Chapter 25

• Annabelle looked from the brownie back up to Nicholas, a captivated look on his face. “Do you have any idea how sexy you are right now?” his voice was gruff, pained even.
• She stopped chewing mid-bite at his comment. How was it he could make such simple words so spellbinding at the oddest times? The candor on his face threw her off. They just sat there, a few feet apart on a blanket on a beach, and stared at each other. No pretenses. No audience. No expectations. The unspoken words that flowed between them were so powerful she was afraid to blink, afraid to move, or afraid to speak for fear of ruining this moment. This instance in time when she felt like she was seeing the true Nicholas Kensington—the unmasked version with a vulnerability that made her want to reach over and take away the hurt that often flickered through those green eyes and make it better. To show him that love and commitment was possible without complications. That it was real and pure and much more powerful than ever imagined when it was built and shared between two people.
• She felt a phantom ache in her heart as a tiny piece tore off, lost forever to Nicholas in this moment.