"I told you there's nothing."

He narrowed his eyes. "I know you well by now, Ash. For months, all we had were signals and moods, and I had to decipher every sign that you threw my way because I couldn't go ahead and demand my answers verbally. So now, I know that something's bothering you and please... I'd like to know."

I stared back at him. I took a deep breath. "You didn't... withdraw." I said quietly.

He was taken aback by what I said and then he laughed. He pulled me to him in a hug. Then he whispered, "Every queen needs a prince or princess in her ever after too, doesn't she?"

I pinched his arm. "Ryder!"

He laughed again. "Okay, so let's discuss this." He said. "I honestly don't mind. As long as it's with you, I'll be the happiest man on Earth, not that I'm not already."

"Ryder, we just officially got together last night. You haven't even told your mother about me."

"Of course I have." He said.

"What?" I asked nervously. I haven't met Ryder's family. And I was so scared they would be against this... against me.

"My mother knows I'm helplessly in love with a beautiful wedding planner from Malibu named Astrid, who has dazzling violet eyes. She knows you were torn by a broken engagement thanks to your cousin. I was the rebound guy who was waiting patiently for you to realize that you're in love with me too. And the fact that I have money in the banks made it more difficult for you to admit that I'm the right guy for you all along. And she couldn't wait to meet you, Ash. She admires your spirit in fighting back. Moreover, she likes the fact that you liked me more when I was just a bartender."

"Wh... when did you tell her?"

"I came clean with my family, and Janis and Jake when Adam phoned to inform me you were fuming about the investment." He said. "Paris wanted to meet you now more than ever. Janis was a little heartbroken to know you weren't really my girlfriend and asked me to swear to do whatever it takes to win you over. In my world, Ash, you're quite a rare find. Both my Mom and my sister thought I was lucky to find you. They couldn't wait to meet you."

My eyes widened and I felt more nervous. He laughed. "Don't worry. They already like you. I know they'll like you even more when you meet."

"Do I have to meet them soon?"

"Of course!" He said. "Especially if you move to Manhattan."

I stared back at Ryder and I can see in his eyes that he really wanted me to move to New York. He's not pressuring me yet, but it's definitely something he wanted to happen. "I promise to think about it." I said to him.

He smiled. "That's good enough for now." He leaned and kissed me on the lips. Then he stared back at me for a while before saying, "So, you want to discuss contraceptives?"

I nodded shyly.

"I am only comfortable with two. Withdrawal and condoms. If you go on the pill, I want to make sure it's perfectly safe, no side effects. I don't want anything that could have any adverse effect on your health. I do want to have babies in the future, love. I don't want to decrease our chances of having one when you're ready."

I smiled back at him. "Okay. Withdrawal is probably the riskiest method there is, and condoms break."

He shrugged. "So what? Then we'll have a baby. Nothing would please my mother more!"

"Ryder, don't you think we're moving too fast?"

He laughed and pulled me into a hug. "Too fast? You have been practically engaged to me for months now, you know. But if you feel like I'm crowding you or something, let me know. I'll go slow."

I reached up and gave him a kiss. "No. I'm just a little overwhelmed. I still can't seem to believe that this is happening for real."

"Me too." He sighed. "Just yesterday, I was longing to hug you again and feel you hug me not for the sake of putting on a show in front of Geena."

Now, I remembered Geena and I smiled. "Geena may be right."

"What did you talk about?"

"She wanted to know if I was happy. She told me the story from the beginning. Apparently, Bryan's been cheating on me long before he and Geena hooked up. Geena wanted to feel a little better by making sure that I'm happier than I've ever been. So she can feel better herself. She wants to make it work with Bryan. She wants my consent... she wants to know if I was happy so she can at least tell herself that she was a blessing in disguise to me. That she paved a way for me to find a better, happier life with a much better man."

"Are you happier?"

I stared up at Ryder's handsome face and I smiled. "Yes. I am."

"I know you've been burned before, Ash. This may prevent you from trusting and giving yourself fully to your next relationship. Please don't hold back on me. I am not the man that Bryan was. I promise you, it will be different with me. Love me with all you have... because I love you with all I have."

I hugged him. I couldn't help crying. He smiled at me and gave me a quick kiss.

After a quick shower, I dressed in the pants I wore yesterday and one of Ryder's long-sleeved shirts.

"We need to go to my place. I need to change clothes."

He laughed. "My shirt looks sexy on you."

"But I'm not staying a minute longer in these pants!" I protested.

"Alright. You need to pack a couple of clothes anyway." He said. "My flight's tomorrow morning. I was hoping you'd stay one more night here."

I smiled at him, and reached up to give him a kiss. "Of course." I sighed. Even though I have him for the whole day today, the idea of him going back to Manhattan tomorrow, and not seeing him for about a week already breaks my heart. I miss him already. This honeymoon state just ends too soon.

"Are you okay?"

"I miss you already." I whispered.

He chuckled and tightened his arms around me. "My normal schedule requires me to be in Manhattan for four days and two days in Malibu. The extra day is up to me, although by the looks of it, it seems Malibu is the place to be during my day off."

I reached up and kissed him on the jaw. "It's going to be crazy for you, traveling so much. But I can't ask you not to do it. I will miss you so much."

"I will miss you more." He said. "I've waited for this. I'll try my best not to mess it up. Just trust me, okay?"

I nodded.

We went to my house. I changed into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved blouse. Then I packed a night's worth of clothes with me.

When I came out of the house, Ryder asked, "Do you know how to drive?"

I raised a brow at him. "Of course! Cars do not come cheap to us village people, but I learned some tricks."

Ryder laughed and tossed me his car keys. "Show me."

I laughed. "Alright. Mr. Van Woodsen just got himself a chauffeur."

"A beautiful one at that!" He laughed.

When I got into his car, I adjusted the seats and the side mirrors. His car was a little bit more complicated than the normal ones I've driven before. Ryder had to give me a bit of orientation before I took his car for a spin. I liked the car. It was comfortable and it was fast. I felt good being able to drive again after more than a year.

We went to Oil Rig. I stood by the glass walls of Ryder's office to watch what's happening on the floors. All of Ryder's staff are well-coordinated, as if they were trained to work for the finest restaurants, instead of a bar. I could tell that Ryder really knew what he was doing.

He came behind me, put his arms around my waist and nuzzled my neck.

"Are you strict with your employees?" I asked.

"Why do you ask?"

I shrugged. "They all look coordinated."

He chuckled. "I hire the best, and I train them long. They're well-compensated. And they get all the tips and service charges. Once a week, they can bring their family here and dine for free. I know each and every one of them personally. They can come to me directly if they have a problem. I believe that if you motivate your people positively, you'll get better positive results."

"How are you going to manage all these when you finally become in charged of your entire empire?"

"I had a plan." He said. "I used to think I could take care of it all. Fly from one country to another."

"And now what happened to that plan?" I asked.

He stared at me for a while and then he said, "You changed it."

My eyes narrowed at him. "What did I do?"

He leaned forward and gave me a kiss on the lips. "I fell in love with you." He said. "You made me realize that there are more important things in life than money and success, and that one way or another, I would have to delegate. Find some free time for myself. Remember that day you came to New York? I had the longest day of my life. Working for straight twenty-four hours. And then you came. I was so glad you were there. When I slept with you in my arms, I knew there was no other place I would rather be. And that if I did have you in my life for real, I wouldn't miss the chance to come home to you."

"Now you have me in your life for real." I told him. "Geography is still a bummer."

He smiled. "I'll figure something out. If I can't fly to L.A., I'd probably ask you to fly to New York."

I smiled at him. "I'd like that." I told him. "Honestly, I like Manhattan. I'd like to visit again."

"I hope you like it enough to move there." He whispered.

I laughed. "I said I'll think about it."

That night, Ryder and I made love slowly and passionately. It was amazing. I couldn't get enough of him. And it seemed that he couldn't get enough of me either. After making love, we lied in bed, locked in each other's arms.

"I'll leave early tomorrow." He said. "I won't wake you up anymore. You still have my keys don't you?"

I nodded. "I'll give them back to you when you get back."

"Nope." He said. "They're your keys. Keep them. I want you to be here while I'm gone."

"Why?"

"For my peace of mind. I know you'll be safer here. You know this house has a central alarm system. You can enable it and it rings the police directly if something goes wrong."

"I am safer at my place when I work late. Remember you didn't want me to walk down the street?"

"You don't have to walk." He said. He kissed my forehead. "I'm leaving my car keys to you as well."

I laughed. "You're going to trust me with your car while you're not sitting on the passenger seat?"

"It has comprehensive insurance." He said. "Seriously, love. I want you to drive my car while I'm not here."