Page 24 of Maybe This Time
“Really?”
Choosing to spend the rest of my life with Talya had been the easiest decision I’d ever made, but I’d been so nervous about picking wrong that I’d driven myself crazy. Which was ridiculous, considering I could propose to my girl with a paper ring, and she’d be just as happy.
But I wanted it to be special.
Just as special as loving Talya made me feel every day.
“Yes,” she replied, meeting my gaze. Her features softened when she saw the worry etched on my face. “Not that she’ll be paying much attention to it when you propose,” Josie teased, a beaming smile breaking across her face. “She’s been dreaming of marrying you since she was a little girl.”
Warmth spread across my chest at her words. I’d had the same dream.
“Ezra, baby?”
My eyes widened at the sound of Talya’s voice echoing inside the empty shop. She’d insisted on planning a pre-celebration with our friends and family before the grand opening Monday, but she was here early.
“Merde, shit, Josie, I have to go,” I muttered under my breath, quickly tucking the ring back into the bottom drawer of my desk where I’d been hiding it. It was the only place I knew Talya wouldn’t accidentally stumble upon it.
“You better call me after?—”
“Yes, yes, we will,” I rushed out as Talya’s footsteps grew louder, ending the call.
My panic instantly melted away the second my girl’s face appeared in the doorframe of my office, replaced by a different sort of heart race. A familiar flutter in my chest that always appeared when I saw her.
Talya’s hair flowed past her shoulder in messy waves and she wore that pretty black dress she’d gotten at a thrift shop a few weeks ago.
One I’d already peeled off her this morning when she’d tried it on.
“Hi, beautiful,” I greeted her as she made her way over to me. I leaned back in my chair, pivoting toward her.
“Hello to you too, handsome,” she replied, taking a seat in my lap.
I wrapped my arms around her waist while hers looped around my neck, and I pulled her down for a short kiss. “You’re here early,” I said casually, trying not to sound suspicious after she’d nearly caught me on the phone with her sister.
Talya shrugged. “I wanted the chef all to myself before everyone else stole you away.”
“You’ll always have my attention,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to her jaw. Every day that I woke up next to her, I marveled at how lucky I was. That fate had landed me here, with my bestfriend and the woman of my dreams in my arms. I couldn’t wait to hold onto her, to this life we were creating, for the rest of forever.
She shook her head with a laugh. “You’re too smooth for your own good.”
“Only for you.”
I kissed her again, this time with more passion. Her nails dug into the back of my head and one of my hands slid beneath her dress to grip the soft skin of her thigh.
“How much time do we have before the others show up?” I asked, my breath catching as she shifted, parting her knees to give me better access.
She looked at the clock above the door. “Ten minutes?”
“Perfect,” I groaned when my fingers brushed against her underwear, finding her just as eager as I was. “I suppose I can work with that.”
Talya
I woke up to the warm, buttery scent of fresh croissants drifting through the house. Which was one of my favorite perks of dating a chef. Fresh pastries and desserts readily available were truly the best even though it only made my sweet tooth worse.
But I wasn’t complaining.
Blinking my eyes open, I stretched lazily, my fingers finding Ezra’s side of the bed empty. Considering it was already 11:00 a.m. on a Sunday, it wasn’t surprising. While he didn’t technically work on Sundays, he still woke up at the crack of dawn to bake. I didn’t get it because you’d never catch me up that early, but he seemed to enjoy it.
And there was something impossibly sexy about a man who not only was passionate about his hobby, but also cooked for you.
