by Marni Mann
I was still trying to catch my breath and get acclimated to the intensity of his gaze. “One of the best I’ve had in a while.”
“Good,” he said, just as a waitress approached our table.
“What can I get you to drink?” she asked me. “A mimosa perhaps?”
“Sounds delicious, but let’s make it a poinsettia, thank you.”
She wrote down my order and looked at Lance as he said, “Blood Mary. Extra spicy,” and then she was gone.
Once we were alone again, I felt a wave move from the tip of my toes all the way to my neck. It was heat, unthawing my body, each nerve ending tingling, like he had lit a match under every single one.
“How did you sleep?”
Such a simple question, yet it felt like the most intimate one he’d asked since we met.
I tucked a chunk of hair behind my ear and took a breath. “Usually, I’m up no later than six. Not this morning. I don’t know what happened, but it was amazing. How about you?”
“I don’t require much. Three or four hours, max.”
Just as I was about to respond, the waitress dropped off our cocktails and said, “Enjoy these. I’ll be back in a few minutes to get your order.”
My fingers circled the thin stem of the glass, and I held it in the air. “To the evening and everything that happens in between.” As he smiled, I added, “It was too good not to steal from you.”
“You can have anything you want from me, Chloe.” He clinked his glass against mine and brought it up to his lips.
I was several seconds behind, processing his statement, when the bubbly finally hit my tongue.
I swallowed several mouthfuls and was setting down the glass when I heard, “Have you been here before?”
My fingers continued to hold the stem. “Never; however, I’ve heard great things.” There was a leather-bound menu in front of each of us, and I opened mine, quickly scanning the main courses. “What’s good?”
“Are you a fussy eater? Or have any allergies?”
I glanced up at him and shook my head, wondering how he’d found a button-down that was the exact color of his eyes.
“Then, how about you let me order, and I’ll surprise you?”
My hand released the top of the menu, and the book closed. “Sounds like more fun.” I took another sip. “Lance, tell me stuff. I want to know more about you.”
Even though he wasn’t smiling, there was a lightness in his expression. “I hate tomatoes more than anything, but I love ketchup. I iron every morning; I do a better job than any dry cleaner I’ve ever tried. And I’m not patient. I like getting my way, and that’s what makes me one hell of an attorney.” He didn’t lean his elbows on the table. He clasped his hands together on top of his menu instead. “Why don’t you tell me who I’m looking at right now—or better yet, maybe I should tell you?”
I could feel my pulse in my throat. “Please,” I said. “I’m dying to hear this.”
His stare turned even more intense, something I hadn’t thought was possible, and he was silent for a few seconds. And once again, I felt that pull like he was inside me.
“I get the feeling you’re a fighter, and that tells me things don’t come easy. You’ve probably had to make sacrifices to get to where you are.” His eyes narrowed. “You’re adventurous but not free-spirited. You would go to Cinque Terre for the color of the water, not to go cliff diving.” He dragged his bottom lip into his mouth, returning it slick. “And you’re extremely selective with who you spend your time with. If you give them an hour, it’s because they’ve earned it.” He twisted the long celery stalk in the glass before he took a drink, and I watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. “How’d I do?”
I had known things with Lance were going to be different. I had known that the moment he caused a spark to pass through my whole body and stop me from breathing. But while I sat in that restaurant with his eyes fixed on mine, his smile growing, that was when I really knew this man was about to change my entire life.
And I was ready for him.
“Lance,” I began, preparing to answer his question, but I was cut off as the waitress appeared at our table.
“Have you made any decisions?” she asked.
With his menu still closed, Lance looked at her and said, “We’ll start with an order of the French toast bites.” His eyes shifted to me, and he continued, “She’ll have the truffle eggs benedict, hollandaise on the side.” His gaze returned to her when he finished, “Spanish omelet with dry toast for me.”
She took our menus and left, and my hands circled the edge of the table, squeezing it between my fingers, as I searched everywhere for air, slowly glancing up.
“You just ordered my favorite breakfast.”
He glanced to the side, showing me a perfectly shaved jaw, his dark hair in place, a starched collar I now knew he’d ironed this morning. “Does that win me a second date?”
I laughed, feeling the redness move through my chest and up to my face. “Between that and your description of me, I’d say you’ve earned it.”
Twenty-Five
“You’ve met Anthony,” Lance said to me, referring to his driver as we approached his SUV a block from the restaurant.
Anthony was holding the backseat door open for us, and I took his hand just as he voiced, “It’s nice to see you again, Miss Kennedy.”
“You too.” I tightened my grip and used his help to step into the back. “Thank you,” I added as I got into my seat.
When Anthony had picked me up earlier, I hadn’t realized he was Lance’s personal driver; I just thought he’d sent a car service. But knowing he’d taken that extra step was protective in a way I’d never felt before.
“Anthony, we’ll be taking Chloe home,” Lance said as he sat next to me.
I waited for Lance’s eyes before I said, “Thank you for the ride.”
Before I’d even put my coat on at the restaurant, he’d told me he was taking me home. I hadn’t argued. It would give us more time together, and that was what I wanted.
He reached across the small space between us and clasped our fingers together. His skin was so warm even though it was chilly outside. “My pleasure.”
His stare was too much with his hand on me, especially when thoughts were beginning to build in my head, ones that involved the way he would wrap around my body. So, I turned my face and glanced out the window, watching the Back Bay pass by the glass.
But I wasn’t there for more than a few seconds when his fingers tightened around mine, and he asked, “When are you free?”
“I leave for Colorado in two days, and I’m going to live at the office until my flight. How about when I get back next week?”
“I’d like that.”
He lifted our hands and set them on his thigh just above his knee. My palm went flat against his jeans, his running over the back of mine.
He was sending shivers through me.
“Just so you know …” I took a deep breath, realizing how hard that was getting. “I really wish I could see you sooner.”
He lifted the same hand up to his mouth where he softly kissed across my knuckles and then placed us back in his lap, and we stayed like that for the rest of the drive.
When we arrived at my building, Anthony parked out front and opened my door.
“I’ll walk you out,” Lance said from behind me.
I climbed outside, thanking his driver again, and I heard Lance behind me as I unlocked the front entrance. Once I had the door open, he reached above my head and held it for me, and I walked into the small lobby.
“Thanks for being my fun today.”
His hand slid higher on the doorframe, the heat in his stare growing. “I want more than a second date, Chloe.”
The tingles had fully taken over my body. “What do you want?”
“A kiss.”
I smiled as his words simmered down my throat. “That you can certainly have.”
His hand moved through the air,
landing on my waist, and he pulled me over to him. I loved the feeling of his fingers, the sensation of being so close, how his chest felt under my hands when they pressed against him.
His mouth didn’t immediately take mine. Instead, his gaze deepened, reminding me of the intensity between us. His hands slipped under my jacket, and I could feel the heat from his fingers through my shirt.
“I’ve thought about this since you walked into the restaurant.” His lips were almost on mine. “What you were going to feel like.” He dipped in a little closer, his nose grazing my cheek, and I felt a wave of goose bumps rise across my body. “What you were going to taste like.”
His words were like foreplay, and I was bending from each one, arching, anticipating what his breath would feel like when he whispered across another part of my face.
It happened when he said, “If kissing you once would be enough.”
Those words lingered right above my mouth because that was where his was.
“Lance …” My voice was so soft, and I was unable to say any more.
But I didn’t need to because, within seconds, he was kissing me, his mouth moving in a way that showed me his hunger and desire, and the way his hands gripped me only emphasized it.
All I could do was take—the slow, deliberate slides of his tongue, the grinding of his fingers into my muscles that were making me so wet. And just as I was swallowing his warm exhale, he pulled away.
My lips instantly prickled.
“I should have known,” he said, his beautiful navy gaze holding mine so steadily, “kissing you once would never be enough.”
Twenty-Six
Once Lance shut the lobby door behind him, I took out my phone and hurried up the stairs to my apartment, calling Molly before I was even inside.
“Tell me everything,” she said as she answered.
After making plans with Lance, I’d replied to her text and told her about his call. She’d made me promise I’d phone her the second I got back from our date.
“Oh. My. God.”
“Chloe, why are you whispering?”
I locked our door and took off my purse, hanging it on the back of the chair. “Because I feel like he’s so far inside me that he can hear what I’m about to say.”
“I hope you’re talking about his dick, and we’re about to have a whole different conversation than the one I thought we were going to have.”
I laughed as I took off my jacket. “I think we both know that didn’t happen this morning.”
“Then, what did? I’m mimosa’d and ready to hear it all.”
My voice returned to normal as I groaned, “Molly … that man.” But it didn’t matter how loud I made myself; the words just weren’t there. I could come up with as many adjectives as I wanted, and those wouldn’t even dent him.
“Is he all kinds of wonderful?”
I took a deep breath. “In every way.” I walked over to the window, pushing my shoulder into the glass, looking between the street and the tiny living room we’d shared for the last four years. “He’s perfect.” I glanced down at my hand, feeling the way it tingled, wondering if the feeling would ever return or if Lance would permanently cause my body to feel this way. “He kissed me, Molly … and … I couldn’t breathe.”
She sucked in her own air that I heard so clearly through the phone. “Once I saw the way he was looking at you at the bar, I knew, done-zo for you both. When are you seeing him again?”
“Ugh, not until I get back.” I pushed myself away from the window and headed into my room. “Don’t get me wrong; I’m excited about the trip, but the timing is just awful.”
“Like, the worst ever.” She laughed. “By the way, you’re welcome for canceling brunch.”
I made a noise that almost sounded like a snort. “Bring home pizza for dinner. Love you, bye,” I said, still laughing when I disconnected the call.
In my room, I stripped out of my clothes and covered myself in a robe. I went into the bathroom to fill the tub. I dropped in some salts and oils Molly and I always kept on hand and lit the few candles we had in the room. And then I turned on some music and stepped into the water, stretching my body across the tub. My eyes closed, and I relaxed into the lavender-scented warmth.
I hadn’t been soaking for more than a few minutes when I heard a text come across my phone.
I leaned out of the water and looked at the floor where I’d placed my cell on a towel. I saw Lance’s name on the screen, and a whole different kind of warmth began to fill me.
Lance: Still thinking about you.
It was as though he’d read my mind.
Twenty-Seven
Me: Same. And that kiss …
Lance: What fun is planned for tonight?
Me: Pizza with Molly. You?
Lance: Not much, I’m afraid. I’m meeting with a client this evening. You girls have a good time.
Me: I just walked by where we had brunch. It made me smile.
Lance: I like starting my day with a text from you.
Me: Just a text?
Lance: You won that round.
Lance: What time is your flight tomorrow?
Me: 8 a.m.
Lance: Looking forward to it?
Me: I’m anxious to see Vail, but I’m just as excited about our second date.
Lance: Get there safe, so you can get home to me.
Me: ;)
Me: The drive from Denver to Vail was heaven.
Lance: I’m jealous you’re breathing in all that mountain air.
Me: It’s delicious.
Lance: So were you in the picture you posted from the airport this morning.
Me: <3
Lance: Tell me there’s fun and not just meetings?
Me: It’s on its way—one more day, and then I can explore. But what I’ve seen so far is dreamy. Almost like a fairy tale.
Lance: I bet you’re smiling again.
Me: Lance, it’s not because of Colorado.
Lance: I like that answer.
Me: My evening meeting was canceled. Looks like freedom is even closer than I thought.
Lance: Cold and thirsty?
Me: Yes, and YES.
Lance: In the village, right on the corner by Checkpoint Charlie, is a candy store. They have the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had in my life.
Me: I’m going to walk there in a little bit. I’ll let you know how yummy it is.
Twenty-Eight
Back Bay Digital had booked me a hotel that was only a short walk to downtown Vail, so when Lance told me about the hot chocolate, I knew I had to go. As I approached the quaint village, there were rows of shops, small boutiques, and restaurants on both sides of the road, all built in this cute, rustic-chic design. And at the very start of it all was a security point that closely resembled the one in Berlin—at least from what I’d seen in pictures of Germany. I held my scarf tightly about the bottom of my face and hurried the rest of the way to the candy store.
“Can I help you?” an older woman asked as I walked in, a set of bells declaring my entrance. Her voice was deep from years of smoking, and she carefully moved to the edge of the counter, away from the fudge she’d been packing into a box.
“I hear you have the best hot chocolate.”
She laughed, and I could tell it was out of confidence. “That’s what we’ve been told for the last forty years. Just one?”
I nodded.
“Can I get you anything else?”
“Maybe.” I walked to the counter closest to me and began scanning all the baked goods. “Let me look around.”
While she went over to the coffee station in the corner, I scanned the shelves of chocolate-covered fruit and the assortment of cookies and all the decedent candies and other baked goods. By the time I reached her, she’d already set the to-go mug on the counter.
“I’ll also take a piece of the white bark.” It wasn’t my usual dessert of choice, but the Oreo cookies that were melted into the top looked incredible.
She chose a large piece and placed it in a bag, and while she rang up my credit card, I sipped the warm drink.
“My God,” I groaned against the top of the mug. Lance wasn’t kidding; this was the best hot chocolate I’d had in my life. “What do you put in here?”
She set the receipt on the counter with a pen. “That’s a secret I’ll take to the grave.”
“Whatever it is, it’s magic.”
She smiled, the wrinkles on her cheeks telling me that was her favorite expression. “Oh, honey, there’s magic all over this town. You’ll see.”
“If it’s anything like this, then I’m looking forward to it.” I put my card into my purse and prepared myself for the cold that was about to hit me the second I stepped outside. “Thanks again.”
Holding my treats, I made my way to the door. The bells chimed as I stepped onto the sidewalk, and the snow crunched under my boots, the purest, freshest air filling my lungs as I made my way past the shops.
I was taking in the details of this mountain town, comparing it to ones in Maine, when I heard, “Do you know where I can get a good hot chocolate?”
It felt like the wind had been taken out of my body, and in its place were the strongest, most consuming tingles.
My God … that man.
Stopped in front of a bookstore, my entire body shaking in excitement, I turned around. An SUV was pulled up along the curb, the backseat window rolled down, and the most gorgeous face was staring at me from the center of it.
“Colorado looks beautiful on you, Chloe.”
I shook my head, trying to process it all. “What are you doing here?”
I didn’t wait for him to answer before I walked toward the car, and he got out at the same time, meeting me on the sidewalk.
His arms opened, and I moved into them, his body folding over mine in a hug. I instantly felt his warmth, his scent surrounding me. Each time I inhaled, I swallowed and savored more of it.