He refilled her wine glass, causing her to glance up and meet his gaze. She smiled her thanks, picking up the glass of her favorite pinot noir, and taking a small sip. They had yet to discuss anything personal, or have even a minute just to themselves, and still every time their eyes met it felt like a caress, a promise of what was yet to come this evening.
Fortunately, Casey seemed well aware of his father's need to be alone with Sasha, and after dinner he tactfully retreated to his room, claiming that he was scheduled to play League of Legends with a group of his friends. Matthew typically didn't encourage him to indulge in online video games, but he was more than happy to send Casey on his way this particular evening.
While he and Casey had been clearing off the dining table, both insisting that Sasha didn't lift a finger, she had taken the opportunity to slip out to the balcony. It was where Matthew found her a few minutes later, her curls being gently tossed by the late summer evening breeze as she leaned over the railing.
"I've missed this view," she murmured as he came to stand beside her. "It's the condo's best feature, in my opinion."
He smiled. "I agree. And it will be tough to find a comparable view from the houses I've started to consider."
Sasha turned to look at him, her expression definitely interested. "You're really serious about this, aren't you? About moving out of this place and into a real home for Casey."
"Yep. Ian gave me the name of the realtor he used when he first moved to San Francisco, and I hope to start looking at some places next week. And while those places may not be able to offer a view like this one, they'll have plenty of other features to make up for it. Including a much larger space where you'll be able to do your yoga practice. And a separate massage room."
She couldn't hide her delight at this pronouncement. "Really? It sounds like you're looking for an awfully big place."
He shrugged. "Nowhere near as big and impersonal as the house in Hillsborough. But maybe somewhere along the lines of Ian and Tessa's place. In fact, the realtor tells me there are several homes for sale within a few blocks of their house. Would you like that, Sasha - to live so close to your friends?"
"Of course," she replied easily. "But you should be more concerned with what Casey is going to be happy with. After all, this is mostly for his sake."
"Not entirely," corrected Matthew. "Granted, the neighborhood is less than a ten minute drive from his new school, and there's a park and shops and restaurants nearby. But Casey will be off to college himself in four years, so there's more to consider than just his feelings. Besides, he's such an easy kid that he'd be happy living most anywhere. As for me - well, anyplace that makes you happy, Sasha, is where I'd want to live."
She gave a slight shake of her head. "Don't make this about me, Matthew. My feelings shouldn't factor into a decision like this."
"Why?" he inquired lazily. "It's going to be your home just as much as mine or Casey's. In fact, I insist that you come along with us when the realtor shows us some properties next week. If you're going to live there, it should be a place that you feel you can be happy in. Besides, aren't there certain vibes that a house gives off? The kind that tell you if you're going to like it there. I was sort of hoping that your gift of sensing auras might help when it comes time to buy a home."
Sasha regarded him with a quirk of her brow. "What you're describing sounds more like feng shui to me, something I definitely have no background in." She grew silent then, turning back to look out at the city skyline. "And I haven't made a decision yet about moving in with you, Matthew. I'm willing to take the first step, to try and work things out. But that doesn't mean I'm going to pack up my things and move in overnight."
He gave a sigh of resignation. "Yeah, I sort of figured that might be the case. But I'm more than willing to take things slow if that's what you need. And I'm just grateful and happy to have you with me no matter what the terms."
"Thank you," she told him, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I need stability in my life, Matthew, need things to be calm. And that is definitely a holdover from my childhood, when nothing was stable or remained the same for very long. So I need some time now to make sure that my whole world isn't going to be torn apart again."
His arm went about her shoulders, hugging her close against his body. "Take all the time you need," he whispered. "Just as long as I can be part of your life in some way. But I still want you opinion about the new house - you know, just in case you decide to move in someday."