Lucky in Love

by Kelly Elliott

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his hands on my upper arms. His eyes were the color of the ocean when a storm was fixin’ to move in. His deep blue gaze stared at me intently and left me feeling weak in the knees.

  “You have a nice voice.”

  Oh. My. Gosh. Did I really say that?

  “I mean, thank you for helping me not fall flat on my face. And you have a nice voice.”

  The corner of Truitt’s mouth twitched with a slight smile.

  “You’re welcome, and thank you. What are you doing here?” he asked, his eyes flickering past me to see if I was with anyone.

  “Turns out I wasn’t in the mood for one of Wendy’s little get-togethers after all. Especially when I found out she’d attempted to set me up on a blind date.”

  His brows rose, and I couldn’t help but notice the heat from his hands that were still holding onto my arms. He let go, almost as if he had noticed it, as well. With one quick motion, he leaned over and lowered the volume on his Bose speaker.

  We stood there and stared at one another before he asked again, “What brings you here?”

  I snapped out of the daze his touch had thrown me into. There was something about this man that turned me into a young school girl again. Filled with hope that maybe I had been wrong that day when I thought Truitt only asked me out to use me. That Tim had manipulated me. That the look in Truitt’s eyes, the look of defeat, was because maybe he felt something for me, as well.

  “Oh, um, yeah…”

  I chewed on my lip and almost shivered when his gaze went to my mouth. I’d never wanted a man to kiss me more than I wanted Truitt to kiss me in that moment. So maybe my brain was on board, as well.

  “Have I made you angry?” I finally asked.

  That made his gaze jerk back up to mine.

  “What?” he asked, looking every bit as dazed and confused as I felt.

  “You didn’t seem to want to be at Pete’s, and I thought it was because I was there. You didn’t want me to be there in the room when you came into the ER last month, and you’ve been avoiding talking to me. I wanted to make sure I didn’t do anything to make you mad.”

  The way Truitt was looking at me left me nervous as hell. What in the world was this man thinking? And why in the world had I just acted like a sixteen-year-old girl trying to figure out why her crush wasn’t paying attention to her? I had hit a new low with this one. I instantly wanted to pull all the words back in that I had just spoken.

  Then he laughed a disbelieving laugh and shook his head while he rubbed the back of his neck.

  “You haven’t done or said anything to make me mad at you.” His brows pulled in and he honestly looked befuddled. “You said you weren’t interested in a relationship, Saryn. I got the message loud and clear.”

  That made my eyes go wide.

  “I’m sorry?”

  “The day we went shopping, you made it clear you weren’t interested in anything other than friendship.”

  I ignored the lump forming in my throat and forced myself to ask the question that was now burning into my mind. “Do you want something more than friendship? I mean, with me? Do you want…um…me?”

  Good Lord, that came out all wrong. Where was the confident woman who had realized she deserved more in a man? The one who’d packed up and walked away from her life? The one who vowed she would never run away from anything ever again? If I wanted something, I was going to fight for it this time.

  “Do you want more than friendship with me, Truitt?” I asked, my voice clear and strong.

  His eyes lit with a fire that made my insides tremble.

  Truitt looked away for a moment, as if he was thinking about how he wanted to answer my question. When his eyes met mine, I realized I had been holding my breath.

  “Honestly, yes. I want to be friends with you, Saryn. I enjoy being around you and Liliana, but I’m not going to lie to you. I desperately want more of you. And right now, I want to kiss you.”

  I swallowed hard. “You do?” I whispered, barely loud enough to hear myself.

  He lifted his hand and brushed a piece of my hair back from my face. When he tucked it behind my ear, I was pretty sure I sighed at the feel of his fingers touching me again.

  “I do,” he softly replied while the corners of his mouth lifted into a sexy grin.

  “What happens after you kiss me?” I asked while my eyes searched his face.

  “Well, I’m hoping like hell you like the kiss and want to kiss me back. A lot.”

  I giggled and rolled my eyes.

  “To be honest, I don’t know what’s going to happen, Saryn. I hope the kiss leads to more, when you’re ready.”

  I chewed on my lip for a moment before meeting his intense gaze.

  “I used to have a crush on you, Truitt. Back in high school. When all the other boys used to flirt with me, I remember wishing you weren’t friends with Ryan because you never so much as glanced my way.”

  That made him lift his brows in surprise. “You had a crush on me?”

  With a nod, I went on. “I knew things were over between me and Tim long before I finally admitted it. I vowed I wasn’t going to get into another relationship until I had time to just be me. Be a mom to Liliana, find the girl who seemed to slowly disappear as the months and years went by. Then you showed back up in my life and I feel something here.” I pressed my hand to my chest. “It’s a feeling I have never felt before, and I’ll be honest with you, that scares me a little bit. I can’t risk Liliana getting hurt. I won’t risk it. When I do commit to someone, I want to go slow, I need it to be more than just sex, Truitt.”

  He smiled bigger. “I want that, too.”

  With a tilt of my head, I regarded him for a moment. This man whom everyone said was one of the most sought-after man in Boerne. Why had he not settled down yet? What was he looking for in a woman, and did he really want to be tied down to one who had a kid already?

  “What exactly do you want, Truitt? I mean, with me who has a ready-made family?”

  He drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. He shook his head, almost as if he was debating how much to tell me. Then his eyes met mine and I felt the energy pulse between us. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before in my life, and I knew by the look in his eyes, he felt it, too.

  “I want to get to know you better. Spend time with you and Liliana. I want to kiss you. Take you out for ice cream. Hear Liliana laugh when I attempt to sing one of her silly songs. I don’t want to just have sex with you, Saryn. It’s always been more with you.”

  My heart felt like it jumped in my chest. What did he mean, it had always been more? Before I could ask, he went on.

  “I also want someone to kiss goodnight every evening and make love to every morning. I want a best friend I can share all my dreams and fears with. I want to be a husband and a dad someday. I want to have someone whom I can trust and who can trust me.”

  Truitt looked away and let out a slight laugh. “Okay, I might have shared a bit too much of what I want.”

  I shook my head and placed my hand on the side of his cheek. Oh, where had this man been all my life? The fact that he could be so open and honest made the emotions inside of me feel raw and new.

  “No, what you shared with me was perfect. How should we do this, Truitt? I’ve only ever been with Tim, well, with the exception of a terrible one-night stand.”

  Another brilliant smile appeared on his face, and I felt my knees wobble slightly.

  He winked and said, “I think we should start with a kiss.”

  “That sounds like a solid plan.”

  Truitt cupped my face in his hands and looked at my mouth, then into my eyes. I had longed for this moment longer than I remembered. Needed it more than I ever dreamed. I needed this man’s mouth on mine. Now.

  “Kiss me, Truitt,” I whispered.

  He leaned down and did just that, and Lord help me. It was soft and slow. His lips felt like the softest things I’d ever felt in my li
fe. And just like that, with one kiss, I’d let Truitt in and I had zero regrets.

  Truitt

  WHEN MY LIPS pressed against Saryn’s, I knew I was in trouble. One kiss and my body felt like it was tumbling over an edge, and nothing would ever be the same again. I didn’t want it to be the same.

  This kiss was amazing. Beyond amazing. Unlike any other kiss I’d ever experienced before. Every imagined moment of kissing Saryn was nothing like the actual thing. She let out a little moan when I pressed against her body, and I nearly lost my head. I wanted this woman desperately.

  When we both needed to come up for air, we pulled our mouths apart. Our eyes locked and she smiled. My legs felt like someone had attempted to sweep me off my damn feet.

  “Wow,” Saryn whispered.

  I smiled. “Wow, is right.”

  She slowly shook her head as she placed her hand on my chest, sending a bolt of heat instantly through my body.

  Saryn lifted her eyes to mine. “I’ve never in my life been kissed like that before.”

  “That’s because the wrong guy has been kissing you all these years.”

  Her teeth dug into her lip, and I groaned internally. Christ, if I didn’t want to bury myself inside her right here and now.

  Slow down, Truitt. Slow the hell down.

  “You have no idea the restraint I’m using to keep from touching you.”

  Her brow lifted. “Touching me? Where?”

  This time I growled and pulled her body against mine. “Don’t,” I warned. “You said you wanted to go slow, and asking me where I want to touch you is not going to lead to slow.”

  Saryn nodded. “You’re right.”

  Her words said I was right, but the look in her eyes said something completely different. They screamed that she was in need of something from me, and I had a feeling I knew exactly what it was.

  I watched as the pulse at her neck throbbed faster. The urge to touch her nearly drove me mad, but I was hell-bent on doing this right with her. There was no way I was going to spook her or make her regret any part of us.

  “We should probably leave, or at least step away from each other,” I managed to say as I took a step back from her.

  “Why?”

  Her voice sounded breathy. Full of the same need I knew I had. If we didn’t put the brakes on, I was afraid I’d be fucking her right here in the shop. And the first time we were together, I didn’t want to fuck. I wanted to make love to her.

  Saryn laughed and looked away, her cheeks red with embarrassment. “I mean, I know why. It’s just…wow. Okay, we need to slow down.”

  This time it was my turn to laugh. “I think so, sweetheart.”

  Her eyes sparkled at the endearment, and she nodded, seeming to confirm her own thoughts.

  “Go out with me tomorrow night?” I asked, brushing away the same loose piece of hair from her face.

  “What did you have in mind?” she asked, a soft smile on her face.

  “Dinner. My house?”

  Her brows went up. “Your house?”

  I held up my hands in defense. “We can go out somewhere, but I really want to spend a bit of time getting to know you better before the town gossips come out swinging.”

  She smiled, and I swore it lit up the entire shop.

  “I’ll do you one better. I’m off tomorrow, and I know you’re trying to finish up this playhouse.” Her eyes swung over to her daughter’s castle spread all over the shop in pieces. “Lord, that thing is huge.”

  “We did scale it back some, I promise,” I stated with a sly grin.

  Her gaze locked back on mine. “Ha. Anyway, I know Liliana would love to see you. Let me make you dinner, at my place. If you don’t mind Liliana being there.”

  I couldn’t help the way the corners of my mouth lifted. Saryn was offering to make me dinner at her house and wanted Liliana there, as well.

  “What time should I be there?”

  She thought for a moment before answering. “Liliana goes to bed around eight. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to keep her dinner at the same time she’s used to. Does five thirty work for you?”

  “That works great.”

  “Good,” she said, a hint of seduction laced in her words. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow evening.”

  “Let me close up, and I’ll walk you out.”

  After getting everything locked up, I walked with Saryn out to her car. She leaned against her door and looked up at me with eyes that seemed to plead for me to make some sort of contact between our bodies again. Lord knows I wanted to.

  “What do you need me to bring tomorrow?” I asked, attempting to break the need to kiss her again.

  A shocked look moved over her face before she quickly smiled. “A bottle of wine?”

  “Red or white?”

  A blush washed across her cheeks, and she chewed on her thumbnail before meeting my gaze. “I have a favorite wine, and if you could find it, I’ll make it worth your while.”

  That caused me to raise my brows. “Is that so?”

  She nodded.

  “Tell me the name of this wine, Ms. Night, and it’s yours.”

  “It’s from Australia. It’s called The Stump Jump. It’s a shiraz.”

  “I love a good shiraz.”

  Her teeth dug into her lower lip, and I ached to pull it free with my own lips. “Me, too.”

  “Consider it done. Any certain year?”

  She shook her head. I brought my finger to her chin and lifted her head so that her eyes met mine. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Saryn.”

  Her throat bobbed with a hard swallow. “See you then, Truitt.”

  I leaned down and kissed her mouth softly. Saryn reached up and grabbed onto my shirt and moaned into my mouth. It caused a rush of desire to race straight to my damn cock. I was going to have to go home and jerk off in the shower, no question about it.

  Quickly, I stepped back and broke the kiss. It left us both a little dazed. I tipped my cowboy hat at her as she opened the door to her car. As she slipped in, I leaned down and smiled.

  Saryn rewarded me with a smile that made my chest feel tight. Then I shut the door and watched her drive away. I was positive I wouldn’t be able to wipe the smile from my face if I tried.

  “So, what happened last night?” Jack finally asked after bugging me about why I had come back to the shop the night before.

  “Nothing.”

  “So it’s just a coincidence that Saryn left the dinner party only minutes after you did. And you’ve had a damn smile on your face like you got…lucky last night.”

  My head turned to him. “Lucky?”

  “Yeah, you remember that, don’t you? Getting laid? Sleeping with a woman? Having sex. I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time, so that leads me to believe you got lucky.”

  I chuckled. “Well, you would be wrong.”

  He looked shocked. “No shit? Did you see Saryn last night?”

  If Jack had wanted to, he could check the security cameras and see exactly what happened, another reason I had to stop the kiss last night with Saryn. Or I’d be erasing part of the security recording before he took a notion to snoop.

  “I saw her. She stopped by here, we talked.”

  “That’s it?”

  Turning on the saw, I cut a piece of wood. I could practically feel Jack’s eyes burning into my back. The moment the saw went off, he was back at it.

  “Nothing else happened? How long did she stay? What did she say about the playhouse? Is she liking it?”

  “You really sound like a busybody, you know that, Jack? Are you taking lessons from Evie?” I said, picking up the piece of wood I’d cut and walking over to the window box I was making.

  “Guilty as charged. I know she was here.”

  I stopped what I was doing and shot him a look. He laughed. “No, I didn’t look at the security footage, but Lou told me she showed up last night.”

  Lou. We had hired him to keep an eye on the place at night. I’d fo
rgotten all about him being here. He had either walked in on us and back out of the shop without making a sound, or had seen our vehicles out front. He was a good guy, so if he had seen anything, I knew he wouldn’t be running his mouth all over town.

  With a dramatic sigh, purely for effect, I faced Jack. His eyes lit up, and he looked as if he was about to get a birthday gift.

  “Saryn stopped by. We talked, and I’m seeing her for dinner tonight. At her place. With…Liliana.”

  He grinned like a school boy. “Fucking finally.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Jack rolled his eyes. “Dude, everyone can see how much you like her. You’ve always liked her. Even when we were in school.”

  My mouth dropped open. “How in the hell did you know that?”

  A look of hurt moved over his face. “I’m sorry, have we not been friends since like fifth grade? Ryan’s not your only best friend, jackass.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “I know, but I didn’t realize it had been so obvious in high school that I liked Saryn.”

  “Dude, why do you think Tim went after her? The moment he knew you were interested, he did everything in his power to keep you away from her.”

  It felt like all the air in the shop suddenly got sucked out. I found myself not able to breathe, let alone think about what Jack had just said.

  “What?” Was all I could get out.

  “What?” Jack asked, confused.

  “What do you mean, that’s why Tim went after her?”

  Jack looked around the shop and then back at me. He looked conflicted before he finally spoke again. “You’ve never, since I’ve known you, looked at a girl like you do Saryn. It’s always been that way, Truitt. High school was no exception. I think it started when we were around sixteen.”

  “And you never thought to say something?”

  He shrugged. “Ryan never said anything, I figured you stayed away because she was his sister.”

  It was true, that had been the main reason I kept myself away from Saryn back in high school.