Page 160 of Bride By Initiation

"Seriously?" She gapes, glancing up.

"Yep. But why don't you want to change your name?" I push, opening the door to the main area.

She steps through and stops just inside the doorway.

My anxiety spikes. I step up next to her and ask, "What's wrong?"

"That view of Lake Michigan is insane!" she gushes, then hurries across the perfectly decorated family room. She stands in front of the window, watching the waves crash against the shore.

I breathe a sigh of relief. "Yeah, it's pretty badass. What do you think about how the space is laid out?"

She turns and strolls over to the chef's kitchen, running her hand over the quartz countertop, stating, "These are gorgeous! I love how the blue resembles waves against the bright white." She steps between the oversized island and the back counter, taking it all in, then adds, "The view of the city is cool too!"

I nod, then grab her hand, tugging her toward the hallway. "Let's look at the rest of it."

"Whose place is this?" she asks.

"You'll see."

She lowers her voice, stating, "It's so early in the morning for visitors. Do they even know we're here?"

I chuckle, shaking my head. "Don't worry about it. What do you think of the bedrooms?" I open a door.

She steps inside the suite and raves, "It's beautiful!"

"Agreed. There are three other similar ones. And what about the offices?" I lead her to another room.

She glances at the modern white desk with silver legs, a designer couch, and more expensive artwork. "I want to work here."

I mentally high-five myself. Then I move her across the hall. A brown desk and a matching leather couch fill the space.

She tilts her head and blurts out, "If we lived here, this would be your office. I'd take the other one."

My lips twitch. I ask, "What about the gym?"

"Where is it?"

I step into the hall and point to another door.

She passes me and praises, "This is pretty kickass!"

Free weights, cardio and strength machines, an area with a hanging bag to kick are all situated on a wooden floor. Mirrors cover two walls.

I pull her out of the gym. "Come on. I want to show you the rest of it." I take her to the other side of the apartment and open another door.

The primary suite is just as stunning as the rest of the house, with a similar view of Lake Michigan as the main area.

"This place is incredible. But who lives here? Enough of the suspense," she says.

I puff out my chest, then step in front of a closet door. I open it and motion for her to go inside.

She gapes, glancing around. She mutters, "This is insane."

I've added some designer clothes and shoes, but the items don't fill the space. There's still plenty of room for our stuff, which is secretly getting packed as we speak.

I order, "Open the top drawer."

She arches her eyebrows. "I'm allowed to be nosy?"

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