That was an understatement. Before Natalie, I never even dared to dream about those kinds of things. Now I could see it all so clearly. There was nothing I wanted more than a life with this woman. “Yeah, they do.” I brushed my lips against hers gently at first, then slowly deepened the kiss.
“Hold up.” Natalie pressed against my chest. “So, what are we saying?”
“I’m saying whenever you’re ready, I want you to move here and really give this thing a shot. Whatever that looks like.”
“Yeah?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.”
“Good, I was hoping you’d say that because when I was wandering around in town today, I saw this old house downtown that I thought would make a great dance studio.”
“You want to run a dance school?” I was confused. Didn’t she just say she was done with that life? “I thought you didn’t want to dance anymore.”
“No, as long as my body will let me, I am always going to want to dance. I said I was tired of the life. My life in New York, not dance. When I saw this house today, I instantly pictured a dance studio there. I’ve never seen anything so clearly. I could see it all. A dance studio, my kids learning to dance in it. You and me. Our life together. Everything.”
I stroked her cheek. That sounded pretty amazing to me. “I like the sound of that.”
“Me too.”
“Would you really be okay walking away from performing and settling down in a small town like this?”
“Not a small town like this.Thissmall town. With you.” She looked at me. Her face filled with more love than I had ever seen directed at me in my life.
My chest felt so full it got tight.
“Honestly, I’d be happy anywhere with you,” she said.
“It’s a big change from New York.” Part of me was still afraid to believe she would give up everything for me, for us.
“It is. But I’d already decided to step away from that part of my life. I just didn’t know what the next phase was…until you.”
“Next phase and all the rest to come.” I cupped the back of her neck and drew her into a kiss.
What had felt like a shit day when I came home had suddenly morphed into the best day ever. I kissed the side of Nat’s neck, and a shiver ran through her. “What do you say we take this upstairs and have a nice long shower?”
“Mmm,” she moaned. “And maybe tomorrow we can go look at the potential studio, and you can tell me if it’ll work.” She nipped my lip. “I’ll make it worth your while,” she teased.
My dick pulsed against my jeans. “Woman, you keep doing that, and I will build you a fucking studio.”
She giggled. “Well, it’s an old house, so it might come to that.”
I smirked at her. “What the hell does this place look like?”
Natalie stood and grabbed my hand and tugged me off the sofa. “Nope, that’s a tomorrow problem. Tonight we’re hitting the shower, and then you’re going to finish rubbing my feet now that I know they don’t gross you out.”
“I was hoping for a little more than a foot rub to end the evening.”
She took a step towards the stairs and glanced over her shoulder at me. “Guess it depends how good the rub is.” She waggled her eyebrows.
With a growl, I lunged toward her. Nat squealed and ran, but she wasn’t fast enough. Within a couple of steps, I grabbed her around the waist, threw her over my shoulder, and carried her up the stairs. By the time I was done with her, there would be no doubt in her mind that I knew how to rub everything exactly right.
Chapter Eight
Natalie
Warm sunlight touched my face as I hovered near sleep. I didn’t want to get out of bed yet. I wanted to stay in this cozy nest forever. I pulled the down duvet up around my chin and nestled deeper. The past few weeks with Ash had been the best of my life. I don’t know what I had done to deserve him, but I was incredibly grateful. I reached behind me to touch him and came up empty. Turning, I glanced at the vacant spot on the bed. His pillow was still slightly dented from where his head had been.
Since I’d returned to Hollow Peak, we hadn’t spent a single night apart. Now I couldn’t imagine my life without him. The idea of returning to New York, even just for a few days, seemed awful. Maybe I could sweet-talk him into coming with me to pack up my stuff, and we could make a little trip out of it.
