Page 166 of Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds

Better.

I love you.

I loved this man, but was I certain I loved Ethan Valentine and not Jason Mallory? Was I positive this was it? How could I know? How could I know whathereally felt? Were they just words, or did he mean them?

I looked in his deep green eyes, searching for something... and I saw it. I saw love.

Wasn’t life about risks and rewards? Hadn’t I proven that by giving up a stable career for my dream? Ethan said he loved me, and his eyes told me he wasn’t lying.

I pulled Ethan to me and kissed him back. His mouth opened, and we were liplocked in a kiss that rivaled all of our other kisses. I wasn’t dreaming anymore; Ethan was here, with me, and he loved me.

He touched my cheek, kissed my neck, my ear, then wrapped me tight into a hug and whispered, “I will make it up to you, Mia.”

“Okay,” I said, because my heart was still pounding in my chest. I had changed so much over the last six months, but it had all started with this man pretending to be someone he wasn’t, showing me that I was pretending to love my carefully planned life.

“Are you allowed to take a break?”

“It’s my store. Didn’t you see my name on the door?”

He smiled, his eyes sparkling, and looked around appreciatively. “It is definitely you. You have help?”

“My Grams. And, um...” The names of my full-time employees completely slipped my mind. I didn’t even remember who was working today.

“What’s upstairs?”

“Accountancy group.”

“And where do you live?”

“Two blocks away. I don’t own a car.”

“Want to give me a tour of your daily walk?” His fingers entwined in mine, and he pulled me to him again.

“You love me,” I said, a statement.

“I do.”

“How did you find me?”

He tilted his head. “IamEthan Valentine.”

I grinned.

“What?” he said. “Tell me what you want. It’s yours.”

“You.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I think I love you too.”

“Think?”

IknewI loved him. I’d fallen in love and walked away because I didn’t know who I really was that last day on St. Claire.

Now I knew who I was. And judging by Ethan’s attire and self-confidence, he knew exactly who he was.

“I hope you know for sure, because I just opened an office here in Miami.”