He chuckled. “A beautiful hungover woman.”
My cheeks went red, and I looked down as he set a plate in front of me. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a home cooked meal. For me it was either prepackaged, or nothing. I wasn’t the biggest fan of cooking, though I did when I had to.
After we drank our coffee and ate breakfast, we sat outside on his deck for some fresh air. The deck faced the guest house that Jake had lived in the year before, which was three times the size of my loft apartment.
Richard kept looking over at me as we sat there, drinking coffee and just sitting. We weren’t talking, but it wasn’t awkward either. I wondered what he was thinking, but based on the look on his face, it appeared to be good.
“Do you have any plans today?”
I took a sip of my coffee and shook my head.
“Nope,” I said, admiring the view of the mountains and the way it gave way to the blue sky. “I don’t have any appointments.”
“I thought that we could drive to the coast for the day,” he suggested, setting his coffee mug down on a side table. “Both of us could use a little relaxation. Plus, there are some shops that I think you’ll enjoy.”
“Shopping, huh? That sounds wonderful. I haven’t been to the coast in a while, either.”
“These stores are right up your alley. There’s a health food store, a boutique that specializes in the kind of clothes you wear, and a few restaurants if we get hungry.”
I looked at him from over my sunglasses and smiled. “What kind of clothes do I wear?”
“Long, floral tops and capris. Yoga pants, which makes sense given your occupation. And some sexy dresses that I’ve been admiring over the past year.”
I laughed, but on the inside, I was brimming with excitement and passion. No one had ever paid enough attention to me to know those kinds of things. Even my ex couldn’t tell someone how I dressed, or a specific outfit of mine he liked. I just wasn’t important enough or high enough on his list. But Richard had been storing me away in his mind since long before we slept together. It made me feel more secure about a possible relationship with him.
After stopping by my apartment for me to shower and change, we left for the coast. Thankfully, the drive wasn’t excessively long. We were there in a little over an hour. Richard was right about the small shops that I’d enjoy. The health food one was full of protein shakes that looked delicious, so I stocked up on a few. They also had some supplements that were similar to the kind that I wanted to develop.
“See this supplement, Richard? It’s not FDA approved yet, but it’s scientifically proven to strengthen your hair while also making it shinier.”
“Are you suggesting that my hair isn’t up to par?”
I put my mouth a few inches away from his face, and he gave me a quick kiss on the lips.
After getting a bite to eat at a sandwich shop, we grabbed some coffee and walked along the beach, hand in hand, carrying our shoes. It was pretty busy that day, but it still felt like just the two of us on that beach.
I couldn’t help but notice just how perfect things felt. I didn’t want to wait any longer to tell him how I felt. So, I took a deep breath and let it out. “I want to tell you something.”
Richard nodded. “Shoot.”
I pressed my lips together and nervously chewed on them a bit. “Up until this morning, I wasn’t sure how serious I wanted to be with you.”
“And how do you feel now?” He stopped to look at me, taking both of my hands in his.
“Now, I can’t imagine my life being any other way. I want to keep seeing you, Richard. I want to keep building our relationship.”
He leaned in and gave me a long passionate kiss. “How serious are you looking to be, though? I know you’ve been afraid of being hurt.”
I took a deep breath and then exhaled. “I want to be serious, Richard. More than just neighbors with benefits.”
He burst out laughing, then scooped me up and carried me back to the car.
He held my hand the entire car ride home, even though we didn’t say much to each other. Just a few comments about how beautiful the weather was, how quaint the shops were, and how much we enjoyed the food. When he got to my apartment, though, he walked me to my door and looked me right in my eyes.
“I’m glad you want to be more than neighbors with benefits,” he said. “Because that’s what I want, too. I only want to be with you, Annie. And I promise that I won’t hurt you.”
He kissed me on the lips before heading back to his car.
I was on cloud nine. I had taken the chance, and it had paid off. Richard wanted me as much as I wanted him, and things finally felt as if they were falling into place.
