Rising up from the water was a massive stone cliff, and sitting just off to the side of it was a beautiful house. The wraparound porch had a pier jutting off the corner that stretched all the way out into the middle of the ocean. It faced the horizon, positioned perfectly so the owner could sit on the porch and take in the sunset every night. The private beach had soft, silken sand, and the waves that lapped at the shoreline glistened with the rays of the sun.
But all of that didn’t hold a candle to the inside of the place.
Steam saunas in all the en suite bathrooms. A massive living room area that looked out toward the back of the house. Constantly shaded by the rocks the house sat in between, and it boasted of a hot tub. The house had a theater room and five separate bedrooms, all of which had their own bathroom. There was a half bath on the main floor and a finished attic for storage, which could also be turned into another room. There was a library, a built-in wet bar, a stunning kitchen with top-of-the-line products, and an unfinished area that looked to be tailor-made for an indoor pool.
It was massive and beautiful, and Ash could see himself living happily there with Kallie. He could see the two of them filling it with children and living out their days on the sand and surf. He could see the lofted portion of the house being fitting for Kallie’s office if she wanted to keep her business,
but he could also see it as a playroom for the kids if she wanted to give it up.
This was the perfect place for them.
All he had to do now was convince Kallie they were meant to be together forever.
“It’s perfect,” Ash said. “I’ll take it.”
“Wait, what?” Kallie asked.
“Mr. Worthington, are you sure? We have four other properties to see today,” the realtor said.
“Nope. This one’s it. It’s got everything I could ever want, with views that are spectacular. What’s the asking price?”
“Ash, let’s take a second and talk about this,” Kallie said.
“Do you want to talk about this?” Ash asked.
“There are other wonderful properties. This is about you and your new life. Not about knee-jerk decisions.”
“Kallie, you know me very well. It’s one of the reasons why I hired you for this position. This house, it’s perfect for me.”
Perfect for us, Ash thought.
“I just don’t want you rushing into anything prematurely,” Kallie said.
“I know,” Ash said. “You’re always looking out for me, and I appreciate that. I always will, Pretty Kallie.”
Ash watched her suck in a sharp breath of air before he turned to the realtor.
“What’s the asking price?”
“Fifteen million, sir,” the realtor said.
“Tell them my offer is twenty,” Ash said.
“What?” Kallie asked.
“Sir, are you sure?” the realtor asked.
“I’m very sure. Tell them my offer is twenty million if they take care of the closing costs and all of the legal documentation and notarizing,” Ash said.
He walked back to the car and left the realtor to do his thing. Ash knew that house was his. Five million above asking price was something no one would ever turn down. But when Kallie slipped into the cab next to him, he knew he couldn’t keep his feelings contained any longer. Now that he’d found a house and now that she had directly imprinted herself into Bali, he wanted to tell Kallie all about his plans to have her at his side.
And dinner was the perfect moment to do that.
“We should go celebrate,” Ash said.
“Isn’t that for after they accept your insane offer?” Kallie asked.
“We can go see the other properties, if you like. Maybe I’ll buy another one.”