Page 171 of Titus

We turned onto the drive, the gravel crunching softly beneath the tires. The property seemed to unfold around us with every passing second. There were gardens, stone pathways, and towering eucalyptus and oak trees.

Everywhere, flowering hedges burst with color. This cozy retreat looked impossibly peaceful. It was as though the rest of the world didn’t exist here. The drive curved, then curved again, and suddenly I saw it.

My breath caught as I covered my chest. It was something out of a storybook.

A charming stone cottage sat nestled among gardens and mature trees. Ivy climbed portions of the exterior walls, while climbing roses framed windows that glowed softly beneath the late-afternoon sun.

A stone chimney rose above the roofline. French doors opened to a private patio. Beyond it all, the Santa Ynez Mountains stretched into the distance, bathed in gold by the setting sun.

Titus rolled to a stop, but neither of us moved right away. I simply stared ahead. This was nothing like what I expected. There was no grand entrance. No sprawling estate. And no display of wealth.

It felt romantic and intimate. This place seemed to be where people came to disappear together.

“Titus.”

His gaze shifted toward me. “Yes, preciosa?”

“If a Hallmark movie and a luxury travel magazine had a baby, it would look like this.”

The smile that appeared on his face told me it was exactly the reaction he’d been hoping for.

I looked back toward the cottage. The gardens seemed to spill around it in every direction as birds chirped nearby and a light breeze moved gently through the trees.

For the first time all day, I noticed there wasn’t a single sound of traffic.

“Do you like it?”

I smiled. “I love it.”

Something softened in his expression, as though he’d wanted this weekend to be perfect and had been waiting for my verdict.

The realization warmed my chest. “You were worried I wouldn’t?”

His laugh was low. “A little.”

I stared at him. “Titus Hawk gets nervous?”

“Only about things that matter.”

He stepped out of the car and rounded the front, and a moment later, he opened my door and offered me his hand. The instant my feet touched the ground, I understood why he’d brought me here. Not because it was luxurious or exclusive… but because it was just the two of us.

“I should warn you.”

I glanced up. “About what?”

His smile turned wicked. “I have no intention of sharing you with the outside world until Sunday.”

I laughed as he pulled me toward the cottage. Surprisingly, his idea sounded perfect.

“So, where are we?” I questioned again.

“It’s San Ysidro Ranch, just outside Santa Barbara,” he said. “We’re staying in the exact cottage that President Kennedy took his bride on their honeymoon. It’s quite charming and everything I hoped you would love.”

As we stepped up to the entrance, I tightened my grip on his hand. I already knew this place was going to be everything I loved and more. The fact that he’d thought of this—of driving us up the coast with the top down, just the two of us—made the entire weekend feel even more special.

As I looked over at him, I couldn’t help but think of all the ways I planned to thank him for whisking me away to a place that already felt perfect before we’d even stepped through the front doors.

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT