Her Perfect Man- The Complete Series Box Set

by Z. L. Arkadie

  “Hey,” I say.

  “Nolan. I got your message.”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m on a yacht in Sardinia.”

  I calculate the time difference in my head. “It’s one o’clock in the morning.”

  “I know, but I’m wide awake. Anyway, got your message, and I just spoke to Abby. She’s on a date.”

  “A date? With who?”

  “She didn’t say, but they’re going to the Tavern at the Park.”

  I’m a little anxious about the fact that she’s out with another man. Maybe I’m too late. I should hop a flight back to Minneapolis and leave her to her new life. She seems to be doing well for herself. Lake Shore East is a real posh neighborhood.

  “Nolan?” Liza says.

  “Yep.”

  “Get out of your head and go get her.”

  I guess it wouldn’t hurt to give it the old college try. The Tavern at the Park isn’t that far away. “Okay,” I say.

  Liza yawns. “Let me know what happens.”

  “I will.”

  I tell her to stay safe then end the call. I race through the park and up the hill to Randolph Street. As I’m walking toward Michigan, I’m lucky to catch a glimpse of Abby sitting on the patio. I can only see the back of the guy’s head, but his shoulders and hair look familiar. I walk back up to Columbus Avenue and cross. I find a spot on the outskirts of Millennium Park that has a better view of them. I feel awful for spying on her, but I can’t help it.

  “And what the…” I whisper.

  Her date is Lance Tobolowsky. I didn’t even know they knew each other. Abby’s drinking wine and laughing at something Lance said. It looks like she’s enjoying herself, and I’m sour about that. I want to go over there and interrupt them just see how she would react to my being here. I wonder how long they’ve been dating and if they’re an item.

  Lance turns to take the check from the waiter. Abby looks off as if she’s distracted for a moment. Her gaze falls toward my direction, but she doesn’t see me.

  A few minutes later, they leave the restaurant. I expect them to head toward the apartment building, but they don’t. Damn it. I want to follow them to wherever they’re going, but I’m sick and tired of playing the role of a creepy stalker, so I head back to her building and sit on the same bench I sat on earlier.

  I check my watch. I’ve been sitting here for almost an hour. I wonder where they went. My eyes are tired and burning from watching the lobby so intently, but I’ve come too far to give up. I’m preparing myself to wait another hour when, lo and behold, I see Abby and Lance. They walk right past me on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street. I shoot to my feet and follow at a discreet distance. They go inside the building, and I wait on the steps because I’m not quite sure what to do.

  I stand outside for a few minutes, wondering if he’ll spend the night. Maybe I should call Liza and ask her to call Abby to feel out the situation. I take some deep breaths. The anxiety streaking through my body is driving me insane. I’m about to take my phone out of my pocket when Lance walks out of the lobby with his hands shoved in his pockets. I’m flooded with relief. My streak of luck continues.

  I walk inside and right past the doorman with the confidence of someone who lives here. Abby lives on the twenty-fifth floor in apartment 2507, and I’ll be seeing her very soon.

  25

  Abby

  “Can I get you a drink?” I ask.

  The air in my apartment has never felt so thick, trapping us in this moment of total shock and disbelief.

  “No,” Nolan says. He looks so deflated sitting on the edge of my couch. He rubs the cushion. “Is this the same sofa you had in Minneapolis?”

  “Yes.” I want to make light of the fact that I had my grandparents’ couch shipped to my new address because I have a thing for holding on to relics, but now is not the time to lighten the mood. “Why are you here, Nolan?”

  “To see you.”

  I’m distracted by the intense way he’s looking at me. “You said that already, but aren’t you and Kelsey—you know—together?”

  He flinches. “No way. Why would you think that?”

  I shrug. “The way you two were at the funeral, I guess.”

  Nolan scoffs. “I guess Liza was right.”

  “Right about what?”

  “She said Kelsey’s behavior may have made you think that there was something between us, but there isn’t anything going on between her and me.”

  I study his frown then give a sigh of relief. What is it about this man that makes me keen to the idea of running away with him and ignoring all of my responsibilities and commitments?

  “Listen, Abby… I know I left you hanging high and dry, and I wish I didn’t have to do that.”

  I shake my head. “That doesn’t make sense.”

  He pats the empty space beside him. “Can you sit, please?”

  I guess me lording over him makes him uncomfortable. I cross my arms. I have to think about conceding to his wishes. I want to be over Nolan Patrick, and I thought I was. Only a fool entertains a man who screws her then tosses her out like yesterday’s trash.

  “Are you here for sex? Because we’re not doing that ever again,” I say.

  His eyebrows furrow as if what I just said offended him. “I just want to explain, Abby. Just sit. Please.”

  As soon as I put one foot in front of the other, I get the strange feeling that I’m giving him all the power. I sit, but not too close, and I keep my arms folded. “What?” My tone is tetchy.

  Nolan takes one deep breath, anxiously messes up his hair, then commences to tell me a strange story about how Kelsey blackmailed him into cutting off our relationship. He even updates me on why John and Misty conspired to move the deeds out of the basement.

  I fall back and press my hand to my chest. “Goodness.” I take a moment to let all the information sink in and organize itself in my head. “I’m not surprised John tried to steal Liza’s inheritance, but what he did to Bill?” I shake my head. “He’s even more despicable than I thought.”

  “So now you understand why I had to cool things with you?”

  “Well, of course. I totally understand.”

  Nolan is staring me in the eyes. I shift uncomfortably.

  “I know we haven’t known each other that long, but I liked what was happening between us. I would’ve never brought an end to us if Kelsey hadn’t been so nasty.”

  I bob my head. “Right. I know.”

  We stare longingly into each other’s eyes. Being near him feels so awkward. For a second, I feel as if our ship has sailed. In the next second, I want to devour that sexy mouth of his with a kiss. During the final second, I’m pretty angry that he broke my heart, and now he’s back to explain why, which causes me a world of confusion and inconvenience.

  I scoot to the edge of the sofa. “Well, thanks for stopping by to let me know what happened and why things went the way they did.”

  I stand, and Nolan stands, too. Now we’re face to face.

  “How was your date with Lance?” He cracks a tiny smile.

  I gulp nervously. “How did you know?”

  “I saw him walk in with you. So, how was it?”

  Does he mean the kiss or the date? “You mean the date?”

  He chuckles, amused. “Yeah.”

  “It was fine.”

  “Are you seeing him again?”

  Jeez. I’ve become intoxicated by the scents emanating from him. I half snap out of a daze. “Yes, tomorrow, for breakfast.”

  “Can I ask you to break that date and hang out with me?”

  “Um, I don’t know. Isn’t it kind of too late for us?”

  Without warning, Nolan’s soft lips touch mine. Our gazes are connected.

  “I miss being this close to you,” he says thickly.

  “Me, too,” I say without caution.

  Suddenly, we’re kissing. His tongue, lips, and the taste of his mouth are a mesmerizing elixir. My
body floats up against his as my hands tangle into his hair. It’s as if we can’t get close enough. And his hard-on against me makes me want it inside.

  “Okay,” I break the kiss to say.

  “Yeah…” He’s breathing heavily. “Okay what?”

  “I’ll cancel my breakfast.” Our lips peck each other. “I mean my date…” We kiss again. My head is spinning like a top. “My breakfast date.”

  “You do that,” he says.

  Nolan picks me up off the ground. My legs are clamped around his waist. My sweet spot throbs for attention from that hard lump between his legs. Our kissing is out of control at the moment. We will swallow each other whole if we keep this up.

  He breaks mouth contact. “Which way is the bedroom?”

  I point behind me. “That way.” I draw back. “But wait.”

  “Wait?”

  “What are your intentions toward me, because I finally have my life together?”

  He frowns. “Me, too, Abby. I’ve been through a lot since my dad died.”

  “Right,” I say empathetically. “So am I just a feel-good moment for you?”

  “Would I come all the way to Chicago just for a feel-good moment? I want you.” He starts walking me to the room.

  “Wait,” I say.”

  He stops. “What is it, baby?”

  “But I live here, and you live there.”

  “I have a place here and in a better part of the city. I’ll take you to see it tomorrow.”

  “Really?”

  “Abby, I want to see how far we can go. My instincts tell me that we can go pretty far, if not all the way. I’m asking you to take a chance with me. Will you?”

  Oh, dear God, my heart is overflowing with a foreign emotion. Earlier, I was adamant about not starting a relationship with Lance because he lived so far away, but I don’t have the same hesitation when it comes to Nolan. I can’t speak; all I’m able to do is nod and hold back the tears. Nolan’s eyes are glassy, too. We don’t break eye contact as he walks me to my bed, spreads me on top of it, then repeats making love to me like he did the first time our bodies, souls, and spirits were intertwined. Only this time, the sex is better because Nolan Patrick, my ex sexy boss, is mine! All mine!

  26

  Eighteen Months Later…

  I reach over the center console and gently rub Nolan’s hand. “So have you spent any time at Bill’s since he passed?”

  He keeps his eyes on the road, his emotions concealed. “No, this will be the first time.”

  I continue eyeing him lovingly. “I’m glad we’re doing this together.”

  He breaks his concentration from the road, looks at me, and smiles. “Me too.”

  I lean over and kiss his cheek. He grins, thankful for the kiss.

  Before long, we pull into Bill’s driveway. He’s been gone for a year and a half now, and the place looks lonely. Betty, Liza’s mother and Bill’s widow, had only lived here for a short time after Bill’s death. Betty said being in the house without him was unbearable, so she asked Nolan if he would pack up the house and get it ready for the new owners. Of course he obliged, and now here we are.

  We circle around the drive and park near the front door. Nolan takes a steadying breath.

  I rub his shoulder to comfort him. “Are you ready?”

  He takes another breath, looks at me, and nods. I smile tightly. We get out of the car and come together at the end of the hood. He puts his arm around my waist, and I rest my head on his shoulder.

  Nolan eyes the grounds like a surveyor, and I look around too. The grass is springtime green and smells freshly cut. The trees have been kept trimmed and so have the shrubs. The “For Sale” sign in the front yard has a “Sold” banner across it. I look at Nolan as his Adam’s apple sinks in his throat. I can tell he’s getting choked up.

  “Everything looks good,” I say.

  “The gardeners still come every two weeks.”

  “Oh. That explains it.” I wrap my arm around his and squeeze tightly. “Are you ready to go inside?”

  Nolan gives the yard one last look and nods. “I’m ready.”

  As soon as we’re inside, the alarm beeps, but Nolan still holds the door open so that I can enter the foyer before he runs over to punch in the security code. The annoying beeping stops.

  Nolan and I look around. I had no idea that the house was still completely furnished. Betty returned for a day last week to tag all the belongings she wanted shipped to her in Oregon, but I thought she would have at least emptied most of the things she didn’t want.

  “It looks like we have our work cut out for us,” I say.

  Nolan sighs exasperatedly while scratching the back of his head. “Yeah…” He sounds exhausted from just thinking about it.

  The next day, Nolan and I work with a crew of six movers and three cleaners to get the house ready for the new owners. It takes us more than six hours just to get everything wrapped, packed, and emptied out of three of the bedrooms, and this house has six of them. We relieve the movers and stay a while longer to empty out the kitchen cabinets and drawers. I’m quite steamed at Liza’s mother—I mean, she didn’t even pack up the silverware or get rid of the food in the cabinets. But Nolan and I are an efficient team. By eleven o’clock, we’ve only gotten half of the kitchen packed up, but we can hardly keep our eyes open, so we lock up and leave.

  We spend the night at Nolan’s house in Calhoun-Isles. By the time I get out of the steamy shower, all of my limbs are heavy. Tomorrow they’re going to ache, and we’re not even half done emptying the house.

  I drag myself into the bedroom and crawl beside Nolan on the sheets. He’s lying on his back with his eyes closed. I nestle up against him, and he holds me.

  “That was grueling.”

  “Yeah,” he whispers then yawns.

  We lie in silence. I wish we’d taken Liza up on her offer to fly back from Italy to help us. When we last spoke, she said the Italian coast, along with the cheeses and wines, has been great for her peace of mind as well as Aiden’s. She did, however, offer to leave it all behind—at least long enough to fly back to Minnesota and help us. Afterward, she would hop on the first flight back to Italy. But since Liza deserved a whole lot of peace of mind after what she went through with John, Nolan and I told her stay put and assured her we had it handled.

  “But I do want Dad’s desk,” she said on speakerphone.

  “That’s all?” Nolan replied.

  “Yep. And you can throw John’s old desk in the trash right where it belongs—with our marriage.”

  Nolan widened his eyes at me, not knowing quite how to respond.

  “Will do,” I said and shrugged. That was the best answer I could come up with.

  So tomorrow we’ll have the movers take Bill’s old desk and office chair to Liza’s house, then we’ll move John’s old desk to the donation center.

  Nolan and I enfold into each other, and within a matter of seconds, we’re out like lights.

  I’m awakened by the sound of a loud gasp. It’s already morning. I look over at Nolan. He’s sitting against the headboard, breathing heavily.

  “What’s going on?” I ask while rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

  “I had a dream.”

  I sit up beside him. “Was it a bad dream?”

  He grimaces. “It was about my father.”

  “What about him?”

  “He was standing in the doorway of Liza’s house, waving me inside. I started running to him, but the faster I ran, the farther away he got.”

  “Oh.” I wrap my arms around him. “It was one of those dreams where you’re running but you can’t reach your destination?”

  “That’s not all. All of a sudden, John shows up behind my dad, pulls him into the house, and slams the door. I can’t get to him. He’s just gone.”

  I look at Nolan. His frown has turned more severe. I hug him tighter, and he draws me to him.

  “It’s probably what we’re doing, you know—packin
g all of his things. I’m reminded of him at every turn,” he says.

  “I figured it’s been pretty tough for you. I remember you suspected John had something to do with your father’s death.”

  “I did. Until I found out he had a bad heart.” Nolan sighs forcefully. “My dad used to ride around in that wheelchair. He said he did it because he fell off a ladder and fractured his hip, but the truth was he was so weak sometimes that he couldn’t walk.”

  I look at him, and we kiss tenderly.

  Nolan sniffs disdainfully and shakes his head. “My father had a lot of secrets about his health. He didn’t want Liza and me to worry. But I can’t figure out why in the hell he chose to confide in John.”

  I see the hurt in his eyes, so I extend my neck to kiss his scruff. He cups my cheek and guides my lips to his. Our kiss lasts for several seconds before Nolan rolls on top of me. My legs are open, and his body is cupped perfectly in my cradle. My body warms while our kissing turns more passionate. Suddenly Nolan freezes and exhales, sounding frustrated.

  I look at him, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

  “I just saw the clock. We have to be at Bill’s in twenty-five minutes.”

  I twist my neck and look at the clock radio next to the bed. It reads 7:35. I moan with a sigh. “Shoot.”

  Nolan rolls off me and out of bed, completely naked. I love looking at his perfectly round butt. I scoot out of bed. I’m also naked, and he can’t take his eyes off my body either. We grin at each other, both obviously dreading the fact that we don’t have all day to lie in bed, make love, and watch Netflix.

  Pressed for time, Nolan and I get dressed and each scarf down a bowl of cereal. Since the work we’re doing today involves being at both Bill’s and Liza’s, we decide to split up. While Nolan goes to Bill’s to help the movers pack up the desk, I’ll drive over to Liza’s to unpack John’s desk and get it ready for the movers to take.

  I get to Liza’s house. Once I’m inside, I follow Nolan’s directions to locate the study. I make a left off the foyer and walk across the living room and down a long hallway. As I go, I’m struck by the feeling of emptiness. I’m not sure if it has something to do with Liza being gone or if her home with John always felt this way. Either way, I shake off the chill running down my spine and make the final turn into the study.