Page 13 of Beach Reads

“What?”

“I’m asking if you have feelings for me.” He held up a hand before I could answer. “Because I have feelings for you, Teresa. I didn’t just come here to explain and apologize. I came here to tell you that I love you.”

My heart literally stopped in my chest. Colin loved me? Was he telling the truth? The sound of knocking on the door broke the silence in the room. Without a word I got up and opened the door, grabbing my food from the delivery guy. I dropped the bag of food on the table between us, my mind racing as I replayed his words.

“You love me?”

Colin nodded. “I do.”

“We only spent three days together. That’s impossible.”

“I only needed three minutes with you to know that you are the woman for me.”

My mouth dropped open. “We’re not kids anymore Colin, and this is not some romance book that my sister reads in her book club. There’s no such thing as instalove. Grown-ups don’t fall in love in three days.”

“Who says they don’t?” he countered. “We’re not kids, so we know our own minds. We know what we want. I have never felt this way before. I have no doubts at all. I love you and I want us to build a life together.”

“We live fifteen hundred miles away from each other.”

“I could move here.”

I shook my head. “Your job is in Florida.”

“I could commute on the weekends. Or you could move down to the resort. We have a marketing director position open.”

“I’m not going to move fifteen hundred miles away after three days together, and I’m certainly not going to take some job because I’m the owner’s girlfriend.” I stood up and started pacing back and forth. “I just don’t see how this could work.”

Colin stood up and put his hands on my shoulders. “Do you love me Teresa? If so, we can work this out, I promise you. Just...please tell me that I’m not alone in this.”

I looked into his eyes and couldn’t bear to lie. “You’re not alone,” I whispered. His eyes lit up in relief.

“Then how about this? We agree to date long distance. You can check out the job at the resort – and other jobs in the area – and if you find something you’re interested in, I give you my word I won’t interfere. If you get a job in Florida I promise it will be completely on your own merit. And if Florida doesn’t work out, I’ll figure out a way to work remotely from New York.”

“This is crazy.”

Colin cupped my face in his hands. “Love is crazy Teresa, that doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

For the first time in my life, I did something that I didn’t plan. I didn’t analyze all the options. It was scary as hell, but somehow it felt right. I decided to take a chance on love.

“If you ever lie to me again Colin, even by omission, I promise you that you will never get another chance with me.”

He nodded. “Believe me, your sister and her friends already warned me that if I hurt you again they’d cut off my dick and choke me with it.”

I burst out laughing. “Yeah, that sounds like my sister all right. So, what happens next?”

“How about you share your Thai food with me, and then we’ll have make-up sex?”

“I don’t know, I really love Thai food. I’m not sure if I want to share it.”

“Not even with the man you love?”

I leaned forward until our lips were almost touching. “Maybe just this once.”

Epilogue – Colin

Six months later...

“Welcome home Mrs. Hamilton, how was work today?”