The Bromwell Building. Date of construction. Significance of use. Nomination guide.
Her eyes blurred as she looked up at Blake and then back to the second page. Petition for Support.
The signatures included names she recognized from the historical society, elected officials, and the mayor. Keith’s name appeared on a letter to the city council stating how he fully supported Blake’s change in architectural design, and as the CFO, he confirmed the cost-benefit analysis for towns with historically designated areas.
But the name that stuck out the brightest was the name of the applicant: Blake Whitman.
She processed the information at a snail’s pace, reading and re-reading, digesting it all and finally understanding that Blake had applied to save her building, just as she’d threatened she would do when she confronted him.
Just to be clear, she said, “If this goes through, and your company board votes against the design, you’ll lose the bid. The building will be protected, and you won’t be able to implement your shiny, new plans.”
Blake nodded. “I know, but I don’t care. I love you. Being with you means more to me than any building, any position, any job.”
She sucked in huge amounts of air, unsure she could fully trust what his actions meant. He’d gone and done exactly what she’d just decided she’d never do. He’d taken steps to protect her building, even if that meant it went against his company’s board. In the meantime, they had to wait and in the end, all decisions were out of their hands. The most important thing, though, was that he’d done it because he loved her. He loved her.
She was afraid to breath. Afraid she’d wake up and find out that none of this was real.
He scooted his chair closer to hers, and before she could blink, his mouth covered hers, and his arms tugged her into his chest. She sank into him, eager to get closer. She lost all sense of time and space and only knew that right there, in his embrace, with his lips on hers, she could handle anything. Even the prick of paws on her thigh and the sharp cut of the plastic cone from Cyclops’s sloppy attempt to join in the kiss.
They parted slowly, hesitantly, and she laughed at how easy it was for him to make her forget the entire world. The sidewalk, the dog, the building.
He touched his forehead to hers and whispered again, “I love you, and I’m sorry I was an ass.”
She blinked back happy tears. “I… I love you, too, and I’m also sorry you were an ass.”
His shoulders shook with laughter, and he gave her another kiss before admitting, “You keep me real, Kira. You give me balance, and that’s something I’ve never thought I needed until you.”
She swallowed back her choked up emotions. “I should’ve told you about those other deals, but I never did anything against you when I worked there.”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him. Staring into her eyes, she saw the sincerity in his words. “I know. I know you. I trust you.”
Tears stung her eyes again, and she looked up at the building and then back to his face. “All I wanted to do was be part of something beautiful. I didn’t want to let down my mom. I didn’t want to let go.”
He brushed a strand of hair off her cheek. “You are beautiful, and you don’t have to give up anything. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you have whatever you want.”
She looked back down at the table, at the papers that hadn’t disappeared with invisible ink. “I still can’t believe—”
He nibbled on the side of her neck. “The downtown district is going to be amazing.”
Cyclops made a circle and plopped back on the pavement, halfway landing on her foot.
She cleared her throat. “Because of you. All because of you.”
It was almost too much to take in all at once. She wasn’t sure she could be any happier than when she was to be in his arms. “But-but what happens now?”
He grinned and stood. “Now? We go back to my place, and I’ll cook you dinner.” He held out his free hand, and she reached to clasp it. His skin felt warm as he curled his fingers around hers.
She giggled. “I like to eat. In fact, I’m thinking we should start with dessert first.”
“My thoughts exactly. I have a fresh package of coconut macaroons.”
“And whipped cream?”
“I’m sure that can be arranged.” That sexy smile of his—the one that set her on fire—curved his mouth.
The silly buzz that hummed through her body didn’t stop as they continued down the sidewalk side by side. It had always been like this between them, and every time she thought she’d gotten her desire under control, something would happen to let her know the chemistry hadn’t waned.
It probably never would.
Epilogue
Edgewater Bay’s Downtown District
One year later
The sun cast bright light over the early morning volunteers setting up for the Bayfront Festival and Ribbon Cutting. Most of the buildings had been renovated to meet the current Florida Building Code without losing their original structure or facade, and this morning marked the first day for Bayfront Boulevard to be reopened to the public.
Blake stood with his back to the sun, his eyes pinned on the one woman capable of distracting him from anything and everything. She moved with liquid grace, unrolling the thick, red ribbon for the mayor to cut in a couple of hours. If it weren’t for her, so many things would be different, including his apartment with three dogs, but she’d wiggled her way into his life, and he couldn’t imagine spending his time any other way than with her.
When she moved to haul a crate, he jumped into action, stopping her before she could bend in a bad way.
Jogging over to her, he called, “Let me get that.”
She whirled on him and grinned. “I got it. You just relax and prepare for your speech.”
His speech. How could he think about a speech when he’d noticed that pink stick in the trash bin? He could hardly believe that after a year together they were adding to their family, and not just with more dogs. They’d had a serious conversation when a board position for the animal rescue opened, because within the first week, Kira had filled his apartment with a dozen dogs, violating the city ordinance.
“I’ve got it right here.” He tapped his back pocket with the rolled up pages of his speech.
Suspicion filled her voice as she asked, “Have you reviewed all my notes?”
“A good deal of them.” Truthfully, he hadn’t looked at the thing in two days. They’d been too busy, and with one thing after another, he hadn’t made the dedication speech a priority.
Her mouth curved into an adorable pout, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. “I think you should review it one more time.” She used the hug to snatch the paper from his pocket and presented it to him. “Over here.”
Steering him by the shoulders, she pushed him in the direction she wanted him to go.
He spun around and faced her, holding the speech but not looking at it. “Ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to present to you—”
He glanced down and saw her trademark pink flower sticky note, which she’d used to mark his stage direction. He knew them by heart. The first one read, “Scan the crowd with your eyes, so they know you’re looking at all of them.”
But as the speech came to an end, he saw she’d replaced the final sticky with a different note. Next to the words, “…for our families to enjoy for generations,” she’d placed a baby blue rattle-shaped sticky note that read, “including my son, due this summer.”
The pages fell from his fingers and he wrapped her in the full-body hug. “I love you so much.”
“Thank you for making all my dreams come true.”
“Our dreams, Kira. Ours.”
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Acknowledgments
First and forever, thank you to all the readers and writers and believers in the power of words.
Nicole and Robin, you stuck with this to the end, and I am grateful for your immeasurable talents that shaped this book. Without your guidance, I wouldn’t have made it to today. Thank you.
Always, to Simon Cleveland, my first reader and my last everything.
About the Author
Marisa Cleveland loves to laugh, hates to cry, and does both often. She’s been called admissions counselor, assistant director, teacher, coach, analyst, agent, friend, and wife. As a writer, she writes. Every day.
Perhaps because she married her best friend, her adult romance novels focus on playfully naughty relationships developed through friendship and family-oriented values. She is a member of SCBWI, RWA, and YARWA.
www.marisacleveland.com
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Discover the Men of the Zodiac series…
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Ten Days in Tuscany
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The Prince’s Runaway Lover
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The Colonel’s Daughter
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One Night with the Billionaire
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