Heat crept up my cheeks as I fumbled with my bracelet. Gray eyes followed the movement. Clearing my throat, I pulled away from him, causing his hand to fall from my hair.

His thick brows crinkled at the loss of touch.

Seriously, this man was obsessed with my hair. He seemed to love touching it every now and then.

Taking the glass of champagne, I took a sip. The cool liquid soothed my suddenly dry throat.

“I can’t believe you did all of this all by yourself. All the lights and flowers. You could just ask your staff. They would have done it for you. When did you do it, anyway?” I went back to our previous conversation, cutting the tense ambience around us.

He took his own glass, eyes still on me. “I was here before I went to pick you up. I wanted to do it with my own hands. After all, it was for my Rosebud.”

A warm sensation spread throughout my chest. Needing some more liquid to quench my thirst, I took another gulp. This man always had a way with words. He knew how to affect me with them.

The fruity flavor of the champagne felt good in my mouth. Then something clicked into my head.

Even for champagne, he didn’t go for the alcoholic one. He opted for a clean drink instead. I’d noticed it before. He didn’t drink anymore. Not even at parties.

As far as I remembered, wine was his favorite drink of all time. On some occasions, I’d seen him drink alcohol like water. What changed?

“What’re you thinking, Rosebud?” Tucking a strand behind my ear, one of his hands gently placed over my hip.

Then the hefty roar of the wave crashing onto the shore snatched my attention. Gentle wind blew across the beach. The full moon dangled in the sky, cradling its luster in the water as it shimmered along the waves.

With the beautiful sight before my eyes and his heat right behind me, I held my questions back for some time. I didn’t want to break the peace raising the queries of the past.

Getting out of my heels, I walked up to the shore feeling the cool, supple sand under my bare feet. Soon a curse of his followed from behind me. But I didn’t stop. The corner of my mouth twitched, imagining the look on his face, seeing my revealing back cut of the dress.

The moment the waves reached me, tingling my toes with cold water, a smile stretched across my lips.

It’s been so long since I’d last visited a beach, let alone a private one like this.

Soon, I felt his presence beside me. And to my surprise, he was also bare-footed. I noticed how big his feet were compared to mine. Just like our hands.

Looking up at the moon, I took a deep breath. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”