plicity of it all. She didn't have any bag with her, and neither did Zach. Thank God he'd left his laptop bag on his private jet. He had no i

eper inside. Zach watched her, feeling a mix of curiosity and wariness. She was taking in everythi

his world. Whenever he felt the weight of expectations pressing in on him, when the constant noise of business and events left

uch, but it

ounter that acted as a dividing line, but they flowed seamlessly together. He hadn't bothered with an extravagant kitchen-he never cooked much anywa

h had purposely designed this cabin without any distractions-no television, no computers, nothing that woul

ith mystery thrillers, mostly-books that allowed him to escape into someone else's

a fancy breakfast when cereal was just fine. The fridge was stocked, too, thanks to Mrs. Smith, his neighbor, who took care of the place when he wasn't around. She'd even texted him a few days

outside, sitting on one of the patio chairs that looked out toward the ocean. The calm, soothing sounds of the waves we

ough her hair as she closed her eyes, breathing in the s

med to let herself relax, her posture softening as she exhaled deeply. "T

s wasn't something he did often-bring people to his cabin, share this part of his life.

st like the rest of the cabin. He rifled through the dresser, grabbing two T-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. He didn't bother with anything

r eyes. She seemed to take in every detail of the place, not with judgment but curiosity, as though she was piecing together something a

she said, break

corners of his lips curling up i

is where you stay?" Her gaze shifted around the

es. "Yeah. It's my place when I

'd be a 'luxury hotel' kind of guy. You know, with the whole billionaire thing."

er the ocean, and for a moment, he allowed himself to lose himself in the beauty of it. "I like luxury," he said slowly,

m that he rarely showed anyone-his need for solitude, his need to disconnect from the w

ng out at the ocean once more, but this time, she seemed more relaxed, more at ease. She was still processing everything, and he d

nce he'd allowed someone into this part of his life-hell, it had been a while since he'd allowed anyone t

ned to face him. "What's next? You're not exact

ow and amused. "I'm sure w

, and the ocean. And for the first time in a