Page 45 of Right With You
“What’s worth it?” Liz asked as she shot Kenny a smile.
Kenny gasped, then he ran toward her with arms wide open and scooped her up. She wrapped him up, and they twirled around as he pressed kisses all over her face, and she laughed. They were both beaming, though his eyes were closed, and his face conveyed pure bliss.
“You. You’re worth it,” he said, setting her down gently and sliding his hand into her hair.
And that was where I left them. Liz had been gone for a few weeks, and apparently she’d just gotten back. They deserved to celebrate their reunion without me standing there witnessing it all like a creep.
As I settled back into my seat and tried to focus, my mind kept running back to Elise. Not even Kenny’s words about her, but the woman herself.
In the wake of my grandfather’s pushing and insults—his machinations to shove her out of my life—she’d stood firm. She truly was the strongest woman I knew, and if I thought she wanted me, I’d…
There was no point in entertaining such thoughts. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us. She didn’t want a relationship, and I had eschewed the idea for so long, I wasn’t sure I could offer much of anything even if she did.
At least, that was what I’d keep reminding myself as I moved her into my house for the next week.
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
Elise
The last time I’d been this nervous, I’d been signing my name to the small business loan at Silverton Bank.
It seemed silly to feel so anxious about essentially having a week-long sleepover, but I hadn’t spent the night at someone else’s house in recent memory, and I hadn’t shared space with Luc like thisever.
Maybe worst of all, I’d found myself buzzing with a level of anticipation I hadn’t dreamed possible. Teasing out what that meant was confusing, and so sometime in the night last night, I’d let myself off the hook.
Luc was a good-looking man who had proven to be thoughtful, gentle, kind, and safe. It was okay that I was excited to spend more time with him and see behind the curtain a little.
In this version of the story, I was the street urchin helping the undercover royal escape the mean streets only to discover he was a prince. And now, the only way to get into the castle was to pretend to be a princess, worthy of him outwardly, but knowing I possessed no wealth and nothing to offer.
Though honestly, that was less a fantasy and a bit more like reality than I cared to admit. So maybe instead, I’d flip the script. Maybe I would play an heiress on the run, and he would take me in for my protection. And while there, maybe there’d be only one bed, and we’d huddle together for warmth…
Ultimately unhelpful, thanks, brain.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Luc’s place and getting a feel for his life, even if we were still in the Lalaland of a fake relationship. In that sense, it was better than anything real because it was all just for fun. There were no stakes.
Yeah, totally no stakes at all. Suuuuure.
Shoving that unhelpful commentary aside, I refocused on the simple distraction of seeing his home and how he lived. Plus, I really enjoyed Aurelie and Michele, so more time with them was a plus, too.
But as I set my kindle and water bottle on the side of the bed farthest from the door, it hit me.
We’d be sharing a bed. His sister, brother-in-law, and grandfather believed we’d already been living together, so the setup needed to look at least a little like I’d spent a decent amount of time here. Considering I’d never stepped foot inside this home until twenty minutes ago, that would be a feat.
“I’m not sure I’ll remember where everything is,” I said, turning to find Luc hovering by the door to his bedroom. “I don’t want it to be too obvious.”
“They won’t care. We can blame it on the fact that you’ve only just moved in. And we could say we spent more time at your place while we were dating since it’s closer to town, which is technically true.”
His small smile made me reflect the same back at him.
“I guess we’ll see.”
“They’re not going to be here until tomorrow, though. Since Odette doesn’t arrive until then, they decided to stay the extra day, so we have tonight to ourselves.” He swallowed, then rushed to add, “To get familiar with things, I mean.”
“Right, of course.”Ugh.This was so awkward, it almost hurt. I didn’t want this weirdness between us, but it was entirely new territory. I simply didn’t know how to get past it. “Mind if I use the restroom?”
I slipped into the primary bathroom as he excused himself. Like everything else in his home, this bathroom was exquisite. Bright white free-standing tub that looked big enough for two, a shower with a rain shower head I was genuinely looking forward to using, and beautiful gray cabinets with what looked like almost iridescent white granite countertops. I wasn’t sure what kind of stone it was, but so far, I loved his taste in everything. It tended to be a notch cozier than minimalist. Masculine, yes, but comfortable.
A few minutes later, I found him in the kitchen—another stunning space with beautiful natural stone counters, a deep sink, and stainless steel appliances. Sleek wood cabinets and top of the line equipment wherever I looked.
