“I had a great time tonight,” Lizzie said. “It’s been so long since I’ve been on a date. I had forgotten how much fun it can be to connect with someone.”
“Me too, and I knew we’d hit it off. No matter how many times you refused to go out with me, I always knew we’d end up together. I think that’s why I never told Sky that I’d asked you out and that you’d turned me down.”
“Oh God.” Lizzie gasped. “You didn’t tell her either?”
He laughed and shook his head. “You didn’t tell her? I thought girls talked about everything.”
“Usually we do, but I never told her that you asked me out. I didn’t want to feel pressured into accepting.”
“And I didn’t want her to pressure you.” He hugged her against him and kissed her again. He hadn’t worn his heart on his sleeve for years, but with Lizzie, there was simply no other way to wear it.
“See how alike we are?” he said. “I know it’s late, and you’re probably too tired, but I have something else planned if you’re—”
“Blue, I don’t want our date to end either, so whatever you had planned is great with me. Tomorrow’s Sunday, and I usually take the day off, so I can rest then.”
“Don’t you want to hear what I had planned?” he asked as he turned off the road toward his house.
“It doesn’t matter.” She rested her head on his shoulder like they’d been dating forever. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s going to be perfect.”
Blue lived about as simply as a person could while still having creature comforts to enjoy. His modest cabin was set down a narrow and winding road, deep in the woods of Wellfleet on the way to Cahoon Hollow Beach. He parked in front of the one-story, cedar-sided cabin and helped Lizzie from the truck, holding her close and soaking in the feel of her as he set her on her feet. She surprised him again by snaking her arm around his waist as they walked up to the front door. Again he had to wonder how he’d gotten so lucky to finally break down her defenses.
“I guess I should have warned you. My place is pretty small.”
He unlocked the front door and flicked on the lights, illuminating the cozy cabin. He watched her eyes roll to the right, past the kitchen and up to the vaulted ceiling, then travel to the loft above his bedroom. There were no interior walls in the cabin, other than the ones separating the bedroom and bathroom. Blue loved the open floor plan. As he watched Lizzie running her fingers along the marble bar that separated the living room from the kitchen, he wondered what she was thinking.
She smiled as she took it all in. “This feels very much like you. It’s rugged and gorgeously built, of course.” Her voice held a flicker of flirtation. “And it feels safe. Like you. You feel safe.”
He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck. “Just what a guy wants to be called. Safe.”
She craned her neck to the side, giving him better access to nibble her soft skin. He traced the shell of her ear with his tongue and felt her shiver against him.
“Okay, safe just went out the window,” she said, turning toward him. “You promised me just kisses, remember?”
“That was like a kiss.” He took a step back and made a sweeping gesture with his hand as he bowed. “Your wish is my command.”
She laughed. “My wish is definitely not to only kiss, but this is our first date…”
He walked around the counter to put some space between them before he was unable to stop touching her and selected a bottle of wine from the rack.
“I’m glad you like my place. I built this cabin when I first moved to the Cape.” He’d always loved his cabin, and although Sky had been there many times, he’d never brought a woman he was dating home with him.
“But you just bought that lighthouse property. Are you going to move there?”
“When I bought this land, I fell in love with it. It was one of those moments you never forget.” Like the first time I saw you. “I could smell the ocean coming over the ridge and the woods buffered me from the outside world. And when Duke and I went to see Bowers Bluff, I had that same feeling. I knew I wanted to be there.”
He poured them each a glass of wine, and they went into the living room, where she looked over family photographs on the mantel while he queued up a movie.
“So, you’ll move there?” she asked.
He shrugged as he came to her side. “I’m not really sure. When I’m out on the bluff, it stirs another part of me. The part that’s ready to start thinking about the future, having a family someday.”
“Aren’t most guys trying not to get tied down?” she asked.
“I’m not most guys.” He drew her in close again, and her eyes darkened as she met his gaze.
“No, you’re definitely not.”