Chapter Eleven

Mikael kissed her hand. He didn't take his eyes off her face.

Kiera had waited the entire day for this moment. She looked into his eyes and felt her heart swell with love for him. Love and adoration among other things. She had her coat tucked under her left arm and for a second, she was vividly aware of immediate her surroundings. How his lips felt against her skin, how the soft material of the coat tickled her inner arm, how the wind ruffled her hair, and how the air tasted when she sucked it in through her teeth.

His scent invaded her nostrils. It made her feel dizzy.

"Kiera," he said softly. "You don't know how long I've waited for this moment. You look absolutely stunning."

"Thank you," she said, looking down at her outfit as if she didn't know what she was wearing when she bought the dress online specifically for the special occasion. "You look great, too."

"Thank you," he said. "Ready?"

Kiera nodded eagerly and he opened the door for her. He was driving another car today. It was a neon green sports car. It didn't suit him but maybe she simply wasn't accustomed to associating him with bright colors. To her, Mikael was black, dark blue, and gray. He was a deep red or a rich brown.

He refused to tell her where he was taking her. He insisted that it was a surprise. She got more anxious with each passing minute but she knew that it would be a pleasant surprise, one that she would never forget.

"How was your week?" he asked her. "I was busy during the week so I didn't have time to call you, but I thought about you every day. I'm glad you called. I missed the sound of your voice."

Kiera blushed. "I'm up to date with work and I have more time to do the things that I actually like doing. It's liberating. I haven't felt so free in such a long time."

"Yeah?" he said. "I get the feeling that you're not just talking about work."

She shifted uncomfortably and pondered his statement. It was evident that he wanted to know more about the topic but she didn't know if she was ready to divulge everything just yet. She had only met him and the last thing she wanted was to scare him away with stories of her problematic ex-boyfriend. So she turned to him and said, "Maybe someday I'll be able to tell you the unfiltered truth."

"I hope that day comes soon," he said, showing her his perfectly straight and white teeth.

They were driving toward the beach. She stares out the window and marveled at the beautiful sight of the setting sun over the ocean. She hadn't been to the beach in ages. Well, the weather didn't help but when she was in college she would always make time to see the ocean. She would walk barefoot in the sand and breathe the salty air in. It was tremendously therapeutic. She knew that wherever they were going was somewhere near the beach. Excitement coursed through her.

Mikael parked his car between two lines of cars and got out. They were facing the ocean and she felt the cold spray on her cheeks. She met him on the other side and he took her hand. Oh, how she missed holding his hand. She didn't know how two people who barely knew each other had so much chemistry between them.

They walked down the pier, hand-in-hand. It was a good thing that she put her coat on before she exited the car. She watched the waves roll against the shore and traveled through time. She was seven or eight and she was wearing a pink bathing suit. Simone had spread a towel over the sand and was perhaps a decade younger. There was an enormous basket beside them filled with delicious food. Kane was swimming in the ocean with a few friends and Kiera was only watching. She could feel the hot sun on her skin. She tasted salt on her lips. Her toes were buried in the sand. She watched them longingly.

"Go ahead," Simone told her. "Tell him you want to swim."

And so she joined Kane and his friends and she remembered how kind they all were to her despite the tremendous age difference. Simone watched from afar, she never joined them. She was having a spectacular time and then she realized that something was missing. She knew right away that it was her father's absence. He was probably in his office reading an old article he had read countless times before. He often did that. He preferred to repeat a mundane task over and over again than spend time with her. And the thought hit her so hard that she started to cry although nobody noticed because her face was wet with seawater.

Even now, her eyes stung.

"Kiera," Mikael said, interrupting her train of thought. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she said, nodding hurriedly. "I'm perfectly alright. It's just...memories. I haven't come here in a long time."

Mikael's brows were furrowed. He searched her face and then said, "If you want me to take you someplace else—"

"I don't," she said hurriedly, "they're just old memories. Good memories. I'm happy to be here. I wouldn't want to go anywhere else. Please, I'm fine."

They continued their walk and then they were walking past a row of yachts. Some were big and some were quite small, barely yachts. Most probably boats. She held onto his hand and enjoyed the moment. She could go on walking for hours with him. She wouldn't mind.

They stopped in front of a yacht. It was pretty big, the deck was wide. A man wearing a sailor's cap was standing beside it. He nodded to Mikael and introduced himself, "Good evening. My name is Samuel and I will be your captain this evening."

Kiera looked at him in wonder. "We're going on a yacht trip?"

"Yes," he answered. "Is this to your liking?"

"Of course," she remarked, "how can you even ask that? This is absolutely perfect. It's beyond anything I ever imagined!"

They made their way inside the yacht and Mikael hadn't let go of her hand. The ocean seemed to glitter from her point of view. It was such a beautiful sight. She stood beside Mikael as the captain started up the yacht. She grabbed onto the railings and wondered if she'd experience motion sickness. She had never been on a yacht or boat before. She quickly pushed the thought aside. It was too terrible to ponder on. It would spoil a lovely evening.

"I brought you out here for a reason," he finally said. She tensed up in a good way. She had an idea of what he wanted to say to her but at the same time, she didn't want to be wrong. Being wrong would be a tragedy. It'd crush her completely. She finally mustered the courage to look at him and discovered that he was already staring at her.

Kiera wanted to ask him what he meant but he took her hand in his and escorted her away from the deck. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his. She let him guide her toward the cabin. The captain nodded to them as they ducked past him. The yacht was bigger than she expected. There was a small table right at the center of the cabin. It was set for two. She looked at Mikael and he gestured for her to take a seat.

She took her seat and Mikael served them dinner. She offered to help but he kindly declined. "Allow me," he said. The first course was mushroom ravioli.

"I made it myself," he said as he poured her wine. "I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will," she said, digging right in. She didn't know what it was about it. Maybe it was the fact that Mikael told her he prepared it himself. It was the most delicious dish she had ever had in all her life. The creaminess of the pasta and the mushrooms along with the rich taste of black pepper and herbs was unlike anything she had ever had. And she couldn't understand why she felt that way because it was a fairly simple dish.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"It's the most delicious pasta dish I've ever had," she said because she felt that specifying would make her sound more sincere even though the truth was that it was divine and unlike anything she had ever had. "What's in here?"

He explained to her exactly how he prepared it and she soon realized that it wasn't any special ingredient. It was him. She finished her plate and when he asked her if she wanted more, she refused because she didn't want to seem gluttonous. He smiled and said, "Kiera, I'll get you more. And if you refuse, I'll be offended."

So she had another serving of ravioli and then the main course followed, which was salmon on a cauliflower puree. It was also delicious and she scraped her plate clean. She was starving, but she also felt that her hunger had absolutely nothing to do with her stomach. Dessert was a decadent chocolate mousse. There were three types of chocolates in it; milk, white, and dark. She couldn't have the whole bowl but she ate all the raspberries.

"Would you like an Espresso?" he asked her after they had cleared the table.

"Not yet," was her response. She was too full. "I think I'd like to go outside for some air."

And so they went outside. The yacht had slowed and in the distance, she could see the pier and the other yachts. They stood in companionable silence and she rubbed her arms through her coat. She couldn't remember feeling so content.

She turned to him and said, "Thank you for the evening. The food, the mood, the conversation. Everything was perfect."

"Thank you for being here," he said, leaning against the railing with his arms folded. He wasn't wearing his trench coat. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, exposing his thick hairy forearms. "I had a wonderful time. I always have a good time with you."

Kiera blushed. "I'm flattered."

Mikael flashed her a smile and his teeth seemed to sparkle. He turned his head to look at the ocean and she got a view of his side profile. Physically, he was perfection. His nose was straight and long, his lips were just the right size. And his eyes, they had so much depth to them.

She remembered what he said when the first stepped on the yacht. They hadn't talked about it during dinner. She wondered if she should remind him then decided against it. It was his truth to tell, not hers. She wasn't pushing him and she wasn't going to force a situation. If he opted to say it, he was more than welcome. If not, well, maybe someday he would tell her.

"Kiera," he began. It startled her. "You remember when I told you that I brought you out here for a reason, don't you?"

She had just been thinking about that. She nodded, unable to speak. She was anxious and her mouth was drying out. "I do."

"Well," he said then scratched his forehead with his thumb. "I thought this would be easier after dinner but obviously I'm a fool for thinking that. Nothing about this is easy for me, especially because I've never made a rash decision in all my life. I take calculated risks. I only invest in something I know will be lucrative. Or in your case, in someone I know is worth my time. And you're worth my time, Kiera. You're worth every second."

Kiera gulped. He got closer to her and she looked up at him. His eyes were a glimmer. He touched her face and said, "I'll get straight into it. I care about you, more than I've ever cared about anyone else. You're on my mind 24/7. I look forward to spending time with you. Hell, I think I'd do anything for you. I'd give you anything you asked of me. Anything."

She couldn't believe that Mikael was saying those things to her. It felt like something straight out of a dream. She started saying his name, but he silenced her with a single sentence. It rendered her speechless.

"Is it too soon to ask you to be mine?"