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As soon as I see the pain in his eyes, I regret the intrusive question, but it’s too late.
“I was grieving for my mother at the time,” he says. “It’s possible I should’ve held off on that decision until later. The thing is, I learned that if I ever had a female child, it would be a near certainty that she’d end up like my mom. I couldn’t imagine that kind of pain, so I went out and got myself the best birth control available.”
I gasp and then envelop him in a tight hug, fighting tears the whole time. “That really sucks. I’m sorry.”
“Thanks,” he says huskily when I pull away. “Like you, I could have a child if I really wanted one. A vasectomy can sometimes be reversed, and there’s always sperm retrieval.” He shudders a little as he says that last bit. “It’s also possible to screen an embryo’s DNA.”
I nod, and we stare at each other for a long moment. I fight the urge to hug him more, or worse, kiss him. I fight it because he still hasn’t told me one very important thing.
“So…” I clear my throat. “Why are you here?”
I can sort of guess, but I want to hear him say it.
The pain fades from his gaze, replaced by a heated intensity that gives the butterflies in my belly a second wind. Uncorking fresh bottles of lube, they resume their orgy as Evan tucks a tuft of hair behind my ear. “I decided it’s time for me to come to New York for a vacation,” he says with a crooked grin.
“A vacation?” Maybe it’s not an orgy the butterflies are having, but a gangbang?
“One that will last until we figure out whatever it is that’s going on between us,” he confirms.
So… my guess was right. It makes me want to pump my fist in the air and have my way with Evan right here on this bench, for all the aggressive pigeons to see. “And what if it takes a while?”
“I’ll be here as long as it takes.” He scoots closer to me on the bench—and we were already pretty cozy.
My heart further picks up pace. “But what about your real estate?” Has he always radiated this much warmth? It’s like he’s brought the Florida sun with him.
“I listed my house on Airbnb and hired someone to manage it all,” he says.
“And the camp?” Why am I not kissing him already?
His forehead wrinkles. “Vic owed me a favor, so I asked him to take over for me at the camp.”
“Dr. Hugo surfs?” Why am I still misusing our lips by talking?
As if reading my mind, Evan examines my lips hungrily. “The class will feature kayaking for the time being.”
“What about your own surfing?” My nipples are uncomfortably hard against my shirt, so I readjust my bra.
Evan’s eyes heat up—he’s clearly noticed my ladylike behavior. “Rockaway Beach in Queens is apparently a great surfing spot… though I would have come to you even if you lived in the desert.”
“You would have?” I breathe, my chest constricting.
“Yes.” He cradles my face with his big, warm hands. “I realized something. You hold the treasure map to my heart.”
The butterflies in my belly reach a simultaneous orgasm. “Hey, that’s my thing.”
“Then let me put it another way.” He leans in until our lips brush, and I can smell the faint mintiness of his breath. “I love you,” he whispers. “I know we haven’t known each other for that long, but I?—”
“I love you too.” I lay my hands over his and stare into his eyes. “You’re like the perfect wave I’ve always wanted to ride.”
“Hey, that’s my thing,” he breathes, and his lips finally clash with mine.
The kiss is scorching and deep. It feels like the combined total of all the kisses we would’ve had if I had stayed. We reaffirm in our dancing tongues all the love we’ve just admitted to each other and make promises of a bright future, one that I’m all too excited to begin.
Epilogue
Brooklyn
“I can’t believe you’re a farm girl now,” Jolene says, gesturing at the sheep in the distance.
