Chapters (50)
- Cover
- Full Page Image
- Dedication
- Playlist
- Prologue
- Part One
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Part Two
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Part Three
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgments
- Bonus Scene
- Marni’s Midnighters
- Spoiler Group
- About the Author
- Also by Marni Mann
- Sneak Peek of When Darkness Ends
- Sneak Peek of Even If It Hurts
I smiled. “I can’t wait.”
Twenty-Four
“Wow,” I gasped from the backseat of the SUV as we stopped in front of a massive house that was situated at the end of a hidden driveway, surrounded by lush, tropical palm trees. “This is heaven.”
Caleb’s arm was around my shoulders, his lips pressed to my cheek. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
But I’d already seen things I had never experienced, like the Florida sun and the first-class seats on the plane down to Tampa. I also knew this place had to hold some type of significance, or he wouldn’t have brought me here for our first trip. For that reason, I paid special attention to the details—the Mediterranean style of the house, the terra-cotta pillars that framed the door. The way the sunlight sparkled across the tiled roof and white stucco, similar to pictures I had seen of Italy.
Once the SUV parked, the driver opened our door, and we climbed out. Caleb brought me up the front steps, producing a key from his pocket, and led us inside. It was so warm out that the air-conditioning felt like a freezer the moment we stepped in. My eyes rose straight to the ceiling, and I was taken aback by its height.
“Oh my God,” I whispered as I walked in a little deeper, finding the glass that spanned the whole back of the home, running as tall as the ceiling and showing the most incredible ocean view I had ever seen.
I took a quick scan of the rest of the space, completely open, like his condo in Boston, the walls of glass another sign that helped draw my conclusion.
I turned toward him, his eyes already on me. “This is yours, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “My grandparents lived in this town when I was a kid, and we visited several times a year before they passed away. Something about Tampa always felt very comfortable to me, and when I saw this house online, the day after the bombing, I bought it. I closed yesterday, and you’re the first person to even know about the purchase.”
I exhaled so quietly that I was sure he couldn’t hear me, but I needed the few seconds to calm what was happening in my body. “Thank you for bringing me.”
He held my cheek, his thumb brushing near my lips. “Whitney, you’re about to see a whole different side of me.”
He wasn’t accounting for his many layers, ones I was sure he wasn’t even aware of, but I still asked, “What does that entail?”
“Adrenaline.” He breathed me in for a kiss, the temperature of his mouth as steamy as it was outside. “I love how you react to my surprises. Now, I want to see how adventure looks on your face.”