Page 118 of Mine to Love
“Shall we start in the kitchen?” Her heels click-clack down the dark wood floors and I notice my surroundings for the first time.
The house is empty. The walls are painted a soft beige and the exposed beams give the high ceilings a homey, rustic feel. A stone fireplace takes up the center of the living room wall and on either side are sliding doors leading to a wraparound around porch. I didn’t pay much attention when we walked up to the house, but it seems like the porch is on at least three sides of the house.
The kitchen is glorious with its slate blue cabinets and white marble countertops, but the view is what takes my breath away. A sliding door off the dining area leads to a deck, which has steps leading down to a grassy area, which has steps leading down to the beach.
“The appliances are all new, top of the line. The stove is—”
“Thank you, Greenly. I read all about it online. If you don’t mind, Reese and I are going to tour the house alone.”
“Absolutely, Mr. Pierce. I’ll wait in the living room. I am on a timetable though.”
She leaves us alone in the kitchen and I wrinkle my brow. “What’s going on?”
He circles his arms around my waist. “I thought it was time to move.”
“You don’t like my condo?”
“I love your condo. What I’d love better is if we had a place together.”
“I can’t afford a place like this, and I’m not living off your money.”
“But it’s okay for me to live rent free for the past two months in your condo?”
I open my mouth to argue, but he has a point. “I can charge you rent.”
“You can help pay the bills here. Unless you don't like it. I have another place to look at but since it’s technically a holiday today, I could only get my realtor out here for thirty minutes. The other place is a fixer upper on ten acres. I wasn’t sure if you’d want a place we could kind of build and make our own or if you wanted something move-in ready.”
“Logan.” I don’t know what to say. I figured someday we’d take our relationship to the next level. Make a more solid commitment, but neither of us are itching for babies so why rush anything else?
“Let’s go on a quick tour before you say anything.” He leads me through the downstairs, which consists of an office looking over the side porch and a wall of what I envision to be wildflowers and sea plants in the summer, a bathroom with an attached laundry room bigger than my kitchen.
Upstairs is a master bedroom that I could only dream. The bathroom tile is stunning, and I can see myself soaking in the clawfoot tub while reading a book. A balcony off the master as well as a fireplace and walk-in closet are pretty much the closing deal, but I don’t say anything yet.
There are two more large bedrooms and another bathroom, as well as an alcove that could be used as an office space or even play space for children. Some day.
We go back into the master bedroom and Logan brings me out onto the balcony. “I can see us making love in our bed listening to the waves crash and then coming out here for your caramel coffee and donuts.”
“You’re going to drive twenty minutes into town to get my coffee?”
“Did you not see the coffee and espresso maker in the kitchen? I can make you your fancy drinks from the comfort of our home.”
“Naked?” I ask, stepping into his embrace. I rest my cheek against his chest to ward off the biting wind from the ocean.
“Always. Except for later when we have kids. The yard isn’t as big here as it is with the other place. Pros and cons. The beach house is move-in ready. Cons we’ll need to eventually put up a fence around the yard to make sure the rug rats don’t wander off to the beach without us. Pros to the other place, lots of room to roam and we can tear down some walls and redesign the inside to how we want. Cons, it will take longer, and you and I have no idea how to use a hammer. I have a bank account that can handle the expenses though. So, beach or country? It doesn’t matter to me as long as I’m with you.”
“This is a lot to think about. It’s a big decision to make.”
“Mr. Pierce. I need to lock up now,” Greenly calls from downstairs.
Logan presses a kiss to my forehead. “No need to decide right now. We have all the time in the world.”
We head downstairs and meet Greenly at the door. “I have another buyer coming to look at the house on Tuesday.”
“We need some more time to talk it over.”
“They’re ready to make an offer—”
“We’ll take it,” I say, surprising myself as much as Logan and Greenly.