“I don’t know how often I can return here—it’s so far from home—but I definitely want to spend more time in Napa.”

“We’ll make that happen.” He brought my hand up to his mouth, pressing his lips against my knuckles. “When is your lease up?”

I left the grapevines to take in his gaze, a surge of tingles moving just as fast through my body. I quickly did the math in my head. “Three months.”

He was still pecking across my skin, making sure not to miss a spot, when he said, “Instead of signing for another year, move in with me.”

I sucked in my bottom lip, gnawing on it. “Really?”

His other hand went to my cheek. “Always so surprised.” He pulled at my lip, loosening it from my teeth’s grip. “You know I’d have you stay every night if it were up to me.”

His condo was in the Back Bay, one of the most desirable and high-end sections of the city, but the commute to the hospital was much longer than the few short blocks from my place. And because I needed every moment of sleep I could get, I normally stayed at my apartment when I had to work.

But change was coming.

I felt it every time a breeze moved past my face.

I felt it in the way his fingers were clenching me.

I felt it in my chest when I thought of the future.

“Living with you would be wonderful …”

“But?”

I took a breath, placing my hand on his. “I’ve lived with Emily since I was eighteen years old.” I left his stare to look at the landscape. “Moving away from her isn’t going to be easy on any level.”

“I know how much she means to you.” He paused. “Why don’t you keep your apartment and move your clothes into mine? You know I won’t take any money from you, so you could continue paying your rent and utilities, and that would help Emily financially. By this time next year, you might be ready to make the full transition.”

“You’ve thought about this, haven’t you?”

He was quiet for several moments. “On the mornings I leave for work, when you’re about to start a three- or four-day stretch, I fucking hate the feeling that fills me, knowing it’ll be that long before I see you again.” He held the back of my head, fingers deep into my hair. “Waking up to you asleep on my chest, bringing you coffee in the shower, wrapping your legs around me while I get you wet under the stream—it makes me the happiest man. I don’t want the breaks in between, Whitney. I want to feel that every day.”

I felt the air swish through our bodies as we both exhaled.

“I think you do too.”