“Hopefully, one day,” I say instead, making him smile.
The inside of his home is beautiful. Hardwood floors stretch throughout the space, and everything looks like it’s been recently updated with a brand new kitchen. It’s so clean, it looks like a model home ready to be shown.
“Wow, Cody, are you always this clean, or are you trying to impress me?” I tease. I have people who clean for me, but if I had this giant house to myself, there’s no way it would look like this.
He looks around, almost like he’s taking in the space for the first time. “Oh, I guess it’s always like this. I don’t spend a lot of time here, and I have someone come in and clean it when I’m traveling,” he says offhandedly as we head up the stairs.
“Have you lived here long?” There’s a surprising lack of personal touches. I’d assume my happy guy would’ve filled his home with memories of his friends and family, but other than some Kyla awards, it really does look like a staged home.
“Yeah, I’ve been here since I moved to Linna five years ago. I’m so excited to have you at my house! I’ve been thinking about it nonstop,” he admits a bit bashfully as he opens the door to what I’m assuming is his room.
I drop my bags and walk up to him, wrapping my hands around his waist. “Me too,” I say, tilting my head up for a kiss. It’s another sweet kiss, both of us enjoying the moment for what it is, knowing we don’t have time for anything else.
All too soon, we pull away and share a small smile. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have such a perfect man looking at me like this, like I’m everything he wants.
I want to deserve that look.
“Alright, if you need to change, I’ll give you a minute. Then we can head into the office. Do you need to eat or anything?” he asks.
“No, I ate on the plane, thanks,” I answer and pull out a suit. If Viktor’s there, I’m sure I’ll be photographed.
Can’t wait.
CHAPTERTWENTY
Cody
Driving toward the Kyla campus, my leg is bouncing up and down with a mixture of nerves and excitement. Beck is finally here, and even though we talked every day, I’ve missed spending time with him even more than I realized.
I’m not totally sure why I’m so nervous, though. It’s not about being with him in person—I couldn’t stop myself from running into his arms when I saw him. Our physical connection is definitely just as hot as I remembered. I’m honestly regretting that we have so many plans for the day, but Viktor asked me to bring Beck in, and it sounded like a great idea at the time. Now, I wish we’d just stayed home.
Maybe I’m nervous he won’t like Linna as much as I do or that he’ll pick up on some of the less-than-ideal things that I’ve been starting to notice. Thinking about him coming to visit and how things might seem from an outside perspective has me noticing for the first time just how unique our community is. I’m worried that he won’t want to stay for the entire month that we have planned. Or that he won’t want to visit again.
“Here we are, my home away from home,” I announce as we pull onto the campus.
Towering trees line both sides of the drive as we enter a giant roundabout. There’s a large open green space in the center with paths and outdoor tables for people to spend time outside. On our right, we drive past the massive three-story fitness center. Then there’s a strip mall with the coffee shop, a small grocery store, and some doctors’ offices before we pass the emergency medical center.
Finally, we reach the main Kyla offices. It’s the tallest building in Linna, made mostly of glass with huge windows that allow natural light to flood the entire space. Inside, it has offices, event spaces, a quick-service cafeteria, boardrooms, production studios for the Kyla videos—anything a company might need.
I point everything out to Beck, filling him in on details about some of my friends who work in the different spaces, just like I did on our drive this morning. “If we were to keep going, we’d be at the Old Mill, where we’ll eat dinner. Then there’s Village Bank and the childcare center. Viktor wanted to create a campus that rivals the big tech guys and other major companies who’ve revamped their headquarters to improve the work lives of the employees,” I explain.
“Sounds like you’d never have to leave,” Beck comments in a tone I can’t read. He probably wasn’t expecting this since I don’t actually talk about the details of my job with him much.
We’ve spent so much of the last month getting to know each other more, and I’ve loved every moment. Even though we haven’t officially labeled anything, I know that this is the best relationship I’ve ever been in.
I think he’s finally over his concerns about me being so newly aware of my sexuality. The only reason I think we haven’t had the relationship conversation is that neither of us can find a solution to the distance.
I’m not sure what Beck’s thoughts are on the situation because I’m too afraid to ask, but I know the long distance part has sucked. I also know that I’m not ready to give him up.
The more I’ve gotten to know Beck, the more sure I am that our connection goes far beyond physical attraction.
I love how unapologetically himself he is. On the surface, he might seem like a grumpy loner, but once you get to know him, you see the truth—he’s an incredibly loving, fiercely loyal man who’d do anything for the people he cares about. I think he’s just afraid of trusting the wrong people.
I love how funny he is. His dry sense of humor and sarcasm, always delivered with the most serious expression, has me doubled over in laughter almost daily.
I love how thoughtful he is, whether it’s the little gestures when we’re together or how he remembers the smallest details from our texts and calls. He always follows up on things I’ve mentioned or asks me to expand when he can tell I’m excited about something.
I realized it this morning—I lovehim.
