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Nate said, “Tristan and I get that about you. Because it’s in our blood, too. That’s why I bought the ship. It’ll take us wherever we want to go. Yes, sometimes we need to be much more expeditious. But then again . . . with the infrastructure we’ve built within the organization and given that we’ve designed state-of-the-art business communications solutions, we’re not tied to the office or London or even California. We can roam.”
“I like roaming,” she said on a soft breath. “I also like Bayfront.”
“That’s precisely what I’m getting at. We like Bayfront, too. That’s why we’re expanding operations into San Francisco. And with the Ariana—or if I downsize the yacht so I’m not perceived as pretentious—”
“I never said you were pretentious,” she was quick to say.
He smirked. “You sort of it implied it when you called her a monstrosity.”
“I promise I meant it in the nicest possible way.”
Nate kissed the tip of her nose, then said, “In any event, we can sail along the coast to hubs such as San Diego, L.A., the Bay Area, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver . . . It’s a nice life-work balance we’ve discovered.”
“Well, you have been nose-to-the-grindstone since I met you.”
“That’s another revelation I’ve recently had,” he told her. “I’ve spent my whole life working toward something, even though I wasn’t fully certain what that something was. Tristan, too. But we suffered the conflict of wanting to be normal, while also having the gnawing suspicion that we never would be—and having to accept the fact that being different doesn’t always win popularity contests.”
It was funny how creating a stigma in your mind could permeate not just your entire existence, but make you automatically assume everyone perceived you a certain way, without comprehending that the Toby Andersons of the world, for example, would never give you the benefit of the doubt, but the Liv Tyners of the world would.
Those were the fascinating people who looked beyond the façade and took effort—found it enthralling—to dig beyond the obvious to discover what might be tucked away for safekeeping.
Liv told him, “Normal’s never been good enough for the two of you. I realized that when Tristan and I were talking about The Way You Were and how some people need a level of stability and predictability in their lives. And how some people need a little more . . . chaos.”
“Or just adventure,” Nate said with a wink.
“I prefer chaos.”
He chuckled. “Of course you do.” His head dipped and his lips tangled with hers. Nate loved the way she melded to him, slipping her arms around his neck, becoming one with him. His tongue delved deep to glide along hers as they both tightened their embrace.
No matter what Nate had achieved or obtained, nothing meant more to him than being wrapped up in Liv.
Their kiss continued and he was damn close to leading her back to the bed when he heard Tristan come out onto the deck and take a seat around the hot tub.
Nate unraveled from Liv and she swayed a little on her bare feet, causing him to grin.
“Don’t look too smug,” she breathlessly teased. “Your stepbrother makes me equally lightheaded.”
“Hopefully, we’re the only ones,” Nate quietly said.
She kissed his cheek and told him, “Don’t doubt it for a second.”
Her amber eyes shimmered with affection and adoration.
Nate didn’t think it was possible to be more enamored with her . . . but he was.
She left him and slipped into Tristan’s lap, snuggling against him.
“I have something to tell you both,” she said. “And it is riddled with irony.”
* * *
Tristan’s gut clenched. Liv’s sigh against his neck didn’t help matters. Over the top of her head, his gaze locked with Nate’s, who scowled, apparently not liking the hesitation in her voice any more than Tristan did.
“What’s up?” Tristan asked, striving for nonchalance but not quite sure he hit the mark.
Her fingertips drew lazy circles on his bare chest—he’d gone to his suite to retrieve a pair of drawstring pants while she was out on the deck with Nate. The feel of her curled into him and the sweeping of her fingers would have wholly distracted him, except that something clearly weighed heavy on her mind.
She told them, “I can see your grand plan for what it is now. You’ve figured out that you don’t have to fit into anyone’s ideal to be accepted. You have to be true to yourselves—that’s always been my motto, so naturally I completely agree. You’ve followed your hearts and fulfilled your dreams. Now you have a solid foundation to come back here yet still flit about as needed or desired. The perfect arrangement for you both. A perfect arrangement for me as well, because I want to be closer to you. In fact, I probably max out my time with projects because it keeps me from missing you both so damn much.”
