California Dreaming by Bella Andre

Author:Bella Andre [Andre, Bella & Arden, Nicky]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance
Published: 2024-01-31T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Tessa realized that Arch was far more romantic than she could have dared to dream. Maybe Margaret had been right and Arch was more like his chivalrous father than she’d first thought.

When they’d eaten their fill, Arch suggested they take a slow stroll down Fisherman’s Wharf… maybe get some ice cream… watch the sunset. Again, she checked in with him to make sure he wasn’t overdoing it and feeling pain. But when he assured her again that he was feeling perfectly okay, she found herself nodding eagerly. Accepting his outstretched hand, she allowed her fingers to link with his.

After such a romantic day with him, it felt totally natural for them to hold hands. The electricity that sparked as their skin touched felt just right too.

Their romantic vibe intensified as they stepped outside and she saw the last of the sun’s glorious reds, pinks, and oranges streaking the darkening sky. She gazed at it dreamily, wishing she had her paints and could capture the scene. Immortalize the moment. Create a physical memory.

He guided her along the promenade, where families and couples weaved in and out of the shops and stalls, kids begging their parents for saltwater taffy and churros.

The water lapped gently on the shoreline as the last of the sun disappeared, and the fairy lights that flickered on in front of every restaurant and store made everything seem like a scene from a movie.

And here she was—with the actual leading man. She could hardly believe this was her life.

“I thought we could head up there.” Arch gestured to the end of the wharf, where a few slightly secluded benches looked out to sea. Even as he did, he didn’t let go of her hand. And she was glad, because it really did feel so right to be this intimate with him.

“Looks like the perfect spot,” she said, relishing the opportunity to sit with him alone for the first time today.

She shook her head at the offer of ice cream, explaining that she was too full from dinner… although the real reason was that her stomach had been turning somersaults since she’d admitted to herself that she was falling for Arch.

Big-time falling.

As they walked in step, she shivered.

“You’re cold.” He stopped and slipped off his navy sweater. “The wind off the water can really kick up at this time of evening.”

He was right—the wind was stronger, and she was a little cold. But that wasn’t why she’d shivered. It had come more from the thrill of having spent the perfect day with the perfect man, but she wasn’t about to admit to that.

She laughed when he asked her to hold up her arms so he could slip the sweater over her head. “You’re getting a taste of what it’s like to be a caregiver,” she said as he gently pulled the sweater down over her body.

With a slow and sweet sweeping motion, Arch smoothed her hair back from her face where it had become staticky from the fabric. “The only person I want to take care of is you,” he said.

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