Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Imogene

“I hope this meets your expectations,” Gideon said as he swung open the door to our hotel room, revealing a luxurious suite with sleek, modern furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows that offered an unparalleled view of the ocean shimmering in the afternoon sunlight.

I stepped inside, my gaze sweeping across the living area, taking in every detail. From the marble-topped bar to the plush sectional that beckoned me to sink into its soft cushions, especially after traveling across the country, albeit in a private plane.

Beyond a set of elegant French doors, the bedroom awaited us with its king-sized bed adorned in crisp white linens that practically gleamed.

“I suppose it’ll do.”

Facing him, I draped an arm over his shoulder and lifted myself onto my toes, brushing my lips against his.

“It’s no Seaside Motel, but I’ll make the most out of it.”

He threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing in the space.

In the early days of our relationship, nearly all of Gideon’s money had been tied up in his gaming platform. Whenever we were able to sneak away for a weekend at the beach, the places we stayed weren’t exactly five-star, luxurious resorts. Back then, staying in a place like this had been a distant dream, one we’d shared on quiet nights when the only sounds were the ocean waves and Ollie snoring at our feet.

“I hope it won’t be too much of an inconvenience.”

“Certainly not,” I said as he pressed his mouth more firmly against mine, gently coaxing my lips to part.

Weeks ago, I didn’t think this was possible. Hell, just a few days ago, I didn’t think it was. Thought he’d punish himself for the rest of his life. Thought each day, more and more pieces of Gideon Saint would disappear until I was left with a man I didn’t recognize.

That was no longer the case. I finally had everything I wanted. Samuel’s loving nature. Gideon’s intense passion. And this new man he was because of everything he’d been through. Everything he’d survived.

“Come on. Let’s check out the view,” he suggested.

“Lead the way,” I replied.

Placing a hand on the small of my back, he steered me toward the balcony. The sliding glass doors opened up to an expansive view of the ocean, its waves crashing against the shore in a hypnotic rhythm.

As we stepped outside, the salty sea air enveloped me, invigorating me. A pair of wooden patio chairs sat facing the breathtaking scenery, a table between them. And placed on that table was an ice bucket with a bottle of champagne in it. An expensive one, too.

“Thirsty?” Gideon retrieved the bottle from the ice and skillfully removed the cage around the cork.

“I’ll never turn down bubbles. Especially a delicious bottle like that.”

“That’s my girl,” he said with a smirk, twisting the cork until it popped.

“I love that sound,” I remarked, watching as he carefully poured the effervescent liquid into a flute.

“Me, too. Almost as much as the sound you make when you come,” he added coolly, as if he were talking about the weather.

Regardless, it still made my cheeks heat.

“Play your cards right, and you might just hear both sounds in one day.”

“Oh, I definitely plan on hearing both sounds in one day,” he replied, handing me a flute.

“What should we drink to?”

He pinched his lips together, a contemplative look crossing his brow. “How about the future? Our future?”

“To our future,” I said, gently touching my glass to his.

“Our future,” he echoed, his eyes never leaving mine as we each took a sip of our champagne.

“I hope it’s to your liking.”

“Because Dom Perignon is so disgusting,” I retorted sarcastically, stepping toward the railing and allowing the comforting ocean breeze to blow through my hair. “It’s seriously a chore to drink it.”

Smirking, I brought my glass to my lips, fighting to swallow back the moan wanting to be set free from the smooth flavor. A girl could certainly get used to this.

“Remember the Opus One bottle?” I asked after a comfortable silence as we simply enjoyed being back in this place that was home to so many memories.

He set his flute on the railing and flashed me a gentle smile I felt deep in my soul. “How can I forget?”

When he was laid off from his programming job, he went to the liquor store and bought a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine. You’d think after being laid off, he’d want to save as much money as possible, but he saw being laid off as a blessing. As his chance to finally devote all his time and effort to the gaming platform he’d been working on with Liam. He bought that bottle as a symbol of the life he wanted to live, the success he hoped to achieve.

Even after we finished that bottle of wine, we didn’t get rid of it. Instead, we continued to drink out of it, filling it with whatever cheap wine we had on hand, usually from a box. Some of my happiest memories with him included that bottle as we’d eat ramen noodles while pretending to be dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

He didn’t have lofty dreams of the wealth he had now, unlike Liam. Instead, all he wanted was to be comfortable. I prayed that was all the future held for us. Nothing but comfort.

“Did you ever think you’d get here?” I mused absentmindedly. “That we’d get here?”

He turned toward me and wrapped me in his embrace before tipping my eyes to meet his. “Honestly, I’m still waiting for the bottom to fall, especially after everything. For years, my life was hell on earth, Imogene. The things I saw… The things I had to do to survive…”

“But you did survive.” I placed my hand against his cheek. “That’s all that matters.”

He curved closer. “Yes, it is.”

When his mouth touched mine in a soft kiss, I sighed, his affection seeping into me.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a flicker of hope — not just for us, but for a future. Where the weight of the past didn’t loom so heavily over us.

But as much as I wanted to believe we were finally on our way back to the dream we once shared, there were still too many unanswered questions to ignore the uneasy feeling settling in my stomach. Like a storm was brewing offshore, gathering strength before wreaking havoc.

I hoped I was wrong.

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