“Evan!” I exclaimed, trying to take in everything in the room. I met his gaze, his green eyes dancing with excitement. He had refused to let me in his shop for over two weeks. He, Dan, and Andrew had been busy—the sounds of hammers, saws, and drills going on for days. Finally, I was allowed to see the space he created for me over his shop. A set of stairs ran up the side of the shop to a wide-open space above. The front was all windows, offering a great view of the ocean and the vista surrounding the house. Broad planks on the floor and reclaimed wood on the walls gave it a warm feeling. A huge set of shelves, an easel, and a vast selection of watercolor paints, paper, canvases, and pencils waited for me. There was a loveseat facing the window, antique, recovered, the wood trim gleaming in the sun. I ran my hand over the arched back.
“You made this for me?”
“I did all this for you, Holly.”
I flung myself in his arms and kissed him. I loved kissing Evan. He was passionate, warm, and giving. His mouth was magic against mine, and he held me as though I was the most precious thing on earth to him. He growled in pleasure, low in his throat, and sat down heavily on the loveseat, never releasing my mouth. We kissed until we were breathless, yet it wasn’t enough. It was never enough with Evan. With a sigh, I rested my head in the crook of his neck.
“I’m so lucky,” I murmured. “You are the greatest gift I ever got.”
He chuckled, his breath stirring the curls around my forehead. “I’m the lucky one, Holly. I get you.”
I tilted up my head, smiling. “We get each other.”
His grip tightened. “Yeah. Perfect.”
“You know what else is perfect?”
“What?”
“How we can see the world from this window and no one can see us. Very private.”
He raised one eyebrow, his grin wide. “Private?”
I slid off his knee to the floor in front of him. I ran my hands up his thighs, feeling the sinewy muscles clench. “Very private.”
He let his head drop to the back of the loveseat as I cupped his erection, then yanked down his pants.
“Good planning on my part,” he groaned.
I lowered my head, my breath washing over his cock. “You can look at the scenery while I’m, ah, busy. It’s pretty spectacular.”
He grunted as my mouth closed around him. Our gazes locked, his dark and intense. “I’m already looking at the most spectacular, sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
I winked, unable to speak.
It was rude to talk with your mouth full.
I grinned at the memories as I stared out over the vast horizon. I would never tire of this view.
There were times I still had to pinch myself that this was my life and Evan belonged to me. That I belonged to him. Evan Brooks was every fantasy I ever had…and every dream and wish I never spoke of.
The loneliness that had permeated my life had been banished. With Evan, I found a home and people to call my family. Light glinted off the rings on my finger, making me smile. We had been
married for just over a year, exchanging our vows against the backdrop of the view I loved so much. Us, our adopted family, and the friends we had made here in this small town. I had a part-time job I loved, a husband I adored, and a life I never thought would be mine.
I touched my pocket with a smile. There was something else I never thought I would have. The sound of the shop door sliding shut made me look up, and my breath caught as I watched Evan stroll toward me.
He walked differently these days. Taller, his head held high, his broad shoulders straight. His dark hair gleamed in the sun, the white patch at the front bright. He had grown more confident—sure of himself and his place in the world. His place with me.
He climbed the steps and came directly to my side, sliding his arm around my waist. He lifted my chin with his slender fingers and kissed my mouth. Long, slow, sweet. It was his hello every single day. That, and his greeting.
He smiled against my mouth. “Hello, my beautiful wife. Miss me?”
I laughed as always. “Yes, the last hours without you have been terrible.”
He kissed me again. “Cheeky. You’ve been with Carol all afternoon. I was lonely while the two of you were shopping up a storm.”
I sat down, making sure to hide my grin. Shopping had been brief. I only bought one thing.