Page 85 of The Best Thing He Never Wanted

“You okay?”

She nodded and sniffed. “Wonderful.”

“Shit, Bea. I’m sorry. I didn’t think. Is this somewhere that holds memories for you? I—”

“No. Blane, no. It’s nothing like that.” She squeezed his hand tighter and looked up into his eyes. “This was a dream of mine when I was a girl.”

“What was?”

“This.” She looked down at their joined hands and then out at the sea. “My idea of romance was walking hand in hand with a wonderful man at the water’s edge on a beautiful day like this.”

His brows drew together, and his jaw worked as he stared at her. “Did I mess it up?” he asked eventually.

“Oh God, Blane, no. Not at all. What I’m saying is…” She drew a breath. “Actually, I’m going to use the same excuse you did. This is unfiltered. It’s the truth, so it might be too much.”

He waited.

“What I’m saying is, you made my dream come true.”

He stared at her for another moment and blinked. Then, before she knew it, her face was pressed against his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her and his chin resting on top of her head.

She chuckled into his shirt. “Thank you.”

“No, Bea. Thank you.” His arms tightened around her. “That means the world to me. I don’t…” He blew out a breath. “Hell, I don’t know what to say.”

She tipped her head back to look up into his eyes. “I don’t know what to say either, other than thank you.”

They stood that way for a few long moments, and the way he smiled at her had that fizzy feeling rippling through her chest again. Eventually, she stepped away from him when it occurred to her that, knowing Blane, he probably wouldn’t move first in case he somehow thought he was messing up her dream. She chuckled as she took his hand again.

“Come on. Let’s walk.”

After a few steps, his fingers tightened around hers. “Your dream. Was it specifically about holding hands?”

“Why, Blane? What are you thinking?”

When she looked up at him, he gave her a sheepish smile. “Just that I kinda like it when I get to put my arm around you. But I don’t want to screw it up if it’s about holding hands.”

She had to laugh as she let go of his hand and wrapped her arm around his waist instead. When his arm settled around her shoulders, she leaned against him.

“This is good too. Perfect, in fact.”

“I thought so; I get you closer this way.”

She didn’t have any words for that, because it was exactly how she felt too. With every day that passed, she found herself wanting to get closer and closer to this wonderful man.

As they approached the harbor wall, she pointed. “There are usually a bunch of tour boats there in the summer. I thought there might at least be fishing boats or something right now.”

“I’d guess they might use a more sheltered harbor. Sea’s a bit rough.”

“Oh yes. You’re probably right.”

“Is this somewhere you used to come a lot?”

“Not a lot. Meg and I have been a few times when we’ve come to Crete on holiday. We stayed at the house the last couple of times, so this is sort of our local beach, even though it isn’t all that local.”

“It was only a twenty-minute drive.”

“The way you drive. But I’d normally describe it as thirty.”