Ever After Awaits (Layla) novel Chapter 60

Chapter 60: Hunter POV

I made a few calls when she said yes to a date with me earlier in the week.

One of my dad’s best friends has a beach cottage with direct access to the water below, which is also marked as a private beach area for the property’s

residents.

We’ve spent numerous long weekends hete with them and their family, so I immediately thought of it when I wanted us to be alone and in a romantic setting.

Without answering her, I get out and walk around to her side. I open the door, help her down by the hand, and then silently lead her down the sandy pathway through the tall beach grass to the white, ethereal–looking beach a few yards down the slope.

Her awed gasp when we walk out and the ocean blue waves come into view settles my nerves somewhat.

The couple of hundred yards of sandy shoreline are fenced on both sides with boulders of different sizes, shapes, and colors. Between them, there are many rockpools. If time permits, I plan on taking her exploring in them later.

The boulders‘ size and how far they stretch inland ensure that this little slice of paradise is secluded and can’t be accessed by anyone other than the people who come down from the cottage.

Earlier this morning, I drove through and set up a large blanket with a picnic basket underneath a few beach umbrellas for us. There’s also a cooler with various cold drinks for her to choose from, and the basket is filled to the brim with things I think she might like to eat and nibble on–thanks to Mom.

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She finally comes out of her surprised stupor and says, “I thought we were going to diner, or maybe a coffee shop. But this…” she trails off, still unable to fathom what she’s seeing as her eyes dart from one spot to the next.

“I wanted you to myself for a little bit,” I say, a note of vulnerability I was hoping to hide from her, creeping into my voice.

Ever the perceptive one, she notices and then turns to look at me, giving me her full attention, saying, “I truly love it. It’s just that no one’s ever made so much effort for me.”

And isn’t that just fucking sad and an abomination. This woman must be loved, cherished, and worshipped daily. As I stare into her amber eyes that are alight with the sun reflecting off the ocean’s surface, I vow to adore the ground she walks on every second of every day, for as long as she’ll have me.

Cupping her cheek, I say earnestly while drowning in her gaze, I seal my mouth over hers in a searing, soul–destroying kiss

“You’ll never again have to feel like that.” I don’t give her a chance to argue or even reply as my silent promise to her.

Breaking the kiss, I walk her over to the blanket and help her sit on one of the throw pillows I brought along for this precise reason. Opening the picnic basket, I take out a few things and start listing the items she can choose from. Her eyes grow in size as I keep going with the available options.

When I open the cooler next, she starts laughing hysterically. “What?” I ask her, genuinely confused.

“Hunter,” she says in between trying to catch her breath, “With the amount of food you’ve brought, you’d think a football team will be joining us any second.”

Her teasing tone sets my doubts at ease, and I smile at her as I say, “I might have promised the guys they can have the leftovers in exchange for them not making a nuisance of themselves while we’re out here.”

She smirks at that, and then adds, “Clever negotiation tactic, Mr. Brooks.”

The sound of my surname coming from her mouth conjures up an image of her walking down the aisle towards me minutes before the officiant declares us as Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. It makes my heart stutter, but in a good way. I fucking want that. With a passion. Someday.

“So, what do you want to do first? Eat, take a stroll, or go explore the tidal pools?” I ask, wanting her to set the pace and direction of how this morning will

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“Mind if we eat first? I’ve only had coffee because I didn’t know where you’d be taking me and I didn’t want to spoil my appetite.”

“Of course,” I reply without hesitation.

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Chapter 60. Hunter POV

For the next hour, we sample everything in the basket, sip on the sodas and water in the fooler, and distress anything and everything. We puts to other in every way possible, from mundane things like our favorite color to more profound things like what we want out futures to fost like

After a few minutes of comfortable silence as we sit looking out onto the horizont, I jump up and hold my hand out to her, Come with me” 1 at. * takes my hand without hesitation.

When she sees me taking my shoes off, she follows suit. Hand in hand, we walk down to the shore’s edge where we start strolling leisurely. We don’t speak but there’s no pressure to fill the silence as the lapping of the waves acts as background noise: When we reach the one set of boulders on the edge of the strip of beach, I help her onto one of the larger ones hefore jumping up behind her.

I point out a specific rock I have in mind, and we climb up and down and over various–sized rocks to get there. When we reach our destination, I sit down on the large flat surface and gently pull her down to sit between my legs with her back to my chest.

My hands wrap around her stomach, and hers cover mine as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. As if we’ve done it a hundred times before.

“Thank you for coming today,” I softly say in her ear as we stare off into the distance.

“Thank you for inviting me. And thank you for all the effort you put into making this day so amazing.”

Brushing her hair away from her neck and over her opposite shoulder, I softly, slowly, reverently kiss its elegant column. “The day isn’t over yet, Beautiful.

My words against her skin make goosebumps erupt, and I smile triumphantly at myself.

“Oh?” is her only breathy reply as her hands tighten against my forearms.

“Not at all. There are still a few things I want to show you before we leave here today.”

I know how that sounds, suggestive as fuck. But that’s not what I meant. The boulders on the other side of the beach have a mini cave that I want to show her because of the luminescent stalactites hanging from its roof. There’s also the football jersey with my number on the back that I want her to wear at tonight’s game.

But I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth if she wants me to show her some other things. Fuck, I’d like that a lot. But I won’t be pressuring her into anything.

However, before I can clarify what I meant with my last words, she swings her body around partially and looks me in the eye. As I open my mouth to ask her what’s up, she crushes her mouth to mine and I’m a goner.

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