Page 74 of Right With You
So. Yeah.
“Elise, you look incredible.” He leaned down and brushed his lips against my cheek.
“You do, too.”
Our gazes caught, and like I’d come to expect, awareness sizzled through me. He swallowed, his thick throat bobbing.
“I enjoyed working for you today.”
For some stupid reason, theforgave me a thrill. “Are you considering a career change? I hear donuts are a typical career path for veterans.”
A half-smile creased his left cheek. “Maybe. Or perhaps I’m now even more keenly aware how lucky I am to be yours.”
To be yours.
Air rushed out of me and my stomach swooped.To be yours.Not a claiming, but an offering. Not ownership of me but this alternate willingness to be mine.
At least for now.
A longing so fierce and unfamiliar gripped me hard enough I had to breathe through it.
His brow furrowed. “What is it?”
How could I explain what his words meant? What his entire approach to being with me meant? How much I wanted this to extend past this moment, this evening, this agreement, and into the future?
“Nothing, I just?—”
“Allons-y!Grand-père will be a bear if we’re late to dinner with his fancy friends.” Aurelie slipped a small clutch over her wrist and held out a hand, which Michele clasped without stopping and then rushed to the door.
“What were you saying?” Luc asked quietly, apparently entirely unaffected by his family’s arrival.
“Luc! Let’s go!” Aurelie hustled out the door with Michele, who made a “what can you do?” face as he went, hollering something to us in Italian.
Luc responded with a quick few words I didn’t know and were, I was fairly certain, also in Italian.
Because of course this man spoke more than just English and French. Two languages would be practicallylazyand here he was, tossing out a third like it was an old penny he’d forgotten about in a pocket.
“Elise, if what I said upset you, I’m sorry.”
He stood rigid in front of me, and the concern in his face and voice finally registered.
I reached for him, grasping his hand and savoring how warm he always was. “No. I’m not upset.”
Come on. Woman up! Be bold! You don’t have to be a coward. Let yourself be brave!
“You’re certain? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I thought we were on the same page, but we’ve hardly spoken since last night and not about anything?—”
He blinked down at me while my hand covered his mouth.
“I promise you I’m not uncomfortable. I was thinking how much I liked you saying you’re mine.” I huffed, nerves lighting up my belly, but excitement, too, as I admitted, “I loved it.”
There. I wouldn’t caveat it. I simply did. And I didn’t feel like shutting it down, all these good feelings, with the harsh reality of an ending. So I wouldn’t say “mine for now.”
The muscles in his face moved, and I could sense his smile blooming. Right as I removed my hand so I could see it, too, he caught it and pressed a kiss to my palm.
“That’s good news.”
“I thought so. Hoped so.” Why did I feel shy? How did he manage to say he wasminebut then make me feel so… so giddy and shy?
