“You’re one in a million, Ava, and it was important that you know the real me, not the one you see in the media. I hope you understand that I needed you somewhere else. Somewhere outside of your comfort zone.” His eyes meet mine—green as the meadows. Emeralds catching the light cast by the moon over our heads. “I needed you to see my home. To fall in love with it.”
The moment is thick with meaning. I know letting someone into his private space is a huge deal for him. A rock star as famous as he is has no privacy. I understand his problem, his dilemma. He has to fight for what normal people take for granted.
“Every day I thought I would forget you, but the next morning broke, and then the next, and I couldn’t get you out of my mind,” he whispers. “So, here you are.”
“Here I am,” I reply.
“Are you mad?” He lifts his hand to stroke my cheek. The movement is gentle, the calluses on his fingers grating my skin.
“No. Not at all.” My lips tug upward, but the smile is somewhat nostalgic. “I think you went a bit overboard, but all in all, it’s nothing to be mad about.”
“I’m still amazed you found this place. It’s what people would call destiny.”
“You believe in destiny?” I ask, amused.
“Yes.” He cocks his head, catching my amused expression. “What? I believe that we earn what we reap. I believe in good sex. I believe in instant attraction. I also believe in love at first sight. And I believe that likes attract likes. I believe that we know when the right person comes along. That love doesn’t need to be sought and found. It’ll find you when it finds you.”
“You had to squeeze the sex part in,” I say, laughing. “You do realize that has nothing to do with destiny, right?”
“Fair enough.” He helps me off the fence and kisses me gently. “I want you to move here.”
That would require me to quit my job. Throw away all my future opportunities.
I feel faint as it hits me. The blood drains out of my body, and my knees turn weak until they feel like jelly.
“Please come back home with me,” Kellan whispers, his voice slightly choked.
Back home.
Not house, but home.
Coming from him, the words sound so damn inviting, I flinch. He says it like he means it.
Dangerous.
That’s what he is. To any woman’s heart, not just mine.
I know I’m in love with him. That’s why his words are so damn enticing.
I look at him and realize that, ever since seeing Kellan again, I haven’t missed my old life. I haven’t missed my job or my tiny apartment. But after saying our goodbyes, I sure missed him.
Home isn’t a place; it’s a feeling; it’s the people who make you feel that you belong.
I know that I belong here, with him, by his side.
But does he want me the way I want him? Is there even room for someone like me in his life? Can I throw away my job, my life, everything I’ve worked so hard for?
My mouth opens and closes. “You want me to quit my job?”
“I want you to move here. Live with me for a while. Enjoy the countryside, and see what happens.”
“But you don’t know me.”
“That’s not true, Ava. I know you perfectly. I know enough to be able to tell you that—” He stops abruptly, his expression darkening.
“What?”
He moistens his lips, taking his time. “I know enough to tell you that I want you to stay. In my life.” He brushes a strand of hair out of my face, curling it around his finger. “It was hard enough to get you here. I’m not ready to let you go.”
I stare at him in silence.
My throat closes up. Everything inside me is shaking.
“I’m not sure I can,” I whisper, the voice soft, defeated. “I have a job in the city.”
“So quit.” He sighs.
“You know I can’t.”
“If it’s about the money, I can pay you to work for me. I—”
“No.” I shake my head. “I could never accept your money. You know that.”
Besides, I’m pretty sure Montana has newspapers and magazines. I could even freelance if I wanted to.
“I know,” he whispers, and we fall silent. “If you decide to leave, I want you to know that my offer still stands. You can come back anytime, no matter how long it takes for you to make that decision.”
“You would wait for me?” I ask.
He nods. “I would be doing a lot more than that.” He lifts my chin. “Can you promise that you’ll think about it, Ava?”
I love the way he says my name in that rumble of his. As if I’m the only star in the sky.
I swallow the lump in my throat. “I can do that.”