Amanda hadn't expected Greyson to surprise her. He was a man of schedules, of control, of carefully calculated moves. Yet on Friday evening, as she prepared to leave the office, he appeared at her desk with a single sentence that shifted everything.
"Pack a bag," he said. "We're leaving tomorrow."
Amanda blinked. "Leaving? Where?"
Greyson's lips curved faintly, though it wasn't quite a smile. "Somewhere far from boardrooms and contracts. Somewhere you can breathe."
The next morning, Amanda found herself in Greyson's sleek black car, winding along a coastal highway. The city skyline faded behind them, replaced by cliffs and waves crashing against the shore. She glanced at him, surprised by the ease in his expression. Without the weight of the office, he looked younger, freer — almost human in a way she hadn't seen before.
They arrived at a secluded villa perched above the ocean. The air smelled of salt and pine, the sound of waves echoing against the rocks below. Amanda stepped onto the terrace, her breath catching at the view.
"It's beautiful," she whispered.
Greyson joined her, his gaze steady. "I thought you deserved to see the world beyond glass towers."
Amanda turned to him, her heart racing. "Why me?"
His voice dropped, quieter now. "Because you remind me of what I've lost. And what I might still find."
The words lingered, heavy with meaning. Amanda felt the pull between them grow stronger, impossible to ignore. Yet beneath the beauty of the villa, beneath the freedom of the ocean air, she also felt the weight of choice pressing against her chest.
That evening, they shared dinner on the terrace, the sky painted in hues of gold and violet. Greyson poured wine, his eyes lingering on her as though she were the only person in the world.
"You're afraid," he said softly.
Amanda swallowed. "Of what this means. Of what I'll lose if I let it happen."
Greyson reached across the table, his hand brushing hers. "Love doesn't take, Amanda. It gives. It gives strength. It gives purpose. It gives us something worth fighting for."
Her breath caught, the ocean roaring beneath them like a heartbeat. For the first time, Amanda realized that Greyson wasn't just offering her passion — he was offering her a chance to step into a life where vulnerability wasn't weakness, but power.
And as the stars emerged above the waves, Amanda knew the escape wasn't just from the city. It was from fear itself.