Chapter 32
BEING CAUGHT
“What’s that?”
Natalie held up the box in her hand as Arik opened the front door to his new rental home. “Dessert.”
“Yum,” he said. “But I told you I had dinner covered.”
He leaned in to give her a light kiss on the lips. She wanted to pull more out of him.
More than the physical that they shared.
To just see if what she was feeling was shared or in her imagination.
“But did you make dessert?”
“No.”
“Then you didn’t have it covered as well as you thought you did,” she said primly. “And I’ve been craving chocolate all day.”
“I love this side of you,” he said. “Open, honest, busting my ass and dropping all those walls you’ve spent years building.”
“I’m not sure they’re dropping, but they are crumbling some. At least the foundation is.”
Which took a lot for her to admit that.
“Whatever it is, I’m glad. And my culinary talent might just shake it up some more.”
She appreciated he wanted a dinner in tonight. It felt like since she had met him all they did was order in or go out.
Not even fun dates anymore. The day trip to Provincetown had been a blast. Even going to Baltimore was more fun than she realized.
But once they returned to the island, everything he planned for them was more on the quiet side.
Not dull or boring.
Yeah, it was dull and boring.
She just didn’t know why and was going to get to the bottom of it tonight.
“Show me around your new place.”
“Don’t judge the decor. It’s not my style.”
“I’d think not,” she said. The place was decorated as if it were a beach home even though it was a few blocks away.
There was more sea glass in this room than she’d seen in the sand.
The walls were pale blue, the furniture gray with white wicker tables and glass tops.
They moved through to the dining room, then the kitchen. “Not the best place I’ve worked in but more space than I had at the hotel.”
She noticed the bag of clams, shrimp, and lobster on the counter.
“What are you making?”
“Seafood Fra Diavolo. I got what looked good at the store and we’ll have it over linguine.”
“Wow,” she said. “I’m impressed. I’ve never made anything like that.”
He slapped his hands together and rubbed them. “Points for me. Do you want a tour of the house or for me to start dinner?”
“Dinner can wait a minute. This place looks big.”
He’d told her it had three bedrooms so they had to be huge.
“It has more room than I need,” he said. They moved past the front. “My room. The bathroom is through there and a closet that is fairly empty.”
She looked past the queen-sized bed and popped her head into the bathroom. “Looks modern and doable. Bigger than at The Retreat.”
“Yep. It’s fine.” She followed him up the stairs and to the left. “This doesn’t count as a bedroom since it has no closet, but they were using it as one. It’s my office.”
She got closer to the window to gaze in the distance. “And a nice view.”
“The best in the house. Not like The Retreat, but again, doable. The other rooms are just spares with beds and then a hall bath.”
They returned to the kitchen, her sitting at the table while he got down to business.
“Be honest. Did leaving on time make you feel like you were slacking off?”
She scrunched her nose at his joke. It hit too close to the truth. “Maybe.”
“I thought you’d appreciate not spending as much time there.”
“I do. Less worry of being caught.”
His head swirled at the words. “Caught? Is that how you see our relationship?”
Made a mistake there. “No. I didn’t mean it that way. It’s out that I’m seeing a guest.”
“Oh, really? That’s news to me. So tell me, does it feel deliciously rebellious, or are you already drowning in guilt and waiting to be scolded?”
“Will you stop,” she said, looking for something to pick up and throw at him. The table was empty and she wouldn’t get that satisfaction.
“You’re laughing, but you didn’t answer me.”
“Maybe it’s a little of both. I said nothing because it wasn’t a big deal. It was someone I went to school with. Not anyone that I was friends with.”
“And that means Natalie Bond had to put on her professional face and pretend it wasn’t that big of a deal.”
She stood up and walked close to him for a quick hug.
He was opening the bags of seafood so she thought better of it.
The smell had her halting. “Actually. I didn’t do that.
She pushed a button that few do and it popped.
Slightly. I didn’t say what I would have loved to, but I gave her enough to leave her standing in place with her mouth open.
And let me tell you, it felt... fabulous. ”
“Good for you! What did you say?”
She told him the way the conversation went, and how she ended it, on her terms.
“Was that bad of me?”
“Not even close. I would have said more. Wish I could have witnessed that or known earlier.”
“Why?” she asked. She didn’t want to be rude and go back to the table, but leaned on the counter while he continued to prepare dinner.
“Because it makes me proud. You’ve said before I bring that out of you.”
“You do. It carried over and was a long time coming. I knew it’d make the rounds and it did. I’m sure they’ve got your name now. Melody would have been someone who has prepared some of your meals. She’d have access to your name.”
“And could tell others? That’s a no-no. People get fired for that.”
She grinned at the mock horror on his face. “She’s not that stupid.” Unfortunately. “She’ll know your name, but it won’t come from her lips first. Someone else will say it around her. And many have.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“Fine. I knew it’d happen. It’s not against the rules. I don’t want to clean house over it so I was asked and I confirmed it, even said your full name. Since I did and in that context, it won’t feel as if it’s a violation.”
She needed nothing tainting what she had with Arik. Nothing she had to stress about or be on the lookout.
There was nothing to hide either.
Many who had interactions with him said he was a nice guy. Polite, considerate, and generous. Most would focus on the last part.
“You always find a way to make it right.”
“I hear the sarcasm in your voice,” she said. “And I’m not letting it bother me. Is there anything I can do to help you?”
“Nope. It won’t take me long. We can chat until then.”
“We can. You haven’t been here long enough for me to ask if you’re settled in. Or I should say you have to be since your luggage is unpacked and it’s all you’ve got.”
“There you go being snarky. I love it.”
She let out a soft laugh. “I’m not trying to be.”
“Even better. I talked to my grandmother today. Found out my father is single again.”
“Are you surprised?”
“Not at all. Brandi didn’t get some trip she wanted. I told you my father was a little light. Guess he asked my grandmother for some money and was told to keep his dick in his pants. She used those words.”
Her mother would never say anything like that, let alone a grandparent.
“Good for Sophie.”
“She doesn’t hold back. My father figured out his finances just fine. My guess is he had enough for payroll, just not to keep up with his personal life.”
“He won’t stay single for long, I’m sure.”
“Not my concern, nor do I care.”
“I wouldn’t either. How is your grandmother doing?”
“Great. She enjoyed her trip at Easter and is back in her routine. I might see if she wants to come visit me here sometime. She didn’t ask, but it’d be nice to see her.”
“That’s sweet. I’d like to see her again. This time it will mean more since we aren’t pretending to be in a relationship.”
“She knows about that too. I confessed.”
“Really? What did she say?”
“That she liked you. I think she appreciates that you had my back. And I know she’d like to see you too, now that she knows the truth.”
“Has she visited you places before?” she asked.
“Not usually unless she was close by for another reason.” He was cleaning the seafood and setting it aside, then pouring sauce and other spices into a pan, filling water in another.
“How often do you visit her?”
“A few times a year. We talk more than anything. I go there between location switches.”
Her head dropped. Not what she wanted him to bring up.
“I bet she appreciates the time with you.”
“Hey,” he said, walking over to stand in front of her. Her eyes lifted to his and their stare held for a few seconds. “Don’t take that statement for anything more than the answer to your question. I’m not going anywhere.”
She gave a small nod and said nothing. Words didn’t matter now. His actions would either prove him right or prove her heart wrong.