15. Eliza

15

ELIZA

I 'd never been the impetuous sort, but owning Michael Beaumont's building, complete with his equipment, was too good a deal to pass up. Yes, it would mean spending a lot of time in Brighton rather than London, but I'd always liked it here.

While I didn't know much about the value of commercial property, that it sat adjacent to the beach would mean it would fetch a premium price. There was always a chance that, if someone else bought it, they would tear it down and build either a house or an apartment building in its stead, not realizing its historical significance.

"I'll take it," I said, turning around to look at Mike.

He shook his head. "You're supposed to negotiate a lower price."

I smiled. "Is it necessary?"

"I'll tell you what. I'll throw in the equipment and lower the price by ten thousand pounds."

I cocked my head. "Why?"

"I fear the man waiting for you would clock me one if he thought I took advantage of you." He winked and I chuckled.

"What comes next?" I asked.

He scratched his chin. "I suppose we write the deal, then you get a mortgage."

"Not needed. Would it be possible to wire the funds? My solicitor can do so by the end of the day."

He laughed and shook his head.

"What?" I asked.

"You remind me of me."

This man had no idea how much I revered him. "There could be no higher honor."

His expression softened. "Do you believe in fate, lass?"

So often in the last twenty-four hours, a decision or an opportunity had presented itself to put me here. "Very much so, sir."

"Always follow your heart, and it will lead where you're supposed to go."

"I suppose now it needs to lead me to a flat here in Brighton."

"Good time of year to be looking for one," he said before we shook on the deal and he wrote down his solicitor's contact information. After locking up, he handed me the keys.

"Are you sure you want to give me these now?" I asked.

"Will you back out of the deal?"

My eyes opened wide. "Of course not."

"Then, they're yours."

I couldn't contain the smile on my face as I walked out to the beach to look for Levi. I found him standing at the edge of the water.

"All set," I said when I got closer.

"You made the deal, then?" he said when he turned around. "Your smile shows it."

"Mr. Beaumont asked me if I believed in fate."

He raised a brow. "And?"

"How could I not? I mean, what if you hadn't gone to the pub where Niven asked to meet? It just snowballed from there. One thing after another. Now, here I am, about to take possession of a studio owned by one of my idols. It's crazy."

He wrapped his arm around my waist. "Your smile could light up the darkest of places."

I saw something in his eyes that reminded me of Niven. "Does your work haunt you, Levi?"

He sighed and rested his head against mine. "Every moment of the day, until I met you."

I opened my mouth to speak, but he shook his head.

"I'm not exaggerating, El. The positivity in you soothes the negativity in me. I just hope my darkness doesn't affect you."

I rested my head on his chest. "It's a balance, isn't it?"

"Do you think fate brought us together?"

I shook my head. "I don't think it, Levi. I know it did. Just like it brought us here. Or you brought us here."

He released me, sat on the sand, then pulled me down to sit between his legs. I leaned against him, and he nuzzled my neck. Desire shot through me, and I dug my fingernails into his thighs as if by reflex.

"You like that," he murmured.

"I…do…" My voice cut when I felt his tongue trailing down my neck.

"When do you need to return to London?" he asked.

"I'm not on a schedule. Why?"

"You'll be spending a lot of time in Brighton. Have you thought about where you'll stay?"

"Mr. Beaumont suggested this would be a good time of year for me to look for a flat." I held up the keys to the studio. "And he gave me these."

Levi tightened his arms around me. "I'm happy for you, El."

I glanced over my shoulder. "Do you have any idea how rare a thing hearing that is?"

He nuzzled my neck again.

"Listen, Marras, if you keep that up, I'll drag you back to the inn and have my way with you."

"Promises, promises," he murmured.

I knew he was teasing, but I could easily be persuaded otherwise.

He stopped his assault on my neck. "Tell me why it's rare for someone to say they're happy for you."

"It isn't so much that no one says it. It's more that no one is. I know it sounds like I feel sorry for myself. I don't. I learned a long time ago to live my life in a way that makes me happy and pay no mind to what anyone else thinks."

"It's a good philosophy."

"Perhaps a bit selfish."

He rested his head against mine, and I closed my eyes. It felt so good to be held and by someone I believed understood how important today was for me.

"You may one day realize there's a person whose life matters as much to you as your own," Mike suggested.

"Maybe. Why did you ask when I needed to be back in London? Do you need to leave?"

He shook his head. "Things are quiet presently. So, no, I'm in no hurry to be anywhere but here. And speaking of here, there's something I'd like to show you."

"I'm game." We both stood and walked in the direction of the studio.

"I noticed this while you were speaking with Mike." Levi led me to a regency house adjacent to the building I was in the process of purchasing. It too had a for-sale sign. "The owners have turned it into three separate and private living spaces. On the lower level, there's a three-bedroom apartment that brings in a decent income."

I looked up at the house that afforded a brilliant view of the sea. Living here would feed my creativity every day. "You said it was three flats?"

"The raised ground floor and the one above it make up the second living area. There are three bedrooms, two bathrooms and, according to what I saw online, a recently redone kitchen. Floors three and four have a similar setup. Each space has a private entry, and while there are access doors between them, they are currently locked."

"It's quite large for just one person," I said under my breath, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by my recent outlays of cash.

"I'm thinking of buying it as an investment property. The lowest level has tenants who'd like to stay on. I'd keep the upper apartment as a place to stay when I visit my parents, and I'd let the other, perhaps to a budding sculptor."

I studied him, not knowing how to react, let alone what to say.

He put his arm around my waist and turned me so I faced him. "I've overwhelmed you."

"More, it's my recent expenditures. The studio on top of the money I blew at Claridge's." I'd been thinking out loud and realized I'd said far more than I should have.

Levi's eyes bored into mine as if he already knew what I'd done.

"I stayed seven days," I blurted. "It was a few weeks ago, and my tenants hadn't yet moved out. I'm not usually so extravagant." I tried to wriggle from his arms, but he held me tighter.

"Why does this admission make you so uncomfortable?" he asked.

"Please don't make me say it," I whispered.

"Say what? I'm just trying to understand?—"

I pulled away, and this time, he released me. I folded my arms and looked out at the sea.

"If only I could rewind the clock to when we were sitting on the sand. Before?—"

"I ruined it?"

Levi shook his head. "I pushed things too far, too fast. I'm sorry I suggested purchasing the house. I feel like my doing so has made things awkward between us."

"You've done nothing. It's me."

"Eliza—" Levi stepped in front of me, cupped my cheek, and gazed into my eyes.

"I'm sorry. I feel like such an idiot."

"For what?"

I looked down at the sand. "I hoped to see you again. That's why I stayed at Claridge's."

"I see."

"I'll call Niven and ask if I can stay at the cottage tonight. Tomorrow, I'll make my way home."

"Please don't pull away from me, El."

"It's you who's pulling away."

Levi cocked his head. "I'm doing nothing of the kind. I'm merely trying to apologize for making you uncomfortable."

"And I'm trying to apologize for becoming a stalker."

The ridiculousness of the conversation must have hit us both simultaneously, given we burst out laughing at the same time.

"You said you didn't have to be back in London right away, yes?"

"Levi, in case you haven't figured it out, I don't need to be anywhere for anything. My life is in a bit of a flux presently."

"Good. I mean, not that your life is in flux…Here I go again. Look, there's somewhere I want to take you."

"Where?"

"You'll see."