Page 45 of Embraced at Seaside
“Shouldn’t you talk to Grayson about it first?” She reached for his hand, and this time when he pulled her in close, she wrapped her arms around him and soaked in the comfort he offered. “I’m sorry. Everything is changing so fast. You’re so sure of it all, and it’s just going to take me some time.”
“To trust me.”
It wasn’t a question, but she realized he only understood part of what she was saying. It was also about trusting herself not to hurt him.
“To trust both of us. To trust the changes we’re talking about. I’m sorry.”
He drew back and lifted her chin, gazing into her eyes with a look that told her that everythinghadchanged. Gone was the competition, the games, replaced with something real. Replaced withmore.
She felt panic rising in her chest, and this time it was easier to push it back down.
“Don’t ever apologize for being careful. We both have pasts, and they’re not pretty. They’re too much for most people to even try to understand. But you and me? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. We’re so similar. We’re both stubborn, controlling, passionate. I want to cross this line with you. I want to build trust, but it goes both ways. We’ll argue, and we might take seven steps back for every one we take forward, and that’s okay.”
You really do get me.
Maybe they could do this.
“Regardless of whether you tell me tomorrow that you made a mistake and we can’t be together or not, the space I’m offering you stands. No strings attached. I’ll talk to Gray, but he won’t mind.” He smiled and said, “You know where it is, right? Prime location. Right on Route 6 across the street from the Dunkin’ Donuts, with plenty of parking. It’s unfinished, and we can build it out however you’d like.”
He held up their laced hands before lowering his lips to hers, sealing his hopes with a kiss and igniting hers.
Chapter Nineteen
THEY DIDN’T HAVE wild monkey sex that night, and they didn’t go see the space off of Route 6. After Hunter made a trip home for the necessities—clothes and condoms—they made a quick dinner and watched a movie. Jana fell asleep with her head on Hunter’s lap about halfway throughMillion Dollar Baby, for which Hunter was glad, because he knew she’d give him a hard time about his damp eyes. That movie got him every time, because he saw Jana in Hillary Swank’s fierce determination. He’d carried Jana to bed, and for the second morning in a row, Hunter had woken up with Jana in his arms.
Then they’d had wild monkey sex.
In the days since, life had been hectic. Between Hunter’s long hours working on the sculpture to make the deadline for the competition and the extra hours Jana was putting in at the studio, they rarely saw each other before nine at night. Thankfully, Jana hadn’t fought him on staying over, and they’d woken up together every morning for the past week. He’d kicked her out of bed for her boxing practices, though he had a hard time letting her leave the house in her sexy little workout clothes, inciting her to roll her eyes and tell him that if he didn’t stay over, she’d get out of the door quicker.
He loved every minute of their bickering and somehow knew it might never change. He sure hoped it didn’t.
Hunter had spoken to Grayson about letting Jana use the space, and as Hunter had assumed, Grayson was all for it. Meanwhile, Hunter and Jana discussed the what-ifs about her accepting the space ad nauseam.What if we break up? What if we stay together but owning my own studio doesn’t work out? What if I quit my job and no one wants to take my classes?They’d become experts at talking about the space, and Jana’s excitement about opening a dance studio had only increased. But Jana had successfully avoided or redirected every conversation about their relationship.
It was Sunday evening, and their schedules had finally eased enough to go see the space.
Hunter opened the passenger door of the truck and helped Jana out, handing her the keys. “Here you go, pretty girl. Check it out. See how it feels.”
“This locationisgreat,” she said as she walked toward the front door. “And you’re right. There’s plenty of parking.”
Like most of the buildings on the lower Cape, the cedar siding was weathered and gray, and the storefront looked more like a residential house than a commercial property.
“The gardens are overgrown, and the grass needs to be mowed, but those are easy fixes.” Hunter pointed to the right side of the parking lot. “I was thinking that we could put a sign up there, that way the trees out front won’t block it from traffic coming in either direction.”
Jana turned and faced the street with a wide smile. “I can’t believe you guys don’t use this place. Or haven’t already rented it out.”
Hunter shrugged as they made their way to the front door. “We were going to open a showroom, but right after we bought it we were so busy with orders that we pushed the idea off for a while. And now we work on a custom-order basis, so we don’t really have stock, and renting is a big time suck.”
He placed his hand on her lower back as they walked up the front steps. “But I’d suck anything for you,” he teased, with a flick of his tongue over her ear.
She giggled, and he watched her unlock the door. Lately he found himself studying her movements a little closer, capturing her energy to pour into the sculpture. He’d been so inspired this week that he’d completed the body. He’d begun fabricating thin, twisted strips of iron to create a skirt that looked like it was blowing in the wind, and over the next week or two he’d create a bodice out of hundreds of small pieces of metal and mirrors to simulate fabric for her top.
Every moment he and Jana spent together bonded them on a newer, deeper level, and he woke up each morning more inspired than the day before. The sculpture was changing as quickly as their relationship. When he looked at Jana, his muse, he saw a woman breaking free of her own confines and evolving right before his eyes, and because of that, the sculpture had taken on a life of its own.
Jana smiled as she pushed the door open. The property had been empty for so long, the hardwood floors were covered in a fine layer of dust, and Hunter realized his mistake. He’d been so excited to offer the space to her, knowing the location alone would practically assure her success, he’d forgotten about cleaning it.
“Sorry, babe. I probably should have had it cleaned before showing it to you.”
“That’s okay. I don’t mind a little dirt.” They went inside, and she turned in a slow circle, a sweet smile spreading her lips. “This is big enough to have a reception area up here with chairs for parents, and…” She walked across the floor, then turned to face him again.
