Page 81 of Enticing Her Love

“Not at all. Are you?”

He shook his head.

“I never imagined you as the kind of guy who could sit back and relax like this. I pictured you as restless. Always on the move.”

He smiled. “Disappointed?”

“No. This is wonderful.” She could sit there all day with the sun warming her face and the water kissing the sides of the boat. “Is this what you usually do on the weekends?”

“It depends. I’ve spent my life on the move, so when we’re not traveling for the show, I tend to stick close to home. I do enjoy taking the boat out and doing a little fishing, but I also like going for hikes and just sitting on my deck reading. What about you? What do you usually do on the weekends?”

“Kind of the same thing minus the boat, and the hikes, and the fishing.”

They both laughed.

He squeezed her calf. “What do your weekends look like, Steele? I won’t judge you if it’s all hair and nails and big shopping trips.”

“I wouldn’t change if you did judge me. Sometimes that’s what my weekends look like, but usually I just run errands, read, and catch up with friends and family. I like to go for walks, and Dawn and Andi live in my neighborhood and go to the same yoga studio I do, so some weekends we’ll take a class together.” She motioned around them. “But if I lived in a place like this, I’d probably never leave. I didn’t see any other houses on the way in or along the shore. Do you own all this land?”

“No, but I own acres, and the properties abutting mine are in a trust, so they’ll remain undeveloped.”

“You’re so lucky. You have your own private oasis. You could do so much with this if you wanted to.”

“Like what?”

She looked around, pondering the question. “You could make your own wilderness camp for kids who like to explore, like you did.”

“That’s not a bad idea at some point. Maybe when I retire. But I don’t know if I’d want to give up my privacy.”

“I didn’t think about that. It would definitely change the vibe of this place. Did you always want to live on the water?”

“Not necessarily on the water, but I need to be near nature the way you need caffeine.”

“I totally get that kind of need. Why here and not in Massachusetts? Was it because of the show?”

“No. I just got lucky that it worked out that way. I bought this place a few years after I became old news. I had been traveling for so long and doing it under a fake identity. I started to feel like I had lost part of myself. I wanted a home base, someplace of my own to feel grounded. I love Ridgeport, but it’s a small town, and I didn’t want to feel like a bird in a cage. Victory, Seth, and Clay were already living in New York, and I wanted to be near them but close enough to my parents and grandparents that I could see them, too. I happened to be visiting Seth when this place came on the market. A week after closing on it, I heard about LWW launching their World Exploration Network, and I got a job working as a location director for one of their travel shows. It was great. I got to travel and had this place to hide out in when I was back in town. Eventually I moved up the ranks and came up with the premise for Discovery Hour. The rest is history.”

“It’s like you were meant to find this place.”

“Even more so now.” He scooted closer, guiding her legs over his, and leaned in for a kiss.

She loved their easy affection. “You’ve accomplished so much. What’s next for you?”

“Honestly? I don’t know, and I’m not in a hurry to figure it out. I’m enjoying spending time with my family, and I love my job. I get to see cool places with even cooler people. Like a certain blonde who looks fantastic in orange.” He ran his hand up her calf. “I’m happy with my life. I want to stay close to family, continue to travel, and maybe have a family of my own one day. Who knows. What about you?”

“What about me?”

“I keep thinking about you as a little girl, reporting the Silver Island News from that cardboard box. You had big dreams, and you’re making them happen. That’s got to feel good.”

“It feels amazing. I’ve learned so much about reporting and different cultures—and the world—since coming to Discovery Hour. I mean, one month we’re digging up ninety-thousand-year-old remains of a brown crab, and the next we’re eagle hunting in Mongolia. Who knew a job I took as a stepping stone could turn out to be so much more than I ever imagined?”

“Don’t forget christening the rainforest.”

She laughed. “That, too.”

“So, what’s next? Where will Sutton Steele be in five years? Do you want a family?”

“I want it all. A great career, traveling, family.” She thought about the résumé she’d sent to GNN, and a knot formed in her stomach. She decided not to mention it since they hadn’t gotten back to her yet, but she wanted to be honest with him. “What we’re doing is important, and I love it. Even more so now that we’re getting along, but I’ve always dreamed of being a cutting-edge reporter headlining global issues and news, and eventually becoming a respected journalist like Tom and Barbara were, but I know I have to pay my dues and work my way up the ladder.”