I rounded the counter to Roane’s side to see what he was looking at and, without thinking about it, slid my arm around his shoulder and rested my chin on his other. “What are we looking at?” I murmured.

He curled his fingers around my hand, absentmindedly caressing my skin with his thumb. “Two-bed flat in Alnwick.” He clicked through the photos with his free hand, and I frowned at the images.

“It’s a little dingy.”

“That’s what I think. It’s overpriced.”

“And Alnwick?” I frowned over at Caro. “You’re not staying in Alnster?”

Her gaze moved between Roane and me, her smile widening as she said, “There’s not a lot of options in Alnster, I’m afraid, and when did this happen?” She gestured to us. “Because it’s happening, right? You haven’t progressed to torturing my cousin?”

Laughing, I slid into the stool next to Roane. “Do you think I’m that evil?”

“Yes,” they answered in unison.

I made a face at Roane and he winked at me.

God, he was sexy.

And yes, I’d always thought so, but over the last couple of months this man’s appeal had grown exponentially. It was true what they said. When you started to care for someone, they became infinitely more attractive to you.

“So you’re together?”

“Yes, we’re together,” I replied.

Caro’s whole face lit up. “Oh, I’m so pleased for you. This is wonderful news. We should go out to celebrate. And to let everyone know so you can get that part over with.”

“Over with?”

“You know they’ll tease you mercilessly for a while.”

True. “Yeah, sure, why not.”

“Don’t sound so thrilled about it,” Roane said drily.

“Are you thrilled about the teasing coming our way?”

“I can’t answer that how I really want to answer it, because my wee cousin is sitting right there, but they can tease all they want. It’s worth it.”

“I’d hate to think how you’d put it if I wasn’t here,” Caro grumbled, her cheeks flushing as she hopped off the stool. “Why don’t I make us some dinner while you look at those other listings for me?”

Thanking her, I pulled my stool closer to Roane so I could look at the apartments and rested my hand on his knee. I couldn’t seem to be near him without wanting to touch him. He turned to look at me, and when our eyes met, I could tell by his expression he understood. His hand covered mine, and we returned to looking at the apartments.

“I like this one,” I murmured ten minutes later.

All I’d seen so far just wasn’t good enough for Caro, and I realized how spoiled we were by the apartment above the bookstore. Not just by its size and views but by its open-plan living space.

Finally, however, we’d come across a house in Beadnell. Roane and I had taken Shadow to Beadnell Bay a few times. It was this long stretch of beautiful sand twenty minutes north of Alnster. A lot of surfers and kitesurfers hung out at the bay.

The house was set back from the beach surrounded by a small development of matching homes. This one sat at the western tip, so it had views of the sea. It had been designed so that the living spaces were transposed. The two bedrooms were on the first floor, along with the bathroom. Upstairs on the second floor was the open-plan kitchen and living space with its vaulted triangular roof. French doors made up the entirety of the sea-facing wall and led out onto a covered balcony so the owner could enjoy the views.

The place was furnished in a beachy look with a comfortable sofa and armchairs, a light oak six-seater dining table, and a modern white glossy kitchen.

“They’re holiday homes,” Roane said. “We do the maintenance on a few of these. It’s unusual to see one of them come up as a year-round rental.”

“The living space is beautiful, and that view . . .”

He squeezed my hand. “Aye, that’s true. But I’m not sure about the security. Caro’s bedroom would be right next to the only way in and out of the building.”

“Which is great in the awful event of a fire.”

“Not so great if someone breaks in.” He scowled at the laptop.

“Is he pooh-poohing the Beadnell property?” Caro asked from her place by the stove.

I shot her a commiserating look. “Yup.”

“Damn,” she muttered.

Seeing her crestfallen expression, I nudged Roane with my shoulder. “Surely we can make certain it’s safe for her.”

He exhaled slowly. “It’s not just safety. I don’t know what kind of heating system is in these homes. They’re rented out less frequently in the winter months, and part of that is not just down to demand. It’s about high running costs.”

I frowned at the screen. “It says they were built less than five years ago. Surely they’re built with better insulation than the building we’re in right now.”

“Maybe,” he murmured.