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The last few days are the happiest I have ever been. Bryce has said as much. This is his favorite place with his favorite girl. Those were his words.
The dinner marks our last night before I return to Norfolk. As much as I’ll miss Bryce’s incredible home in the midst of the iconic red rock formations of Arizona, my responsibilities await. He’s heading back with me because the final stages of our new security system are wrapping up. My overprotective boyfriend will want to check everything himself.
But then what? It’s a question I have not dared to broach all week.
“Sad to be leaving tomorrow?” he asks when noticing my furrowed forehead.
“A little,” I say.
“What’s wrong?” His voice is gentle. Bryce is always perceptive, but now that we’ve spent every minute of the last week together, I feel like an open book.
“I can see why you love it here,” I state conversationally, although my heart is pounding out of my chest. Why am I so nervous? Because I saw, firsthand, how Arizona is his home base for work and life. Bryce’s attachment to the beautiful town of Sedona and his dedication to everyone who works with him in Phoenix cannot be denied.
Where does that leave us?
“Your headquarters in Phoenix is impressive and the home you’ve made for yourself is stunning, Bryce. You should be proud. I know I am.” Despite the sincerity of my words, my statement is jarring. I’m proud of him as well as conflicted about what the future holds.
Many people want to focus their efforts on their children’s future. To build and sustain a family is a worthwhile mission. But I’ve never planned to have kids of my own. I love my nephews, but being a parent isn’t what drives me.
The legacy of Petrov Shipping and the revolution of the entire industry is what motivates me. Bryce is similarly dedicated to his career. I can’t let him give that up. He belongs here. He built a life here.
Staring out the window, I’m hit by the realization that Sedona’s landscape is nothing like the ports and cities of my everyday life. The picturesque terrain is exactly the last place my industry of ocean transport would be relevant.
Which begs the question, how would we make this work?
This line of thinking wasn’t something I wanted to consider while on vacation. There’s no avoiding it now.
“How do you want to do this, um, this long-distance thing?” I ask.
“Long-distance thing,” he echoes.
“We can sync our calendars, of course, but what do you expect from me? How busy will you be in the next quarter? I know on my end of—”
“Ana,” he interrupts. The corners of his lips are tilted up, like he’s amused. He’s taking this a lot better than I am. “We’re not doing long distance.”
What? He’s just as busy as I am, but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to try. Indignantly, I make my case.
“Who says we can’t do long distance? I know it isn’t easy, but we haven’t gone this far just to give up on each other, Bryce. Or to leave things to chance. I can lessen my hours and you can sometimes work virtually. We would take turns traveling. I’m sure there’s a way.”
The more I talk, the more convinced I am that there’s no reason why this wouldn’t work. I’m determined to be with the man I love. He simply has to meet me halfway.
“There’s definitely a way. I’m moving in with you,” he states casually.
My eyes widen and words don’t quite form in my head. I hadn’t let myself hope this much, knowing I’d take whatever he could give me.
“But your career! Your business is booming. Your life is here!”
“Ana, I know you don’t want to hear this, but not only can I work from anywhere in the world, there’s hardly a wall I can’t see through or a door I can’t breach,” he says as a matter of fact. “We’ve deactivated NeoGen, obviously, since it has to go through the regular channels. But I don’t regret anything that led me to you, anything that keeps you safe. And now that we’re together, it’s a cold day in hell before I let you go. You’re stuck with me, Anastasia Petrov.”
“You’re stuck with me too, hotshot,” I answer with a smile so wide, it makes my cheeks hurt. “And thank you,” I add, “for making this sacrifice. It can’t be easy. I know it would have been impossible for me to move.”
“Don’t thank me. Living with you in Norfolk is for both of us. There’s no home without you, Ana. When I say you’re my world, I mean it. Being with you is all I’ve ever wanted. Loving you is what matters to me, not the location.”
Moved by his earnest words, I respond with my heart on my sleeve. “I love you so much, Bryce. Despite the crazy journey that got us here, you’re all I’ve ever wanted too.”
“Now that it’s settled, you better stop rubbing those strappy sandals over my calves. I’m trying to finish this dinner without splaying you over my lap,” he says, leaning over to ensure I’m the only one who hears.
My eyes fall to his lips, reminding me of last night when I dangled my nipples over his mouth and he licked them so thoroughly, I nearly orgasmed from that alone. I shudder with pleasure remembering what happened next. He had repositioned himself under me and ordered, “Scoot up and sit on my face like a good girl.”
