pants. The doors to the patio were open, and the California
evening air perfumed the room.
“I’m going back with you tomorrow,” he said, rubbing the
stubble on his chin.
“What? I don’t understand. I thought you’d moved out here.”
“That was the plan, but this is just a luxury rental. I do own
a home in Plano, and Bluestone is still mine. My car and personal items can be
shipped. I have a plane reserved to fly us home in the morning. I want you to
move in with me.”
I studied him. His eyes were dancing like they’d been invaded
with fireflies, and his normally tight jaw was relaxed. Everything about him
was relaxed. Obviously, the turmoil I’d witnessed earlier was about this
decision.
I found myself in my own confusion. “What are you saying? Up
until now, you’ve clearly drawn a line about commitment. What is it you want?”
The long pause before his answer told me he was choosing his
words carefully. “Before you, I didn’t care if I saw a woman more than once. I
didn’t care if she was married or with someone else. A woman was like a piece
of fine clothing for me to appreciate, but not become attached to.”
He pushed his plate back and pulled me into his lap. “I can’t
imagine being away from you, and I’ll kill if another man touched you. I’m
saying I care deeply for you, and I want us to be together…as a couple.”
“Lucas, I, um…I don’t—”
He shushed me with his finger on my lips. “Earlier you said,
one moment at a time. I can do that until you trust me because now I believe
everything is about trust. There’s so much you don’t know about me, and we need
to explore everything about our past before we have a future. Keep your
apartment. I’ll pay for your lease. Just come to my bed at night and let me
love you.”
“I love you,” I whispered before the tears escaped my eyes.
He wiped them away with his thumbs, while he waited for my
answer.
“Okay,” I answered softly.
Chapter Twenty-one
The first week in his home was strange. He’d helped me move my
clothes and personal items, but I didn’t feel comfortable giving up my lease…or
taking his money, so I continued to pay my rent. Call it self-preservation or
being skittish, but I wanted to be ready in case either of us got cold feet.
He introduced me to his friends and business colleagues as his
girlfriend. He didn’t know it, but every time he said it, I felt warm and gooey
inside.
After several weeks of living together, we’d spent every night
and weekend together. I felt my love for him strengthening and sensed his
possessiveness of me getting stronger.
By this point, he’d share with me his love and loss of Niccola
and the years spent in depression after her death. He made no excuses, rather
apologies, for the way he’d behaved with other women and owned the problems
he’d faced because of the way he had treated them.
When the bar re-opened the following week, we celebrated with a
private party and entertained as a couple in every way. Lucas kept his arm
around me and always made certain he knew where I was, if it wasn’t right next
to him. Claire, Mason, Ashley, and Sean came, as well as my parents. Francesca
and Gavin attended, and I found them both quite lovely.
I was totally stunned to see Lucas spend so much time with my
parents, especially surprised when they made plans to return a few weeks later
for a weekend visit.
We were undressing for a quick shower before bed, when Lucas
pulled me tightly to his chest and propped his chin on my head. I could see us
in the bathroom mirror.
“Francesca, Gavin, and I have come to a decision about
Bluestone. The deal is off. They’re disappointed of course, but it’s where I
met you, and I can’t see anyone else owning it. They agree and there’s no hard
feelings.”
“I liked them both, and I’m sad for them, but I’m happier for
us.”
“You realize what this means, don’t you?”
“You’ll be busy a lot of
evening air perfumed the room.
“I’m going back with you tomorrow,” he said, rubbing the
stubble on his chin.
“What? I don’t understand. I thought you’d moved out here.”
“That was the plan, but this is just a luxury rental. I do own
a home in Plano, and Bluestone is still mine. My car and personal items can be
shipped. I have a plane reserved to fly us home in the morning. I want you to
move in with me.”
I studied him. His eyes were dancing like they’d been invaded
with fireflies, and his normally tight jaw was relaxed. Everything about him
was relaxed. Obviously, the turmoil I’d witnessed earlier was about this
decision.
I found myself in my own confusion. “What are you saying? Up
until now, you’ve clearly drawn a line about commitment. What is it you want?”
The long pause before his answer told me he was choosing his
words carefully. “Before you, I didn’t care if I saw a woman more than once. I
didn’t care if she was married or with someone else. A woman was like a piece
of fine clothing for me to appreciate, but not become attached to.”
He pushed his plate back and pulled me into his lap. “I can’t
imagine being away from you, and I’ll kill if another man touched you. I’m
saying I care deeply for you, and I want us to be together…as a couple.”
“Lucas, I, um…I don’t—”
He shushed me with his finger on my lips. “Earlier you said,
one moment at a time. I can do that until you trust me because now I believe
everything is about trust. There’s so much you don’t know about me, and we need
to explore everything about our past before we have a future. Keep your
apartment. I’ll pay for your lease. Just come to my bed at night and let me
love you.”
“I love you,” I whispered before the tears escaped my eyes.
He wiped them away with his thumbs, while he waited for my
answer.
“Okay,” I answered softly.
Chapter Twenty-one
The first week in his home was strange. He’d helped me move my
clothes and personal items, but I didn’t feel comfortable giving up my lease…or
taking his money, so I continued to pay my rent. Call it self-preservation or
being skittish, but I wanted to be ready in case either of us got cold feet.
He introduced me to his friends and business colleagues as his
girlfriend. He didn’t know it, but every time he said it, I felt warm and gooey
inside.
After several weeks of living together, we’d spent every night
and weekend together. I felt my love for him strengthening and sensed his
possessiveness of me getting stronger.
By this point, he’d share with me his love and loss of Niccola
and the years spent in depression after her death. He made no excuses, rather
apologies, for the way he’d behaved with other women and owned the problems
he’d faced because of the way he had treated them.
When the bar re-opened the following week, we celebrated with a
private party and entertained as a couple in every way. Lucas kept his arm
around me and always made certain he knew where I was, if it wasn’t right next
to him. Claire, Mason, Ashley, and Sean came, as well as my parents. Francesca
and Gavin attended, and I found them both quite lovely.
I was totally stunned to see Lucas spend so much time with my
parents, especially surprised when they made plans to return a few weeks later
for a weekend visit.
We were undressing for a quick shower before bed, when Lucas
pulled me tightly to his chest and propped his chin on my head. I could see us
in the bathroom mirror.
“Francesca, Gavin, and I have come to a decision about
Bluestone. The deal is off. They’re disappointed of course, but it’s where I
met you, and I can’t see anyone else owning it. They agree and there’s no hard
feelings.”
“I liked them both, and I’m sad for them, but I’m happier for
us.”
“You realize what this means, don’t you?”
“You’ll be busy a lot of
Similar Books
