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“Sebastian,” I breathed, wide-eyed as I looked back at him.
“Does it meet your expectations?”
“And then some.” I kicked my shoes off as he did, then crossed the space to look out the windows. The Potomac River cut across the landscape below us, with the Washington Monument lit up against the night sky in the distance. Breathtaking. Literally. I could barely breathe.
His hands slid over my hips, and I leaned back against his chest. He rested his chin on top of my head and wrapped his arms around my stomach. “I bought the place for this view.”
“It’s beautiful.”
He bent down to kiss my shoulder. “Glad you think so. I have to be honest, I was a little nervous about bringing you here.”
I turned in his arms, my hands sliding over his chest, his broad shoulders. Maybe I’d become addicted to touching him too. “Why?”
“We’ve been in a little bubble in New Elwood. I thought you might judge me for living here instead of some old, historic house. Thought it might change the way you look at me when you’ve only just started to like me.”
Leaning my forearms on his shoulders, I smiled at him. “Jury’s still out about liking you, I’m afraid.”
One dark eyebrow arched. “I think that might be a lie, Ms. Reeves.”
Laughing, I tilted my head and accepted his kiss. His lips were soft against mine, and the gentleness of his touch made my heart beat harder. It felt like we were on the cusp of something, like whatever happened here tonight would change the course of our story.
“I enjoyed today,” I murmured against his lips.
He squeezed me a little closer. “Good.”
Pulling away, I met his gaze. “You’re not the man I thought you were when we first met.”
Eyes half-lidded, he watched me with a secret smile playing over his lips. “Not an evil overlord come to ruin your life?”
“To be fair, you did barge into town like you owned the place.”
He arched his brows, and I scowled at him. He did own a large chunk of the place.
“Why…” I ran my fingers through his hair and tried to find the right words for a question I hadn’t quite formed in my mind. “Why were you so intent on demolishing the theater when you first arrived? Seems like the partial restoration and boutique hotel interests you. You didn’t think of it before I brought it up?”
He held my gaze for a long moment and seemed to come to a decision. “I had a lot of bitterness toward New Elwood.”
“Because of the fire?”
“Because of what happened after. My grandmother owned the house we lived in, and it wasn’t until after the disaster that we found out her insurance didn’t cover fire damage. When my parents went to her for help, Lydia refused. I overheard my mom and her arguing, and Lydia ended up calling us leeches who deserved everything we got. She said until we took accountability and paid for the damage, she wanted nothing to do with us.”
“Jesus. Even though she was the one who didn’t have insurance?”
He nodded. “I haven’t forgiven her for it.”
“So you wanted to get rid of everything she gave you.”
“None of those properties should be mine. They belong to my mother.” The bitterness in his tone made my heart clench, and I understood. The town—the theater, the house—represented so much more than real estate or history. They were a legacy that had been tainted for him all those years ago.
He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something else, but nothing came out. Conflict swirled in his eyes as he studied my face, like he wasn’t sure if he should tell me the whole truth.
“What is it?” I asked softly, my fingernails running over his scalp.
He closed his eyes and groaned, leaning into my touch. After a long moment, he admitted, “I’m worried you think differently about me now. I never cared about New Elwood. I only cared about myself.”
“And your mother.”
He huffed, nodding.
