Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
LILA
Lila heard her phone beep nearby and immediately grabbed it off the mattress beside her out of instinct, out of habit, knowing, in the back of her mind, it was Louis – but it wasn’t a mattress.
It was the coffee table.
She was lying on the couch at Stephanie’s apartment – in Florida. She and Louis had texted like this so many times, and her breath seized inside of her as she awoke fully.
She met him.
They had been fixed up by Stephanie.
The baby!
“Oh my gosh…” she rasped, sliding her thumb across the screen to see the text message, expecting fully for him to bail on her, to think her the biggest crybaby in the world, the world’s worst friend because she’d ignored him and charged mulishly ahead to face her demons knowing it would be easier now than in front of Stephanie when she came home with the infant.
And saw she had two text messages – one from Trophy and one from Louis. She clicked on Trophy’s first and smiled tearfully. He was standing there, curling the infant up toward his face, smiling and it said simply, ‘ Meet Angel Renee Cavanaugh ’. Clicking to the other text thread, she swallowed.
Good morning.
Wanna grab breakfast, kiss cheeks, change dirty diapers, and savor drool – and I’m talking about the baby, not myself. I don’t wear diapers.
Although, if you are into breakfast casserole from Cracker Barrel you might be the most perfect person in the universe.
She laughed, shaking her head.
Aren't tighty-whitey’s the adult version? They look like a diaper.
Then I’m guilty as charged.
Are you picturing me in my underwear? You are only allowed to say YES at this point because I’m not sure I could handle a NO.
I plead the fifth.
Ouch.
Wanna picture me in swimming trunks, then?
Almost the same thing – and how about I don’t picture my friend in anything.
You’re picturing me naked?
UPGRADE!
Nooooooo! I was saying I don’t have to picture you because I’ve met you.
I met you too – and I like you – so do you wanna have breakfast, kiss some sweet cheeks, and go swimming at the beach today? It’s supposed to be a beautiful one.
I didn’t pack a swimsuit.
YOU. ARE. KIDDING.
You came to Florida without a swimsuit? Sacrilege!
Well, lucky for you, not only do I know where the best bakery is for insane carrot cake gluttony – I also happen to know of a place where you could get a swimsuit, goggles, whatever you need.
Deal.
How fast can you be ready?
Um, an hour?
What?! I’m HUNGRY.
(this is me – whining via text)
Ten minutes lady – and I’m in the parking lot already.
“WHAT?” Lila exclaimed, throwing back the covers and getting to her feet. She peered out the miniblinds of the empty baby’s room down the hallway. Looking at the parking lot below, she saw Louis standing there in a pair of board shorts, a T-shirt that said ‘NAVY’ across the chest, and a baseball cap. He lifted his hand, wiggled his fingers at her, and then waved to point at his cell phone.
Her phone dinged.
Nine minutes… my tummy is rumbling.
She let the blinds go, laughing. Rushing to throw on some jeans and a T-shirt, and pulling her hair back into a ponytail, she hurriedly brushed her teeth and picked up her sandals on the way out the door. The concrete of the entryway was cool under her feet from the shade, but the heat was already starting to build in the Florida sun. Oh yes, it would be perfect for swimming today.
As she descended the stairs, her breath caught as Louis was standing there, waiting and holding what looked like a small branch that had two white flowers on it.
“What’s that?” she asked, smiling.
“I should say ‘ An olive branch ,’” he chuckled shyly, meeting her smile. “But it’s not. It’s actually an orange blossom – the state flower of Florida – and I thought that if you didn’t know to bring a swimsuit, you might not know this either…”
And she realized he was teasing her.
“You think you are sooo smart, don’t you?”
“Me? Never…” but he laid a playful hand on his chest in mock protest that had her laughing again. They turned and moved together toward the passenger side of his car, and she wasn’t even upset or bothered by the gesture as he opened it for her.
It was nice to have someone treating her kindly and gently. It was honestly nicer than she anticipated. Her ex-husband never held the door for her, but Louis seemed to be going out of his way to be a perfect gentleman around her.
“My lady…” he gestured as she slipped into the seat looking at him – and he winked at her.
Was he flirting?
She couldn’t help but watch him as he circled around the car and joined her, sliding into the seat easily. She felt herself flush slightly and caught herself admiring his legs, the way he moved so easily, and breathing deeply of his spicy cologne. Oh man, this was nice. She could almost let herself imagine that there was something more starting between them, could almost let herself hope, but that went against everything she’d promised herself all those months ago.
“Are you ready?” he asked simply, starting the car. “Food first, then the baby? Then I’ll drag you to the beach.”
“Yes – but after I get a swimsuit somewhere.”
“Oh yeah,” he said innocently – and then winked at her again.
“My gosh, are you seriously hinting that I could swim naked on a public beach? I don’t think so, buster.”
“I would never suggest such a thing,” he replied, again with that mocking, playful tone that said differently. “I would insist on a private beach.”
“Good thing we’re not going to a private beach then.”
“Hmm… wouldn’t that be something if the beach on base was private,” he smirked, and her mouth dropped open. “I’m kidding! I’m kidding. It’s not really because of all the sailors, but it won’t be as packed as the others down the coastline.”
“Yeah, not my idea of a private beach.”
“What do you picture?” he asked suddenly, surprising her as he drove easily down the streets. “I’m thinking clear blue waters, white sands, and…”
Lila closed her eyes for a moment, letting the sound of the road fade away as she wrapped herself in the dream she was painting with her words. “Shells,” she whispered as if the very thought of them was a fragile thing that might disappear if spoken too loudly. Her heart ached with the need to escape, to carve out a moment in time that was untouched by reality.
“Lots of palm trees and large conch shells being washed onto the shoreline. White sands, a crescent-shaped beach so you felt like you were completely alone, and maybe the water is turquoise – a brilliant blue that makes you feel like you’re in heaven.”
She didn’t dare look at Louis as she spoke, afraid that if she saw his expression, she’d lose the magic of the moment. But she felt him there, the warmth of his presence filling the space between them, his quiet, steady breathing the only sound aside from the hum of the tires on asphalt.
“That’s my thoughts too,” Louis murmured, his voice low, like a confession. Her heart stuttered at the weight of those words. Was he offering her an escape? A temptation? A stolen dream meant only for them?
She swallowed, her fingers curling in her lap. Would she do something so reckless, so completely out of step with the life she had promised herself? The logical part of her said no. But the part of her that longed for something more, something breathtaking and wild, wasn’t so sure.
“I’d love to hide away someday and just exist like that…” His voice was wistful, full of unspoken longing, and for a brief, aching second, Lila let herself imagine it—just the two of them, lost in paradise, their world stripped down to nothing but sun, sea, and each other.
Her pulse thrummed in her throat as she turned her head slightly, catching the shadow of a smile on his lips. Did he mean it? Could they ever have something like that?
And then the car slowed, the tires crunching over gravel as they pulled into the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel. The moment shattered like a fragile piece of glass slipping from her hands.
Louis exhaled, his expression shifting back into something easy, unreadable as if the conversation had never happened. He popped open his car door without hesitation, breaking whatever spell had been cast between them.
“Time to chow down,” he said with a grin, his voice light, unaffected.
Lila forced a smile as she followed, but inside, she felt the loss of something unnamed, something precious that had slipped through her fingers before she could grasp it.
An hour later, they were walking into the hospital once again, but this time, she didn’t feel that overwhelming sense of horror and dread from her own past, her loss of her child at five months pregnant. That had been such a hard time, but finally letting it out seemed to have eased a little bit of those raw devastating feelings that seemed to savage her soul – and she would never forget how the man beside her had just held her and allowed her to cry on his shoulder.
“Louis,” she started as they got to the hospital room door, and he turned to her, but Trophy was already there just over Louis’s shoulder, greeting them.
“Hey! You made it. Come see our little Angel…”
Louis gave her a steady look that silently seemed to ask ‘ Are you okay? ’ and she nodded. As they stepped inside, she saw Stephanie’s tired yet proud expression, and the baby was in the bassinet beside her.
“I’m so happy to see you, Lila,” Stephanie began and chuckled. “Sorry I wasn’t much fun yesterday – and I might be a little poor company today while you are in town because I’m already feeling a second nap coming on, and it’s barely eleven in the morning.”
“The nurses told you to sleep when you could,” Trophy chided tenderly.
“He’s right,” Lila added. “You’ve been through a lot, and it takes time for your body to heal. Plus, you are now feeding the baby.”
“Do you want to hold her?” Stephanie asked, her voice thick with emotion. Her gaze held Lila’s, searching, offering. “I won’t make you, but she’s so sweet and so good...”
Lila’s heart pounded as Stephanie’s words settled between them, laden with an unspoken understanding. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I’d love to,” she managed, her voice barely above a whisper.
Trophy was already lifting the baby out of the bassinet before she could take another breath. Beside her, Louis gently touched her arm, guiding her toward the small couch.
“Here,” he murmured, his presence solid, unwavering. She sank down, grateful for the support. Her legs felt weak, her body betraying the storm of emotions swirling inside her. Trophy moved with careful precision, placing the warm, sleeping infant in her arms. The moment Angel’s tiny weight settled against her, Lila shattered.
Her breath hitched.
She had held her child once. Just once. Her son had been no bigger than a small banana, fragile, impossibly small—a fleeting presence that had broken her in ways she never thought she could heal from. But this baby? This baby was different. She was plump, full of life, a quiet sigh escaping her tiny lips as she smacked them in her sleep.
A sharp ache bloomed in Lila’s chest, stealing her breath. Her arms instinctively tightened around the baby as if she could absorb all that warmth, all that innocence.
A sudden, steadying presence grounded her—Louis. His arm wrapped securely around her back, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder. The heat of him seeped into her, a tether to the present when she felt like she might unravel.
She turned her head slightly, meeting his gaze. Hazel eyes locked onto hers, darkened with intensity, understanding, and something else. Something that made her pulse trip over itself.
“She’s so beautiful,” Lila breathed, her voice trembling. Louis’s lips parted, and when he spoke, his voice was soft, reverent.
“More than anything I’ve ever seen in the world.”
But he wasn’t talking about the baby. She knew it. Felt it in the way his fingers barely grazed her arm, in the way he didn’t care who heard. His words cracked something open inside her, slipping past every wall she had built, every reason she had given herself not to hope.
The words fell from her lips before she could stop them. “I want one...”
Her voice was so quiet, so fragile, she wasn’t sure she had spoken aloud. But Louis heard her. She saw the way his expression shifted, how his hand curled slightly, as if holding himself back.
“I’d give you one,” he mouthed back, his lips forming the words she wasn’t sure she was brave enough to fully embrace.
The air between them thickened, charged with the weight of their unspoken truths. They had bared their souls in the most unexpected moment, and now there was no turning back. Lila could feel her heart pounding, each beat a resounding echo of possibility, of longing, of fear.
She cradled Angel closer, savoring the baby’s warmth, the soft scent of new life that stirred something primal and aching inside her. This was everything she had lost. Everything she thought she could never have again. And yet, sitting here, with Louis steady beside her, his eyes never leaving hers, she dared to dream.
A throat cleared, breaking the fragile moment.
“Do you want to hold her?” Lila found herself asking, forcing lightness into her voice, though her hands trembled as she turned toward Louis.
Trophy cleared his throat again, shifting awkwardly. He had noticed. They weren’t subtle.
Louis’s gaze remained locked onto hers, his voice rough with emotion. “More than anything.”
Lila smiled then, understanding blooming between them. “The baby, silly.”
The corner of his mouth lifted, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Of course,” he chuckled. “I was talking about the baby.”
“Sure you were.”
She carefully shifted, feeling Louis’s arms brush against hers as they leaned close, passing the sleeping infant between them. Their movements were slow, deliberate, almost reverent.
Louis cradled the baby against his chest, his large hands cradling her so gently it made Lila’s throat tighten. Then, he did something that sent her entire world spinning. He leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to the infant’s forehead.
Lila barely held in a gasp. And if she had melted before, now she was utterly undone. It was such a simple gesture, and yet it was everything.
“Oh, Lila...” His voice was hushed, filled with something raw and aching. He looked at her, eyes soft, unguarded. “She’s really something, isn’t she?”
Lila swallowed against the emotion clawing at her throat. “A miracle,” she whispered.
Their eyes met again, something vast and unspoken stretching between them. It was too much. Too intense. Too real.
“Okay, okay,” Trophy interjected, waving a hand dramatically. “Enough of that over my baby. We don’t want her contaminated with whatever is brewing between you two. My stars, I think I feel woozy, so I can’t imagine how my little Angel is feeling at ground zero.”
Stephanie laughed softly as Trophy leaned down, gently taking Angel from Louis’s arms. The spell was broken, but the air still hummed with the remnants of everything unspoken.
Louis turned to her, a slightly shy smile playing on his lips before he looked away. Without hesitation, he reached down, lacing his fingers with hers. The warmth of his hand sent a shiver up her spine.
Lila felt the heat rush to her cheeks. The room suddenly felt too small, too warm, and the reality of how she had acted—practically swooning over Trophy’s best friend—made her cheeks burn. She turned, looking toward Stephanie, expecting a teasing remark.
Stephanie didn’t disappoint.
“Whatever this is,” she said, smiling openly, “I heartily approve. This is good for you. I like seeing you smile. So before you go and ruin it by downplaying it—y’all should go have some fun. I think I’ll get another quick nap in and fawn over my husband’s gorgeous genes.”
“I approve, too,” Trophy chimed in, eyeing the two of them. “You’re both doing this weird happy-glowy-thing, and it looks good on ya, brother. Now, get out of here so I can watch my wife sleep because I’m seriously in love with the little snores she makes...”
“Lance!” Stephanie scolded, laughing. “I do not snore.”
“Purr?” Trophy teased. “Weird chest rumble?”
“Oh my gosh...” Stephanie chuckled as he leaned forward to kiss her.
Louis rose beside Lila, pulling her up with him. As they exchanged a glance, something shifted. Everything had changed in the last five minutes, and the weight of that realization settled between them. They made their goodbyes and silently walked down the hospital hallway, neither saying a word.
They didn’t look at each other.
They didn’t speak.
It was like they were both vibrating with sudden tension, ready to explode between them in the best way possible. A few moments later, they were in the parking garage, still not speaking, and it was the same pattern as before. Louis opened her door, walked around the car, slid into his seat, started the car, and sat there.
He sat there staring straight ahead.
She turned to look at him, memorizing his profile, and saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. He cleared his throat. His eye twitched slightly almost like a nervous tic, and then he spoke.
“I meant it,” Louis whispered in a hushed voice, not looking at her. “I would give you a baby if you wanted one. I’d give you a dozen. I don’t think you look at me like that, though, and things are so fragile right now between us, but I wanted you to know that I was interested if you ever looked at me differently someday or…” his voice faded for a moment, almost like he was gathering his strength to say whatever was in his mind next and Lila was reeling.
You could have knocked her over with a feather at this moment because while they’d both spoken out of turn at the hospital, a hushed whisper between them of something more, a part of her thought maybe he was going to brush it off, but this quiet, understanding, supporting man beside her was doing something different – something no one had ever done before for her. Louis was doubling down on his words, supporting her wishes and dreams in a way she never imagined.
DOUBLING. DOWN.
“I know it’s a lot, and you’ve got a past, but… but, I would never harm you, Lila,” he rasped; his profile looked utterly wrecked as he poured out his guts. “I see the other guys getting married or happy going out and making a mess of their lives, but that’s not me. I’ve tried to be that person just so I wasn’t so empty or lonely, but I want something more.”
“Louis…”
“I want a home, a person for me, a family someday,” he whispered faintly, his voice cracking with emotion. “And I’m scared I won’t ever get the chance because I’m not that great of a guy.”
“You are to me…”
And she hesitated, not even realizing that she’d uttered the words aloud between them until he turned and looked at her, his ragged gaze holding hers as he smiled sadly.
“No, I don’t think I am.”
“Why?”
“I’m no saint. And even when I falter in my beliefs, knowing I’m doing wrong, there are times when I still partake because I don’t want to be left alone with myself. I drink, I cuss, I’ve slept around, committed the sin of gluttony with my best friend…”
And to her shock, she laughed causing him to smile slightly as she reached for his hand, and he looked away from her.
“I don’t think any of us are perfect,” she admitted and paused. “I do think there are horrible people in the world – but I’m also positive you aren’t one of them. You’re so sweet, polite, and my best friend.”
“Then I’ve done a good job hiding my thoughts from you.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because what I want to do to you isn’t polite, it sure isn’t sweet, and it’s definitely not friendly in the slightest…”
There was a longing in his voice as he slowly turned to look at her again – and she swallowed seeing the desire in his eyes.
“Really?”
“Really,” he confirmed quietly, watching her as her mind raced with comprehension – and something started to unfold within her.
Hope.
“I want you for my own someday – and not as a friend,” he said quietly and gave her hand a slight squeeze.
Honestly, she was a little stunned that she didn’t pull back or pull away, knowing what he was saying or implying. Yeah, they had gone from friends to something more like a person jumping off a bridge into the wide open, waiting for what came next.
“I don’t know what to say,” she breathed.
“Don’t be scared of me,” he begged softly, his eyes searching hers. “Let me show you what a relationship should be like between people. Know that I’m going to make mistakes, but I would protect you with everything I am.”
“But how?” she whispered painfully, her mind racing at what all of this could mean. “I’m only in town for another few days, and then I’m back in Louisville. You’re here, stationed on a ship, and I’m sure you’ll be leaving soon. I mean, we are two different people, two different lives, and well, we are too different, Louis.”
“I know,” he said, looking away. “This would be a massive change for both of us, but I’m willing. I’d take care of everything if you gave me a chance.”
“Maybe I’m not understanding…” she asked, confused. “A chance to have a baby like you said inside?”
“A chance to build a life together,” he replied, not looking at her. “A chance to take care of you, to provide a home for you, to give you a child, a life here… with me.”
Okay, this was not how she expected today to go.
“You’ve never,” she faltered, unsure what to say. “You’ve never really shown any indication that… that you’re interested in me until today.”
“I didn’t think you were ready for something more,” he replied softly, swallowing. “And maybe you aren’t still. That’s okay. I just wanted to show you my proverbial hand of cards, so you knew what move to make next in this game of life, my friend.”
“You’ve never even kissed me…”
“And I won’t until you are ready,” he tossed a quick smile that looked more like a grimace of pain as he nodded. “Let’s get out of here and change this whole conversation to something lighter. I promised you swimming on the beach, and some fun while you were in town. I sure never intended to be a storm cloud in your life.”
“Louis?”
“Yeah?”
“Kiss me,” she whispered tearfully, realizing that this man was even now putting her feelings and emotions first. He had tossed out so much between them, but the moment she didn’t jump into the idea wholeheartedly, he backed off. He’d done that so many times, even when they were texting, because he was a good man – a sweet man – and would put her first in his mind. That was all she wanted: to be loved, revered, cherished, and cared for. She had wanted a marriage, a bond with someone, and yearned for a family – only to have it stripped from her by the one person who should have grieved with her, held her as she cried, and this man had done that.
He reached for her, supported her, long before he ever knew her – because that was who he was deep within his soul.
“No,” he said hoarsely, looking at her. “Our first kiss won’t be in a car, in a parking garage. I want it to be something beautiful you will never forget. I’ll kiss you, but not right now. Right now, I need to get us moving.”
She nodded silently, marveling at him and replaying all his words in her mind, realizing once again he was giving her time to be sure of whatever this was. As she watched his profile, she saw his knuckles were white on the steering wheel, and his jaw flexed slightly, almost like he was holding himself in check, and she couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his mind as he drove.
Lila grabbed the first modest swimsuit she could find, her hands trembling slightly as she pulled it on. The anticipation buzzing beneath her skin was unbearable. Before she knew it, they were pulling into a parking lot near the beach on base. The scent of salt and sun-warmed sand drifted in through the car windows, wrapping around her like a long-lost memory. She breathed it in deeply, letting it soothe the tension coiled in her chest.
A wooden boardwalk stretched alongside a weathered building, leading over the dunes. Through the swaying sea grasses, she caught glimpses of the water beyond, its surface glistening beneath the fading sunlight. The sight tugged at something deep within her.
“Ready?” Louis asked, his voice gentle, carrying none of the urgency she felt thrumming in her veins. He was back to being the patient, polite, and never-pushy Louis—the one she had come to know through months of tender, carefully worded messages. The one she was beginning to realize had settled into the cracks of her heart without her permission.
“I am,” she murmured, nodding, eager to feel the cool water lap at her feet, to let it carry away the weight pressing on her soul. Maybe the beach was good for her. Maybe it was good for them .
As they walked, Louis carried two towels and a tote bag she hadn’t noticed before. Of course, she hadn’t been paying attention. She’d been too wrapped up in him.
There was a quiet distance between them, an unspoken space he seemed determined to maintain. It was as if he was afraid to push her, to even touch on their conversation before because it was too much, to plummet over the invisible lines they’d drawn once again. But a part of her wanted him to push. To fight. To claim her, because the way he had whispered those raw, unexpected words, offering her a baby, had ignited something deep and uncontrollable within her.
Oh gosh. Her imagination was ablaze.
She was looking at Louis in an entirely different light now. Every glance sent her mind spiraling into forbidden thoughts. His hands—steady, strong—she imagined them tracing over her skin. His arms—solid, protective—she longed to be held against them. And those lips— those lips had the power to burn her from the inside out.
It wasn’t just that she wanted to see him smile, to hear him laugh. She wanted to know him in ways no one else did. She wanted to feel the sharp intake of his breath when he kissed her, to know if he would pull her close in the quiet afterglow of love, to wake up tangled in his arms as sunlight spilled through the window.
Louis was the kind of man who would stand strong when others broke, who carried his burdens with unwavering faith. She saw it in him, felt it in the way he moved, in the way he spoke. He wouldn’t falter in the face of chaos—he would be the calm within the storm. And heaven help her, she wanted to lean into that steadiness. To crave it and hold it for her own.
They reached a quiet stretch of beach, setting down their things in the sand, away from a family playing nearby. The waves called to her, and before she could second-guess herself, Louis reached for her hand, guiding her toward the water with that patient, knowing smile.
His restraint was infuriating.
“Don’t you ever want something?” she blurted, the words tumbling from her lips before she could stop them. Frustration crackled through her veins like a live wire. The teasing, the comments, the whispers between them, it was all too much. It was like he was blindly chumming the water, and she was distinctly feeling like a starving Jaws ready to attack. “I mean, crap, Louis, didn’t you ever peek at a present or rush into something blindly?”
He straightened, his entire body going still. Instantly, regret flooded her. She hadn’t meant for it to sound like an accusation.
“I’m sorry, it’s just?—”
Before she could finish, Louis yanked her to him with a force that stole her breath. The sand shifted beneath her feet, but she barely noticed. All she could feel was him—solid, warm, overwhelming.
“I want you,” he rasped, his voice rough with something raw and unrestrained. Then his mouth was on hers, claiming, devouring, desperate.
Heat exploded between them, a wildfire of sensation as he opened his mouth against hers, tasting her with a hunger that sent shivers cascading down her spine. His hands framed her face, fingers threading into her hair like he was afraid she’d disappear if he let go.
And she understood.
She understood the trembling in his body, the way he held her as if she were something fragile and precious. Because this—whatever this was between them—it was powerful enough to shake them both.
Lila melted into him, her fingers threading through his hair, pulling him closer as though she could absorb him into her very being. His arms tightened around her, wrapping her in heat, in want, in something so raw it stole the breath from her lungs. There was no hesitation, no slow build—just an all-consuming, desperate hunger that sent shivers cascading down her spine.
She didn’t just kiss him back—she met his urgency with her own, matched his longing, his need, his everything. It was a clash of passion and surrender, lips moving feverishly, bodies molding together as though they had been sculpted for this moment alone. His hand cupped the back of her neck, fingers tangling in her hair, holding her in place as if he feared she might disappear like a dream slipping from his grasp.
When he had teased her earlier about making an impression with a kiss, she had laughed, thinking it was nothing more than playful bravado. But now?
Mission accomplished, buddy.
The thought was wild, fleeting, barely forming before it was lost in the sensation of his lips parting hers, deepening the kiss, consuming her. The world faded, and everything else became insignificant. There was only Louis—his taste, his touch, his heartbeat thundering against her chest.
He kissed her like a man who had been starved of touch, who had wandered a barren desert only to find an oasis in her embrace. The intensity of it sent heat pooling low in her belly, her knees weakening as his grip tightened, anchoring her to him. There was nothing unsure about the way he held her, nothing uncertain in the way his mouth moved against hers.
It was a declaration.
A promise.
Between his words and this kiss, every doubt, every lingering question about what he wanted burned to ash. He wanted her. Desperately. Unapologetically. With a passion that stole the air from her lungs and made her dizzy with longing. And at that moment, she knew—this man would be insatiable in every way.
He would worship her, cherish her, and love her until there was no part of her left untouched by his devotion. The thought sent a delicious shiver through her, weakening her resolve as he pulled back just enough to whisper against her lips.
“Yeah, I want things,” he murmured, his voice hoarse, thick with meaning. His forehead pressed against hers, breaths mingling. “I want this . More of this . This forever and a day. And yeah, I want all of this if it’s on the table between us.”
Her heart pounded, her fingers tracing the edge of his jaw, memorizing the feel of him.
“Oh, it’s definitely on the table…”
The relief, the sheer satisfaction in his smile, nearly undid her. His gaze—filled with an aching possessiveness—burned into her, branding her in ways she never expected. He kissed her again, softer this time, savoring her like he had all the time in the world.
And then, with an easy tug, he pulled her forward into the water, their bodies swaying with the rhythm of the waves, their lips finding each other over and over.
Gentle. Playful. Reverent.
And as she looked at him, at the man who kissed her like she was the answer to every question he had ever asked. She realized she had found something real in Louis.
Something extraordinary .
Hours later, Lila watched in bemusement as Louis yanked the car into the apartment complex, muttering a quick, “Wait here,” before he jumped out and jogged toward the office. Her brows furrowed as she watched him, confusion prickling at her. A moment later, he was back, sliding into the driver’s seat with a look of pure determination, throwing the car into reverse so fast that the tires bumped over the curb behind them.
“Louis?” she asked, alarmed as the car jostled from the impact.
“Sorry,” he muttered, shifting back into drive and pulling forward with a tension she had never seen in him before.
Her stomach tightened. “Are you okay?”
He exhaled sharply. “I’m nervous.”
That threw her.
Louis— steady, teasing, always-in-control Louis —was nervous?
She studied him, noting the way his hands gripped the wheel a little too tightly, the way his jaw flexed as if he were bracing for impact. This wasn’t the same easygoing man from earlier.
“Did you forget something at Trophy and Stephanie’s?” she asked, trying to make sense of his unease.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled into a parking spot farther down, cursing under his breath as he turned off the car. Her confusion only deepened when his gaze locked onto hers, filled with something close to fear.
“What have you done?” she whispered.
“Nothing yet.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Come with me.”
“For what?” She stared at him, her pulse kicking up. “Where are we going?”
“I want you to look at this place… to see if you’re interested.”
Her mouth dropped open.
Wait. What?
Before she could process his words, he was already moving, stepping out of the car and striding toward a woman who had emerged from the office. Lila remained frozen, utterly flabbergasted, until Louis appeared at her car door, opening it with a determined expression.
“Five minutes,” he whispered, his voice nearly pleading. “Just give me five minutes and hear me out.”
She swallowed hard, her heart hammering as she slowly took his offered hand. He led her toward the woman, who unlocked the apartment door and stepped aside. As they entered, Louis pushed the door to, not closing it completely but enough to grant them privacy.
“It’s not the Ritz…” he murmured, pulling her forward. “But you’d be close to Stephanie.”
Her breath hitched. Her gaze shot to his, finding nothing but open hope in his eyes.
“I’m really putting it all out there,” he chuckled, the sound edged with emotion. His fingers traced small circles against the small of her back, grounding her in the moment. “Close your eyes and dream for a second,” he urged. “We could put a couch here and?—”
“Louis…” she breathed, her voice barely audible. Her hands trembled as she looked around the empty space, the enormity of what he was suggesting slamming into her. “Are you… are you talking about me moving here?”
His fingers tightened around hers. “I would give you anything you asked for if you took a chance on me.”
Her heart stuttered. “You keep saying that but…” she hesitated, eyes searching his. “What are you meaning? Move in? Date you? Kiss you?”
A slow, almost nervous smile tugged at his lips, but his gaze held steady, unwavering.
“Marry me.”