Chapter 21 Believing In Things
BELIEVING IN THINGS
“You bought a puzzle for us to do? Or is this an April Fool’s joke?” Natalie asked on Tuesday.
He’d texted her on Sunday to see if she was settled, then told himself not to bug her too much at work yesterday.
Secretly, he hoped she’d be the first to reach out to him and she had by mid-morning, his relief washing over him like steady waves on a calm beach.
Not that he’d been steady or calm prior to her name lighting up on his phone, but after, that was exactly how he’d felt.
How she made him feel.
No one could bring out that emotion in him. Ever.
Not even his grandmother.
But Natalie had him believing in things that he thought didn’t exist.
“Do you know how hard it is to come up with date ideas that don’t consist of going out to dinner on this small island?”
She laughed. “There are a lot of things to do.”
“There are. But you’ve probably done most of them. If I tried to go over the top, you might think I was buying your attention. I don’t want that either.”
The war he battled internally was enough to rival the sweat from a 10K in the desert.
“I can see your side of it,” she said.
She’d come right from work again, just like he’d asked her to do.
“I thought we could order dinner and then put a puzzle together while we talked. I know you love solving things. It’s second nature to you. Could be there was a tiny part of me that hoped you’d open up if you were in your lane.”
She laughed. “Okay. When you explain it that way, I find it very sweet and endearing. Thoughtful too. And... I’ve never put a puzzle together with another man.”
His arms went into the air. “Winning.”
“Now you’re being silly.”
“Hey, that’s a point for me. Did you want to order dinner? We can go out. I’m fine with that, but thought we could come back here and do this.”
And it was his hope she’d keep coming back to help him finish it. As big as it was, there was no way they were going to complete it in one night.
“Dinner in is fine,” she said.
She slipped her shoes off and sat on his couch. He went next to her and picked her foot up to put in his hand and knead the muscles.
Touching any part of her body was a bonus.
“Does that feel good?”
“My closed eyes and the tiny moan didn’t give it away?”
“Oh, it did. But I don’t want to assume anything. Have a bad day?”
He pressed his thumb into her arch, her foot twitching as if he’d found a tender spot. Or a ticklish one. She didn’t pull away though, so he continued.
“It was a good day,” she said. “A normal one.”
“So no more complaints than you’re used to?”
“There are always unhappy people,” she said. “And I should tell you that Grace knows I went away with you. And she told Hunter. So I had to deal with that.”
That didn’t sound good. “Is it a problem?”
“No. Sorry if it came off that way.” He switched feet and went to work on the other. “I let my parents know last night where I was also.”
He didn’t know the last time he had informed anyone in his family of his actions. Least of all dates.
His grandmother was privy to most but certainly not all.
“Is that something you always do?”
“No. But I told you it’s unlike me to leave the island and not notify them. This would have made its way back to them so it was better hearing it from me.”
“And what did they say? Are you grounded?”
“Very cute,” she said, pulling her foot out of his grip. “They want to meet you Sunday for Easter dinner if you’re willing.”
He smiled. “I’ll be there.”
“You’re okay with it? I told them about why I went to the wedding with you.”
That might be more information than he wanted shared. “You said we had a contract for you to hold my hand while my family members were dickheads?”
“No,” she said, nudging him with her foot.
He grabbed it again to rub. “I explained that we’d been dating and your family was a little.
.. harsher than most. I joked about you needing a buddy to be there and how you asked me and I agreed.
I was clear we spoke no lies to anyone. At least I didn’t.
That doesn’t sit well with me as you know. ”
“I didn’t lie to anyone. We might have led people on, but there was a sliver of truth in all our words and actions. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
“Your conscience can rest easy.”
“I don’t want you to feel as if you have to go on Sunday.”
“I want to. You saw the ugly side of my dramatics, I’d like to experience what a normal holiday dinner might entail.”
“Then it’s settled. Now we can order because I’m starving.”
She stood up and walked over to get the menu and brought it back. “I’ll get the beef Wellington special.”
“That sounds good to me,” he said, putting the menu down without looking at it. “No garlic tonight.”
“No,” she said, grinning. “Because I want another kiss.”
“All you had to do was ask,” he said, reaching for her, pulling her across his lap, his mouth landing on hers, her body now lying on his chest.
Not like it had been in bed a few days ago with not a lot of clothes between them, but this was good enough for now.
She easily opened for his kiss, almost being more aggressive than he was.
His fingers slid into her hair, anchoring her head in place, his mouth devouring her as if she was the meal he was ready to consume. No softness. No hesitation. Just raw hunger.
She matched it.
Her body rubbed against his as if her control was slipping out of her grasp.
If he didn’t break their connection soon, she’d be his dinner.
As much as he hungered for her, he was positive she wasn’t ready or willing to give herself.
Pushing would serve no purpose to either of them.
She lifted her head a minute later and laid it against his chest.
“Arik?”
“Natalie?”
“Why is it you that brings these things out of me?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “Why is it you that does it to me?”
“Really?” she asked, pushing back. “You’re not just saying that?”
“No.”
She moved off his lap, giving them both the space to gather themselves. He missed the contact, but more would come.
“I guess there are some things we need to talk about. I haven’t wanted to. I told myself I’m going to wait to see where things go.”
“But they are moving faster than you wanted. Or thought? Even imagined?”
“That’s it,” she said.
“Glad to know it’s not a solo feeling.” He picked the phone up and placed their dinner order, then walked to the little kitchen. “Do you want a glass of wine?”
“No,” she said, laughing. “I’m laying off the wine for a bit. I need to keep my wits about me.”
“I like how the wine affected you.”
“I’m sure you did. But I’ll take some water.”
He got them both a bottle and returned to the couch. “I don’t want to hurt you. That’s not my plan.”
“What is your plan? Do you even have one?”
“Most times no. This time it’s going to work in my favor. This thing we have, that I think started a long time ago, never had a chance to develop. I want to see where it goes. Do you?”
“I’d like that, but you should know, I’m not leaving this island. I’ve got a home.”
“I don’t have a home,” he said. “Which means I can make one anywhere. Nothing is tying me anywhere.”
“And that includes here.”
“You’re here,” he said. Short of coming off cheesy or desperate, he admitted, “As long as you’re willing to see where this takes us, I’ve got the time to give it everything.”
Because the only thing he’d ever given everything to in the past was his career and it burned him out and made him run for a gypsy life.
He was tired of running, searching, and throwing darts at a map.
“Then I’ll make the time to do the same.”