Page 80 of Dreams That Bind Us
"That morning when you spoke to me and it was my mother…" He released a shuddering breath. "I've carried so much guilt for not being there when she passed and not spending more time with her. Instead I focused solely on my career. I was a selfish bastard for so long and it was a kick to the gut to hear her words. I took that out on you. I'm so sorry, baby."
Anna swiveled, the water sloshing around them. She climbed on his lap and cupped his face in her hands. "I understand." She kissed him softly. "And I forgive you. Sometimes the things that come out of my mouth frighten me, too," she teased.
He shook his head, his eyes imploring. "No, don't do that. Don't make light of your gift. You gave me a message from my mother—one I desperately needed to hear. I just didn't realize how precious it was at the time. And then I reacted so poorly, pushing you away. I'll never forgive myself for that."
"Stop." She laid a finger against his mouth. "You’ll forgive yourself and we'll move on from this. I mean…" She smirked. "You did build a garage especially for my truck. You're not getting rid of me now."
In a swift movement, James sat upright, his arms wrapping around her in a crushing embrace. His forehead dropped to her chest and he let out a shuddering sob.
Anna gently stroked his hair as he worked through the powerful emotion, her hands moving from his head down his neck and over his shoulders. "It's okay, James. It's okay. I love you."
James drew back, his mouth slack and his misty eyes wide. "Say it again," he rasped.
"I love you, James." She kissed him. "And even if you left me again to go traipsing around the world, I'd still love you."
His face tightened, hands clamped around her waist. "I'm never leaving you again. You can count on that."
"I'm very glad to hear that. Besides, if you travel around the world again, I'd rather go along with you than stay here in Key West by myself."
"Done!" He sealed the promise with a swift kiss. "Now, let me explain why I was gone for so long."
One week later
James focused on the rhythm of the knife rising and falling as he methodically chopped the bell peppers with precise, practiced movements. Anna perched on a nearby barstool wearing a very low-cut tank top and a pair of cut-off shorts that showed off her creamy thighs. He had to focus on the task at hand or he'd end up in the emergency room less a fingertip.
After some cajoling and a few debates, he'd finally convinced Anna to move in with him and get out of that warehouse by the water. Now that he was back in her good graces, there was no way he was letting her out of his sight. He wanted her around him all the time. Being perfectly honest, he craved her presence. Her scent and touch soothed him, and he never wanted to be apart from her again.
It was official… he had become one of those lovesick fools and he loved every minute of it. He'd never realized how good those “fools” really had it.
But getting her to agree to live with him was only the first part of his plan. The second would have her operations moved to a small building on Sunset Key that he thought would be a perfect place for her to work.
With her furniture on full display at The Majestic, his staff had already fielded numerous questions about the artist and Anna had a quickly growing backlog of commission requests. The problem was she wasn't really interested in working for a while, and he was to blame for that. Not that he regretted it in the slightest. He preferred to have all her attention right now anyway.
Since he'd sold off a good chunk of his business portfolio, he didn't have much interest in working either. Instead, they spent the time together—in bed, in the tub, eating out, walking through Old Town—basically doing whatever they wanted. It was the first time he could remember taking time off, and he was enjoying every second.
Eventually she'd feel the pull to work again, and he hoped to have her new workshop established when that time came.
He grinned at the way her teeth worried at her bottom lip, her eyes narrowed and brow furrowed in concentration as she read his proposal. He hadn't known how to present the idea to her, so he'd asked Gwen to type up an official business document, hoping it would make her slow down and think about the concept before refusing it outright.
The tactic worked perfectly because she'd been quietly reading for the past fifteen minutes and it looked like she was nearing the end. For the moment, it was looking good. There had been a few “hmms” and several eyebrow raises, but there hadn’t been any protests as of yet.
Fingers crossed, he'd have her installed on Sunset Key before she could say, 'boo'. In the meantime, he had another important proposal on his mind. He just had to wait for the right time.
Before he cut himself, James returned his attention to the vegetables, then dropped them into the hot pan. He sprinkled herbs and spices as the vegetables sizzled and steam began to rise, then began prepping the scallops and shrimp.
"If I'm reading this correctly," Anna started, "you’re proposing that I move my furniture workshop from Stock Island to Sunset Key."
"That's correct."
"But how would I get there every day?"
"The ferry runs all day, Kitten. You can come and go as often as you'd like." He turned the heat down on the stove and pivoted to face her.
Her expression was a mix of confusion and intrigue, with her head tilted to the side and her brows beetled. She was delightful, with her emotions playing out on her gorgeous face. There was absolutely no guile with her. What you saw was what you got.
But more importantly, what he didn't see was absolute refusal. She was considering it, which was all he needed.
"How would I get supplies there? Or do deliveries?"
