by Layla Hagen
“I’m counting on that.”
“Should we get in the car?”
“Nah. I want to kiss you some more.” The intensity in his gaze made it clear he wanted to do much more than that.
“Bad idea,” I whispered.
“I don’t think so.” He looked at my mouth until I squirmed against him. With a dimpled smile, he stepped to one side, opening the door for me.
We were to meet at a restaurant on the city's outskirts, which I’d thought was an odd choice until I researched the place and saw how beautiful it was. It was in a greenhouse of sorts. It was completely made of glass, and there were so many plants inside that you felt like you were outdoors, smack dab in the middle of nature.
“Thanks for buying the gift,” he said once the car was in motion. I gave him back his credit card before I forgot about it.
“You’re welcome. I love buying presents. Even found a store selling fabrics, and I bought some for Mom. I’m going to FedEx it tomorrow.”
He looked at me with warm eyes. My heart skipped a beat.
“How come we’re not meeting at Isabelle’s house? You said she offered,” I asked.
“Because my parents are stubborn. We paid for their trip, so they decided to invite us to a restaurant, which is more expensive than if they’d paid for the tickets themselves. I don’t know why they’re resisting us taking care of them so much.”
He sounded exasperated. I just wanted to lean over and give him a hot and wet smooch, but I kept myself in check. Did he know how swoonworthy he sounded when he spoke about taking care of his family?
“Tell me about your parents and everyone else who will be here tonight.”
“It’s a small group. Us, Dylan and Mel, Josie and Hunter, and Isabelle. Brayden couldn’t make it.”
He gave me insights into everyone. That Isabelle was a foodie. That Josie loved to have lunch in the park when it was sunny outside. Dylan was addicted to workouts—though Ian wasn’t sure if it wasn’t just an excuse to spend time with his girlfriend, who was a trainer at the gym. And he thought he didn’t notice details? My sexy guy was underselling himself.
When we arrived at the restaurant, I was awed once again by its beauty. It looked even more majestic in real life than in pictures.
I knew Isabelle and Josie, but this was the first time I’d met Dylan. Ian introduced me to Hunter and his parents, Jim and Dora, next. Ian and Dylan both resembled their dad—they had the same tall and strong build, as well as intense eyes.
Isabelle and Josie didn’t look too much like their mother, but I was one of those people who didn’t see the resemblance in family members unless it was very obvious.
Dora was ecstatic. “Goodness, I couldn’t believe it when Dylan told me you were coming with Ellie.”
I blushed, looking at Ian. He’d mentioned this dinner so casually that I didn’t think it would be a big deal. Dora seemed to think the opposite.
Ian put an arm around my shoulders, glancing at Dylan. “Didn’t you say Isabelle was the family informant?”
Dylan grinned, holding his hands up in defense. Isabelle elbowed him playfully.
“Hey! You’re bad-mouthing me now?” she asked.
“Me? Never.”
I grinned at their banter. Gah! I missed Henry even more when I was with them. He texted me daily, and we chatted twice a week, but it wasn’t the same. In fact, I missed my whole family. I so wished we could all be just a bit closer. I was grateful that my parents weren’t warring with each other anymore, but I’d love for us to get together more often.
“When are we giving the presents?” Dylan asked, clearly trying to shift the focus.
Jim and Dora smiled at the group. “Whenever you want. We can do it after the toast, or we can open them right now.”
“Let’s do it now,” Isabelle said. She looked a bit smugly at Dylan and Ian. Right! Sibling rivalry on.
We can win this!
Ian put our present on the table, which didn’t only consist of the set I bought. There was also a voucher for a cooking class specializing in barbecuing back in Montana.
They opened the other package first. Everyone was on pins and needles, me included.
Dora took out what looked like a neoprene suit, like one used in Scuba diving, along with a voucher too.
“Mom, you were so happy when I sent you pictures from skydiving on my honeymoon that I knew you had to try it one day. Dad, you’ll love it too.”
“Oh, this will be wonderful,” Dora said.
Jim nodded. “I think so too.” He glanced at his sons. “Are you competing again?”
Dylan grimaced. “You knew we were competing all along?”
“Of course,” Dora replied, already opening our package. “We get the best gifts this way.”
Ian took my hand, kissing the back of it. Warmth traveled through me. I was so excited!
They opened it together, and Jim clapped his hands, whistling.
“A professional grill set?” He looked straight at me. “The chef is responsible for this, right?”
“Your sons told me about how both of you love barbecuing, and I just gave them my professional opinion.”
Ian pulled me closer to him, kissing the side of my head. “Don’t downplay your role. She made lists with the stuff you like and then did thorough research.”
Dora yelped when she saw the voucher. “We even have a voucher for a class.”
They were thrilled. I loved the pure joy on their faces. Josie, Hunter, and Isabelle were on one side of the table. Ian, I, Dylan, and Mel, on the other. The parents were at the head of the table. They looked from one side to the other. I could tell Jim was barely holding back laughter.
“Okay, clearly you want to know who won. But I have to say, you all outdid yourselves. Let’s call it a tie.”
Everyone—me included—groaned. A tie wasn’t a win, but we all laughed as we sat down. As it happened, I was sitting next to Dora, who was very chatty. She asked why I loved being a chef.
“Dangerous question. I can talk about the kitchen all day long,” I replied and filled her in on some of the basic things I did at the restaurant.
“Ian said you’re very talented and hardworking.”
Wow, he’d spoken to his mom about me? I just assumed she knew things from passing remarks.
“I try.”
In a softer voice for the two of us to hear, she said, “I’m very happy my son met you. You’re everything I’d hoped for him.”
“Oh.” My stomach twisted. Her smile was so happy that I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I was only here for six months. She had that dreamy look on her face that Mom sometimes had when she spoke about me giving her grandchildren.
I sighed. My heart was full of happiness for being here tonight, but also a bit of sadness because this wasn’t going to last forever. I wasn’t ready to let go of Ian yet. The way he looked at me was enough to make my heart skip a beat and to feel like I was the only thing that mattered to him. I already missed him.
“Tell me more about him,” I whispered when Ian was too busy giving Dylan shit over the table to pay attention to me.
“Gladly.” Then she hesitated, her face full of joy, saying, “You know, no one’s asked me this before. I’m not sure where to start.”
“Was he different than your other kids growing up?” I wanted to know everything.
“Well, each was different in their own way. Ian was always so protective, even of Dylan. Sometimes I think he just went into business with his brother to keep an eye on him. When he was in college, he talked about teaching a couple of times.”
“Oh, wow.” I loved this tidbit of information and encouraged her to tell me more. We chatted about him until our food was served, but after that, she turned to Mel, and I stopped with the questions. I didn’t want to monopolize Dora, even though she was a wealth of information.
“Why are you so silent?” Ian asked later that evening when we entered my apartment. Harper was spending the
night at her boyfriend’s, so we had the place to ourselves. The bulb in the entryway was burned out, so it was dark.
“I don’t know... just enjoying the evening. I loved being around your family. It makes me miss mine.”
“Do you have big family gatherings?”
“Not really, and I’d love something like that. The last time I tried to bring everyone together was at my graduation from culinary school a few years ago. It didn’t work out, so only Henry and Mom were there. I’ve kind of stopped trying ever since. I don’t want to force anyone to do something they don’t want to, you know? I’d love to have what you and your family have. But if I’m lucky, I’ll have it with my own family in the future.” I sucked in a breath, realizing how talking about a family and a white picket fence must sound to him, and immediately changed the subject. “Your mom is adorable, by the way. She also seemed to think we’re a long-term thing. I didn’t have the heart to explain everything.”
Ian was suspiciously silent. I cocked my head in his direction but couldn’t see his expression in the dark. Did I say something wrong? I didn’t mean to upset him. I just didn’t want him to be surprised if his mom mentioned something.
He took my hand, kissing the back of it, then just feathering his lips against my skin. “I have an idea. What are you doing next weekend?”
I blinked, a bit thrown by the change of subject.
“I don’t have plans. Why?” I looked at him expectantly, trailing my fingers up his sexy biceps.
“Do you want us to go somewhere together? A weekend getaway, just the two of us?”
“Oh my God, are you serious?” I asked with a giggle.
“Very serious.” He touched my chin with his fingers. I felt the tips and nails along my lower lip. “I want you to be all mine for a whole weekend.”
“And what exactly do you plan to do with me?”
“I haven’t made up my mind yet. But first, I’m going to make sure you relax. You’ve been tense these past two weeks.”
“You noticed?” Work had become more intense because a staff member quit, so I was also moonlighting as a pastry chef. I’d offered to help because I had experience, and then I had a lot on my plate. I felt a bit stretched thin, if I was honest. When I offered, I thought they’d find a pastry chef right away. And my sexy guy could tell! Why did that make me swoon?
“Hell, yes. I notice everything about you.” He kissed my upper lip, touching the bow briefly with the tip of his tongue. Heat pooled between my legs. Wow. I had no idea how he could turn me on so fast.
“Is this the reward you were talking about? Because you don’t—”
He covered my mouth in a sinful kiss. I tugged at his shirt. When we paused to breathe, I realized I’d slipped a hand under his shirt. Wow. This man made me lose my head.
“No. I just got the idea for the getaway tonight. Now, for that reward, I had something much simpler in mind.”
He pushed my pelvis against his hips, and I moaned when I felt his hard-on.
“Unless my body is not rewarding enough?” he teased.
“Oh, yes, it is.” I laughed, giving him a quick peck on his chin. “Let me find the switch in the living room so we have a bit of light.”
As he let me go, I walked along the wall until I reached the living room and turned on the light.
“Do you have lightbulbs?” Ian asked. “I’ll change it.”
“Yeah. In the kitchen. I’ll get you one.” It was high up in a cabinet where we only stored stuff we didn’t need daily. Ian had already pulled a chair from the dining table to the foyer when I came with the bulb. He climbed on the chair, removing then replacing the old bulb with the new one. I couldn’t believe how easily our lives had intertwined.
“Done,” Ian exclaimed, climbing down from the chair.
“Thank you, Mr. Handyman,” I said playfully.
“Whatever you need. Just tell me, and it’s done.”
I need you to stay in my life.
“Ellie?” he prompted, looking at me intently. “What’s on your mind?”
Oh gosh, did I say that out loud, or was it the look on my face that made him question me?
I took his hand, walking him into the living room, deciding to open up—to the best of my abilities. It wasn’t something that came naturally to me. Would I scare him away? My heart lodged in my throat at that thought. It was possible. But I needed to know.
“I just thought that this all feels so easy. You being here, changing my lightbulb.”
He put an arm around my waist and unexpectedly tackled me to the couch. We toppled over, Ian first. I landed on top of him without any grace whatsoever.
“What was that for?” I asked, pinching his chest.
“I wanted you closer.”
“You mean on top of you.”
“Under me. On top of me. Doesn’t matter.” He cupped my ass, kissing the side of my neck. “I like being here with you, Ellie.”
“I’ve always kept my feelings close to my chest, even in high school. But something about you just makes me want to open up.”
“So I’m special.”
I narrowed my eyes. “If I agree, will it go to your head?”
“Absolutely.”
“Hmm... but you’re an excellent guy, so you deserve to know.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
I grinned, shimmying on top of him. “Are you staying over for breakfast tomorrow too?”
“If you want me to.”
“Hell, yes. But you usually have client calls in the morning.”
“I do, but you can bet your sweet ass I’m gonna postpone them.”
My grin was even wider now. He was moving the calls for me! I had a feeling Ian would make me lose more than my head. He’d make me lose my heart too. A vision flashed in my mind of Ian and me in a couple of years. Would we live in his apartment? Or rent another place? I could see him replacing bulbs while I cooked us something delicious.
I swallowed hard. Usually, when I thought about the future, I’d think about my restaurant. This was the first time I saw myself with someone. It surprised me. What surprised me even more was the undeniable longing for that version of the future to come true.
Chapter Thirteen
Ian
One week later, on Friday, I picked up Ellie from Soho, where she was shopping with Isabelle in Tess and Skye’s store. We were going to Bear Mountain for our weekend getaway.
My phone beeped with an incoming call on the way. I let it go to speaker.
“Hey, Ian!”
It was Henry.
“Henry! I haven’t heard from you in a while.”
“Sorry, man. Life at a law firm is crazy. What are you up to?”
“I’m—just wrapping up the week.” I almost told him I was picking up Ellie.
“Cool! How is Ellie doing?”
“Damn, and I was so proud of you for only asking that question ten times this week instead of twenty as usual.”
“Dude! You can’t blame me.”
“Actually, I can.” I always liked riling up Henry, teasing him for being the most overprotective person I know. Because I knew Ellie better now, of course I understood it. The bullying story at school still made me see red. I could sympathize with Henry. Dialing down the worry wasn’t easy. It wasn’t a switch you could just flip on and off.
“She’s okay, man. I think she’s got a lot more work than usual, but she’s enjoying it.” There, that wasn’t a lie. But I didn’t like keeping things from my best friend. I wanted to talk about this with Ellie. The last few times we’d been out we never got around to it—but I was going to talk to her about it over the weekend. Initially I’d been completely on board with her suggestion to keep things on the down low, because it didn’t make sense to get his hackles up when we weren’t sure what was going on between us. But things were different now. I couldn’t be the only one noticing the change. I didn’t want to keep lying to my best friend.
“That’s good. I was
thinking about visiting her, but not sure when.”
“Did you ask her when it would be a good time?”
“No, not yet. I’ll do that.”
“Cool. She’ll be happy to see you. Want to go out while you’re here?”
“Sure.”
We spoke a bit about what we could do. I missed my best friend, and that just added to my guilt.
I knew he wasn’t going to be pleased, because he wanted the best for his sister, and I was far from that.
But I wasn’t the same guy I was in college. And ever since meeting Ellie, I felt different. I’d never felt as free or as happy as when I was with her. Ellie unlocked a side of me I hadn’t been aware of.
When I arrived in Soho, I parked and sat in an ice cream shop opposite Soho Lingerie, watching them through the window display. I only saw Ellie’s back. She was with Skye in front of a rack of merchandise. I was pleased with how well she fit in with my family and friends. I remembered how much she enjoyed herself at the dinner with my parents. She didn’t just exchange pleasantries. I heard her ask Mom about herself and then details of my childhood. She wanted to know stuff about me that no one ever did. I'd never had that in my life. Well to be honest, I never gave any other woman the chance because the interest on my part wasn’t there. But with Ellie, it so was.
I looked at her intently, and when she finally looked over her shoulder, she smiled instantly when she saw me. Then she took out her phone, and a few seconds later, I got a message.
Ellie: I'm going to wrap this up quickly. I've bought too much stuff.
Ian: I can't wait for you to model everything for me.
Ellie: You wish.
Ian: Oh, I do, and I'll make it happen.
Ellie: Bossy, huh?
Ian: Bossy doesn't even begin to cover it.
***
Ellie
It was love at first sight with Tess and Skye Winchester. There was just no other way to describe it. I was so happy Isabelle called me before going there. The girls were a hoot. I liked their sense of humor and their designs. They had a great sale section.
"I can’t believe you have so much stuff on sale," I said. The store was elegant and sensual but not overtly sexy. It was decorated in shades of gold, dark green, and terracotta that matched the neighborhood's vibe nicely. Between the cobblestone streets and the old buildings, Soho made me think of something out of the past.