MAISIE CLUTCHED HER HANDSin front of her, waiting for Nick’s real estate agent to open the door. She shivered. So far, no snow, but it definitely felt cold enough. She didn’t want to be here. Not without him. Maisie was doing her best not to let her insecurities get the best of her. Nickwouldbe back in a day or two. He promised. He wouldn’t change his mind. He hadn’t given up hockey for her or decided to move to Seattle for her. It just worked out, really freaking well, that she was in the town he wanted to start the next stage of his life in.
With her. She had to keep believing that. She’d slowed her spinning thoughts when the door started to open. Then she lost her breath.
Nick stood in the doorway, wearing dark-gray dress pants, a pale-blue button-up shirt with subtle stripes. His hair was pushed back from his face and he’d trimmed his scruff.
“Hey,” he said.
Almost ten days apart and that was his opener? She launched herself at him, not surprised when he caught her in his arms and swung her around.
“What are you doing here? You said you had to film a commercial,” she squealed, tears filling her eyes.
Nick’s arms convulsed around her. “I did it two days ago. I wanted to surprise you but it took a couple of extra days. God, I missed you.” He set her on her feet and stroked her hair back from her face.
Before she could respond, he dropped his chin, kissed her like they’d declared their love for each other and then spent ten long days apart. Maisie sank into him, her hands moving up his chest, her fingers curling in the fabric of his shirt. He pulled away, kissed her again, pulled away, whispering her name, then changed the angle of the kiss, sliding one hand down her puffy jacket, over her ass, pulling her tight against him.
They were both breathing heavily when he lifted his head, his eyes as dazed as her brain felt.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” she whispered.
Nick pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere. Not without you.”
Maisie grinned, her smile so wide it almost hurt.
Nick moved his hand to the front of her jacket and began unzipping it. She reached out for his buttons but he laughed and swatted her hands away.
“Quit it,” he laughed.
“You started it,” she said, unable to keep the pout from her tone.
Nick leaned in once her coat was unzipped, pushing it off her shoulders, effectively trapping her arms behind her. “And we’ll finish it, later. But not yet. I have plans.” He kissed the tip of her nose.
Curiosity warred with desire but the excited look in his eyes, the energy in his movements, made her want to know what he’dplanned. She’d written a pros and cons list and realized that creating a life with Nick, even if he missed out on some of it, was better than a life without him. Now that they were in the same space, she couldn’t imagine walking away.
He hung her jacket on the doorknob and took her hand. Bringing it to his lips, he kissed the back of it then turned it and kissed right in the center of her palm. Her heart pulsated dramatically.
“Come on,” he said, leading the way.
She wasn’t sure what she’d expected—nothing, if she was being honest—but it certainly wasn’t the sight that greeted her. In all of the excitement over seeing his face, she’d forgotten that he’d asked her to look at this house as a place for them to live. When she’d pulled into the driveway, she’d stared in disbelief. From the outside, the house was absolutely stunning.
Now, standing in the archway off the foyer, Maisie looked into a great room with dark, laminate flooring, floor-to-ceiling windows on the fire side, a gorgeous white stone fireplace that went up to the high ceilings. To the left, there were glass doors that led to a veranda and overlooked the Puget Sound. Even now, the moon reflected off the water in the distance. To the right, the kitchen took up a fair amount of space, separated from the living area by a large butcher-block island.
But it wasn’t the features or beauty of the house. It was the round table, dressed in a white table cloth, long taper candles lit on top of it. Two fancy silver-domed platters sat across from each other and he’d already poured wine for each setting. On the island, there were more pink, white, and yellow roses than she could ever count. More candles sat on the built-in shelves next to the glass patio door. Somehow, music played. It seemed like it was coming from the walls but she couldn’t see any speakers. Along the mantel, there were three gorgeous black frames, similar to the ones she used for her photographs. But they were empty.
Maisie looked up at Nick, all of her feelings and words trapped inside.
He didn’t seem to mind her inability to formulate coherent speech. Reaching out, he brushed her hair behind her shoulder, trailed his hand down her arm, and took her other hand.
“I didn’t get red roses because they seemed too cliché and these are the colors I saw a lot of in your apartment.”
Maisie shook her head, her throat tight, her heartbeat rapid.
He smiled, like he understood how overwhelmed she was without her saying anything. And maybe he did. Probably better than anyone.
“Lexi helped me out with your favorite dinner. Will’s sisters brought all the flowers and Ethan had a surprising amount of candles to contribute.”
She bit her lip, tears close to escaping.
Nick looked over at the frames then back at Maisie. “It doesn’t have to be this house. I don’t actually care where we live, as long as we’re together. But this house is pretty fantastic. Those frames are supposed to be symbolic. They’re empty because I don’t really know what’s next but I know I want it to be with you. I want us to fill those frames together with moments we make, moments you capture. I love you, Maisie. I never imagined feeling this way about anyone. Especially in the midst of feeling so out of touch with everything else in my life. You ground me and remind me of what’s important. I don’t know what I’ll do professionally, though I have some options I want to talk to you about. But, personally, I know exactly what I want and it’s really fucking simple. You. I want you, Maisie Smart.”
