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She made a slight moaning sound, and I bit the inside of my cheek to hold back my smirk. However, I couldn’t contain it when she glowered at me and said, “I know what you’re trying to do.”
“It was worth a try.”
She smiled at me and my heart melted. “Do you want to get out of here? I can show you my favorite hang-out spots growing up. We can… talk and figure things out.” A frown then marred her gorgeous face. “Do you even have time? Do you have to get back home today? How are we?—?”
I pressed a finger to her lips. “I don’t want you to worry about anything, and I’ve got plenty of time.”
Charlotte beamed at me from across the table and I stared at her in amazement. She was one hell of a woman. I mean, she’d gotten me to want to… date. We were still in the honeymoon stage of a relationship, but it was a big step for me. This was going to be my first serious relationship. I’d keep my fingers crossed and hope I wouldn’t fuck up.
“It gets less weird over time when you stare at me like that. I suppose I’m getting used to it.” She grinned broadly and sipped the smoothie she’d ordered. After spending the morning driving and walking around Golden Beach, Charlotte’s hometown, we stopped at her favorite diner for lunch.
“I can’t help staring at a beautiful woman,” I said, dunking a fry into ketchup and not eating it. I wasn’t hungry because I was full of anticipation about us.
Charlotte’s cheeks bloomed a rose pink and her long lashes fluttered down to hide her eyes. Her shy blush was a contrast to the confident woman who was so full of life and humor. When her lashes lifted and her gaze met mine again, I detected a hint of worry.
“How are we going to do this, Jamie?”
I paused while lifting my drink. Of course, I knew what she meant. “We’ll make it work.” Hopefully, the confidence in my tone would reassure her.
“How do two people date when they live five thousand miles apart with an ocean between them?” Her teeth sank into her lower lip as she watched me expectantly, waiting for my answer.
“Your job in Kohala isn’t permanent, is it?”
“No, but…” She glanced around the diner. “Even if I’m not in the middle of the Pacific, I’ll be here in Oregon… still on the opposite side of the country.”
Blowing out a breath, I placed my hand in the middle of the table with my palms up. She caught on and immediately placed hers in them. “We’ve just decided that we’re going to be a couple. How about we not think too much about the barriers and focus on the present? I’m here with you now.”
Still, she gnawed at her lower lip. “When do you have to head back to Manhattan? I imagine you're a busy man.”
“I can spare a couple of days.”
Disappointment clouded her eyes but she nodded. “That’s something. We’ll make the most of it.”
I watched her for a moment, troubled by the hint of uncertainty I caught shadowing her eyes. She didn’t think this could work.
“Is it possible for you to take another week off work?” I asked.
“Sure…”
“Come to Manhattan with me. We’ll have a few days here and then another week together.”
“Jamie…”
“I’ve seen your world. It’s only fair that you spend some time in mine.”
She smiled, no doubt recalling our conversation about living in different worlds. It was true in a way. Charlotte and I led opposite lives, and we never would have met if not for that spontaneous trip to Kohala. I had Lincoln to thank for that, which was pretty fucked up considering how things went down. However, I couldn’t dwell on that right now…
I traced little circles on the back of her hand. “We’ll visit each other's worlds as much as we can until things change and one day our worlds become one.”
Her eyes, which had been fixed on my fingers moving over her skin, flew back up to meet mine. Yes, I knew what I implied… that this might turn out to be something permanent. Maybe it was presumptuous of me but for once in my life, I felt that going beyond dating was a possibility. It was both a scary and exciting thought.
Charlotte swallowed hard, her wide eyes still fixed on mine, but she didn’t disagree.
27
CHARLOTTE
For someone who traveled and saw as much of the world as I had, I was a little overwhelmed by Manhattan. I mostly visited exotic locations with beaches, jungles, mountains, and deserts. Not big, bustling cities with never-ending traffic and skyscraper buildings.
