Page 70 of Right With You
Once I slid the first tray into the oven, I turned to find him watching me. His eyes hadn’t left me save for when he’d been scooping dough.
“You have to be the most extraordinary woman I’ve ever met.”
The slight smile gracing his lips dropped and everything about him became more intense, almost severe. He stepped forward and suddenly, instantly, the change in his entire bearing sent me on alert.
I swallowed hard and tried to find words to respond. “I—where did that come from?”
“From every interaction I’ve had with you since I moved here. Seeing you for what felt like the first time at Oak’s wedding, so beautiful it hurt to look at you, to the mornings at your shop over the last year where you were endlessly kind to your customers. Every time we’ve talked, everything about you…” His jaw flexed again, and his chest rose and fell betraying how hard he was breathing.
And me? I was stunned. Standing there with one hand on the counter to anchor me to Earth and the other pressed against my chest, I could hardly comprehend his words.
He moved toward me, plucking my hand from my chest and bringing it to press against his, over his heart, then covering it with his own. “I have heard you every time you’ve said you don’t want a relationship. If you still feel that way, I will respect it.”
“We’re pretending.” My voice came out stilted and unsure. What did he mean?
“We’ve been pretending, yes. At least in part. But every bit of what I’ve said to you, the things I feel for you… those are real. And I want to know if, perhaps, you would consider allowing this to be more.”
“More,” I repeated, almost numbly, pulse ticking up.
His eyes narrowed, sweeping over my face. “Oui,more.More than a fake engagement. Maybe we let it ride a few more days, we let it run a bit.”
Under my hand and the fabric of his shirt, his heart thudded wildly. I stood there staring at my hand over the sculpture of his chest and marveled at the raging muscle underneath betraying so much.
Revealing this wasn’t an act.
This was real. Or… closer to it, though temporary.
And though I’d worried maybe my ability to desire someone, or even care for them beyond friendship, had died with my relationship with Callum, Luc had revived all of that.
From the first time I saw him, I’d recognized attraction. But these last few weeks together had grown friendship as well as something more…
A longing for more.
And this way, I could indulge a little longer, but still within those guardrails of our agreement.
He didn’t put a fine point on this being for life or lasting or whatever, but that, too, was safer. It was better, wasn’t it? And if nothing else, accepting this small concession to our deal was a sign of progress—a show to myself that I’d moved past all the mess Callum had made of my heart and mind.
Tipping my head up, I rose to my toes and pressed my lips to his. “Let’s be more, for now.”
He pulled me into his arms and lifted me up, kissing me as he moved, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. I was ready to give whatever he wanted to take and likely would have if the oven hadn’t beeped obnoxiously and our beloved houseguests arrived home at the very same time.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FOUR
Luc
Waking up to an empty bed felt like a cruel joke after the night Elise and I had.
And no, it wasn’t the one I would’ve liked to have. At least, not all of it.
Her cookies were delicious and her response to my question a dream. My sister and brother-in-law arriving exactly when we were coming together on the same page felt more than a little cruel, and yet, it’d likely saved us from rushing things.
Not that we wouldn’t have savored every second.
But the time with Aurelie and Michele had been nothing short of beautiful. Elise and Aurelie had clicked at some point and seemed to genuinely enjoy each other. Michele was, as always, charming and fun. Spending time with the three of them made my whole house full and vibrant. Sitting there with two of my favorite people, and a woman who was rapidly becoming another one—maybe my very favorite—Ifelt full.
We talked and laughed and paired the chocolate chip cookies with a nice Banyuls wine my sister smuggled into the country on their private plane, the red wine and perfect dessert heightening everything—the laughter, the bliss, the satisfaction in the company.
Could I have more of that? I’d asked Elise if she wanted more with me—more than a charade. And she’d said yes.
