. The seed of a crush landed at my feet. I fell a little bit in love with her, right there.

I held her by the crashing waves under an overcast sky. "I think I married well."

Chapter 8

Eva

A couple evenings later,I focused on trying a new dish for dinner. It was one of my favorite quiet moments; putting on a podcast or music and chopping away on vegetables.

I sliced a red pepper into large squares. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the bathroom door open. Max came out of it... wearing a silk robe.

Of course it was a silk robe. A green so dark it looked almost black, with an aqua trim on every edge—the thick collar, belt, and cuffs. It looked elegant and... utterly posh. Max only needed to hold a brandy glass full of golden liquid and a cigar to complete the look.

I pressed pause on my music and took out one earbud. I arched an eyebrow. "Is this your usual lounge wear?"