Page 69 of Center Ice

She kissed my cheek before stepped out of my hold. “Then let’s take a look at this place.”

We went through each room, and she pointed out the things she liked most, even suggesting decorating ideas.

“It’s so close to the arena, too. I think this is perfect for you.”

I looked around. “What about you?”

Her eyes widened. “Jake.”

I took her hand and went back to the hall. Two doors down, I stopped and pulled out another key. “This one is yours. If you want it.”

She stared at me, then the key. “Really?”

“Take a look.” I urged.

She bit her lip and took the key, then stepped into a mirror unit of my own. She stopped in the kitchen and turned around. “Jake, this is really nice.”

“I know we didn’t talk about your budget, but before you say anything, I want you to know the full plan.” She nodded. “I reserved the two units, but I only signed contracts for mine, so you aren’t locked into anything. But there’s something else I really liked about this building.”

“It has a pool?” she teased.

I chuckled. “It does, but that wasn’t what sold me.”

“What did?”

“Did you notice the restaurants and stores downstairs that faced the street?”

“Yes?” She narrowed her eyes.

“There’s one available, or it was available until this afternoon. I thought it would be the perfect spot to open your office.”

Her hand went to her mouth.

“It’s a small unit, but it has more than enough room for a meeting area for clients and maybe two private offices.”

“You got me an office?”

I couldn’t tell by her tone what she was thinking. “Yes.”

“Oh, Jake! Thank you!” She ran back to me and hugged me tightly.

“You’re not mad?” I asked.

“How could I be mad? That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.” She stepped back. “You believe in me.”

“I do,” I promised. “I might have overstepped, but I wanted you to know how committed I am. I want us to build a life together, and I’m investing in that, in us.”

“Thank you.” She pushed up and kissed me gently. “This is more than I could have dreamed.”

“So you want to take the apartment?” I asked.

“Yeah, I appreciate you not asking me to move in, yet.” She put her hands on my chest. “One day, but I want to ease into things. We’ve both gone through a lot of change recently.”

I nodded. “That’s what I thought.”

She let out a small laugh. “I can’t believe this is our life.” She looked around. “Let’s sign the contract for your unit.”

“We can go see the office space too. You might have to keep up the pool consultations for a few weeks while we work on it, but I think it will be worth it.”