Page 21 of Any Kind of Life
“Fair enough.” Paige wrapped her legs around Juliet, trapping her in place. “I have a question for you.” Paige sat back on her hands, chewing her lip. “Once the bar is finished, what’s next?”
“What’s next?” Juliet narrowed her eyes, unsure of where Paige was going with this conversation. “You mean like a holiday or something?”
“I am not opposed to a holiday, but no, that’s not what I was talking about.” Paige’s silver eyes shone back at Juliet. “What is our next project?”
“I…don’t have another project.” Juliet would need a break from anything of the kind after dealing with the bar. But if Paige had something in mind, she was all ears. “Do you?”
“I was thinking,” Paige said as she sat up and rested her arms over Juliet’s shoulders. “We should look at…a house.”
Of all the things Paige could have said, buying a house was not on that list. Juliet hadn’t thought much about upsizing. While she loved the idea of something bigger and with a garden, she also loved her apartment. “I…should we?”
“Yeah. Why not? We can’t stay here forever.” Paige looked around. “It’s a gorgeous place, but don’t you want something bigger? Somewhere we can make a life together?”
“It’s not something I’ve thought about. Is that what you want?”
Paige nodded. “I think it wouldn’t hurt to throw some ideas around.”
“You don’t like being here?” This was the first time Paige had said anything like this. As far as Juliet was aware, Paige was happy here.
“I like being wherever you are.”
Juliet searched Paige’s face, thrown by the unexpectedness of this conversation. “R-right.” She frowned, the only thing keeping her grounded being the arms draped over her shoulders. “If that’s something you want, I guess it’s something for me to think about.”
“Babe, it’s just a suggestion. It could be exciting.”
And then Juliet realised exactly why Paige wanted to live in something bigger. Really, she had downgraded when she’d left James and met Juliet. “I should have known. I’m sorry.”
“What are you apologising for?” Now Paige was the confused one in this conversation.
“Before you left Kent, you had a home. Something far bigger than this. It never occurred to me that you wouldn’t be happy here.”
“No, no. You’ve misunderstood. I am happy here. I don’t care where we live so long as I wake up with you every morning. I really don’t. I guess it was just something that crossed my mind. Very briefly, might I add…”
“You’re right. We may have been together now for what…fifteen months, but I’m still coming to terms with the fact that this is even my life now.”
Paige sat further forward, lowering her arms. “I’m sorry?”
“When I left law, I had no idea where my life was going. I’d spent so many years coming home alone, eating dinner alone, or unfortunately…paying an escort so I didn’t look or feel so alone. Then I bought the bar and figured it was something for me to focus on.” Juliet smiled, tucking Paige’s hair behind her ear. “And then you walked into the bar…into my life. I hadn’t for one moment expected anything to come of how I felt about you, it didn’t seem possible, but here we are. In love and happy.”
Paige brushed her nose against Juliet’s, those grey eyes soft. “We are. We’re exactly here.”
“And so, yes. We should look at what’s next.” Juliet would give Paige the world if she asked for it. “Moving from here wasn’t something I’d ever thought about. It wasn’t anything I thought I needed to do. But we should make new plans. You’ve changed my life, Paige. You’ve given me a reason to enjoy my days. A beautiful home with a garden is surely what we need.”
“Yeah?” Paige grinned as she drew back. “You’re sure it’s what you want, and you’re not just saying it to make me happy?”
“I’d do anything to make you happy, Paige.” Juliet reached out and touched Paige’s cheek lightly. “But no. I’m saying it because I want us to have something we’ve created together.”
“That sounds perfect, babe. Even if I know you’ll make it something special all on your own, knowing I’d be a part of it really does sound perfect.”
“We’re equal in this. In anything we do.” At times, it was hard for Juliet to remember the Paige she had initially met. The wariness in her eyes, the fear of being found, they never had to worry about those things anymore. “You’ll always matter. Anything you want will always matter.”
“All I want is you. Here, somewhere else, I don’t care. Just you.”
Juliet pressed her hands to the counter on either side of Paige. “The moment your tour is over, we should start looking.”
“The moment my tour is over, I’m coming back here and making love to you until the end of time.”
Juliet’s body came to life as Paige said that. They’d already spent last night and most of today naked, but Paige had a way of intensifying everything within a split second. “I cannot wait.”