“It’s the thought …”


    I squeezed her leg, giving her a quick kiss, and said, “Come on. We have a ton of sushi to eat.”


    I got the bags from the back of the car, and she followed me to the front, where I typed in a code, the door unlocking to allow us inside. As we made our way through, I grabbed a bottle of red from therge ss wine room my parents had built in the living room. Once I had an opener and two sses, I stopped at the closet to get a nket before we made our way outside. We walked across therge deck and down the stairs that ended in the sand. Since it was high tide, I set everything a few feet from the water, giving us enough space so we wouldn’t have to move if it grew any closer.


    “Had I known you wereing, I would have done this differently,” I told her.


    “Differently?” With the nket down and the containers now spread about, the chopsticks and napkins next to them, she began to take off all the lids. “How so?”


    I lifted the lip of the metal seal, pulling it off the wine bottle. “There arepanies that do these kinds of spreads, and they’re a hell of a lot better at it than I am. I would have hired one.”


    She sped my arm as I pulled out the cork. “Stop. This couldn’t be more perfect.”


    “You’re sweet.”


    “Maybe, but I’m serious, Jenner.” A smile warmed her face. “I love this so much.”This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I needed to taste her.


    I held the bottle to the side and leaned forward, halting inches from her lips. The breeze was blowing through her hair, her long strands tickling my face. I cupped her cheek, holding her steady, the same wind sending me her perfume. Her fall scent of cinnamon and pumpkin mixed with the salty air, thebination so fucking perfect.


    “Jo …” I whispered, my eyes closing, breathing her in. I stayed like that for just a few beats, finally connecting us. “Mmm,” I growled, the vor of her lips even more enticing. “Fuck me, you’re dangerous.”


    Sheughed. “That’s what I’ve been saying about you since we met.”


    I released her and poured the wine into two sses.


    “What should we toast to?” she asked, holding hers up in the air. “Oh wait, I know.” Herrge Gi bag wasn’t far from where she was sitting, and she reached inside and pulled out a small box. “How about to the most incredible dessert we’ve ever had?”


    I chuckled as I looked at the familiar packaging. “Is that what I think it is?”


    “You mean, did I stop by the bakery to get you a half-moon cookie and some chocte-coconut fudge?” She winked. “Maybe.”


    “You fucking didn’t.”


    “Gloria says hello.” She clinked her ss against mine and took a drink. “I have to admit, seeing you smile is one of my favorite things ever.”


    I held the ss against the nket, not bringing it up to my lips. “I can’t believe you went there for me.”


    And I couldn’t believe she’de all the way to LA, knowing that with school winding down, she had a lot of shit on her te.


    “I know how much you enjoy her baking,” she said, using her fingers to pop a piece of sushi into her mouth. “It was the least I could do.”


    I ran my hand across her calf, pulling her foot onto myp. “Thank you.”


    She nodded and took another bite. “Jenner, the house is as beautiful as I envisioned.” Her stare shifted up to the ss windows that aligned the back of the home. “I remember when we talked about it, and I had this picture in my head-this is it.” Her gaze returned to me. “It’s unfortunate you can’t unplug here, that your parents don’t let you.”


    I sighed, reaching for a set of chopsticks to pick up the nigiri. “They have no problem doing that when theye on the weekends. My father goes on bike rides, and my mother walks the beach. Their chef prepares them three meals a day, and they eat up there”-I pointed at the patio-“where they watch the waves between bites.” I chewed the savory tuna belly and took a drink of wine. “But when we’re here as a family, it’s all business.”


    “I can see how your parents can unwind here.” She stared out at the beach. “It’s so gorgeous. Magical even.” She lifted her set of chopsticks and took a few pieces of the yellowtail sashimi that was peppered with jpeno. “It’s funny; I spent tons of time in Malibu as a kid, even as a teenager. When my friends and I turned old enough to drive, we’de here every weekend. I didn’t appreciate it then. It was just a beach, nothing special-water, sand, sun. But now, it’s something.” Her eyes were on me. “Or maybe it’s just being here with you.”


    I observed her taking a deep breath.


    “Can I ask you something?”


    I slipped off her shoe, rubbing the back of her foot. “Of course.”


    “How many women have you brought here?”


    I kneaded my knuckles into her arch. “None.”


    “Seriously?” She tilted her head. “Not a single one?”


    “No.”


    I watched that news settle into her, hit her in a way she wasn’t expecting.


    “And to be honest, a woman has never stayed the weekend at my house.” I licked across my bottom lip. “And they certainly don’t have the code to my gate.” I could see her thoughts when I continued, “Does this keep getting more interesting?”


    “Yep.” She took a sip. “That’s kind of an understatement.”


    The breeze fed me more of her scent right before I said, “You’re different, Jo.”


    Admitting that out loud wasn’t as hard as I’d thought. Maybe that was because I’d been thinking it for so long, fighting those words every time they tried to resonate.


    She wedged her wine into the sand, leaving the chopsticks in the container. “I’ve never been different before.”


    “I can tell you don’t want to be ordinary. You haven’t since the moment I met you.”


    “Because I’m the fool who went up to your suite ten minutes after meeting you. You’re right; that’s hardly ordinary.”


    I squeezed her toes, punishing her for that wicked statement. “Because you showed me who you really are. I couldn’t fucking resist you, and I charmed you into sleeping with me.”


    She grinned. “Is that what went down?”


    “Yes.” I pulled her foot until she was close enough to pick up and put on myp, wrapping my arms around her. “We both know I didn’t give you a choice. You were either walking up to my room or I was carrying you.”