Chapter 9

The wind was strong, whipping my short hair into a mess. I took off my sunglasses and squinted up at the sky.

In the distance, a silver-white Gulfstream G650 pierced through the clouds and descended slowly. It taxied along the runway, eventually coming to a halt not far from me. The cabin door opened, and the stairs lowered.

Then, that familiar figure walked down.

Ethan Grant.

He was wearing a simple white shirt and khaki trousers, sleeves rolled up casually to reveal forearms corded with muscle. In one hand he carried a drafting tube, and on his back was a canvas bag. He looked like a fresh architecture graduate, not the world-renowned designer and youngest-ever winner of the Pritzker Prize.

Time hadn't left many marks on his face; it had only settled into a richer kind of elegance and warmth. His eyes were still that clear amber color, focused and sincere when he looked at you, as if he could see straight into your soul.

My childhood sweetheart. My first love. The secret I had buried deepest in my heart.

And the only hope that had sustained me through these three years.

Ethan saw me.

In that instant, he dropped the drafting tube, letting it roll away across the tarmac. He strode toward me—first a fast walk, then a jog, and finally a full sprint.

I abandoned all reserve, tossing my sunglasses aside and running toward him. My high heels tapped out a frantic drumbeat on the concrete, the wind catching my skirt and hair, but I didn't care about anything anymore.

Ten meters between us, five, three...

He threw his arms open and crashed into me, pulling me violently into his embrace. The force of it felt like he wanted to merge me into his very bones and blood, never to be separated again. My face collided with his chest, and I could hear his heart beating wildly—thump, thump, thump—powerful as war drums.

The familiar scent of cedar enveloped me. It was the smell of true safety, requiring no pretense, no allergy medication. It was the scent of home. The scent of freedom.

"Kate," he whispered in my ear, his voice trembling and choked with emotion. "I'm back. I made you wait so long."