Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
COLE
“Remember, our toys do not go in the fish tank!”
I tilt my head to the side as Ella pulls the door shut behind her and turns around to face me. Her eyes meet mine from where I’m standing at the bottom of the steps and a smile lifts her lips.
“Trust me, you don’t wanna know,” she admits with a soft laugh and a shake of her head. She lets out a soft breath before telling me anyway as she starts to walk towards me. “Somehow toys keep ending up in the fish tank and no one seems to know how they are getting in there.”
“It could be worse, right?” I offer, raising my eyebrows as I hold my arm out for her.
Ella slips hers through mine, letting me lead her to my truck. “It can always be worse.”
I walk her out to my truck, pulling open the passenger side door for her. Ella slips her arm from mine and gets inside. I shut it and make my way over to my side before getting in next to her.
Ella turns to look at me as she buckles her seatbelt. “Are you gonna tell me where we’re going?”
“Now, El…” I start, my voice trailing off for a moment. I start the engine and turn to look at her. “Didn’t I tell you that would ruin the surprise?”
She stares at me with an unreadable expression and I watch as a touch of worry washes over her eyes.
“Well, yeah, I know, but since this isn’t technically a date, I don’t know if a surprise is really needed.
” She stops and lets out a breath before she continues through her ramble.
“I’m not really a big fan of surprises and not knowing what is going on or where we are going gives me a little bit of anxiety and—”
“Sweets, stop,” I say, my voice soft and gentle as I reach for her hand.
I didn’t mean to cut her off mid sentence, but hearing her spiraling into her panic has my heart breaking.
“Take a deep breath. We’re just going to the marina.
I thought we could go out on the water and stop to get dinner along the lake. ”
Her expression softens, the panic immediately vanishing as her eyes return to their normal size. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin it, it’s just better for me knowing what’s going on.” Ella directs her gaze away from me, turning her head as she stares down at her lap.
“Hey,” I start, releasing her hand and reaching for the side of her face. I pull her back to look at me. “Don’t you dare apologize. I’m sorry for not knowing.” I pause, offering her a soft smile. “No surprises, okay?”
She smiles back at me, although it doesn’t come close to reaching her eyes. “Okay.”
I resist the urge to pull her into my lap. I want nothing more than to wrap my arms around her and tell her it’s okay, but I don’t feel like it’s my place. With her, I have to dip my toes in slowly. I can’t scare her away, especially when it’s clear that she’s on high alert.
And if there’s one thing I do, it will be to show her it’s okay to let her guard down.
It’s okay to let people in.
We fall into a comfortable, safe conversation on the way to the marina.
Ella asks me about the ranch and minor details about my life, not diving in too deep, yet not keeping things too superficial.
I give her what she wants, although I don’t do the same.
I don’t want to poke and prod, especially after the way our evening started.
When she’s ready to let me in and open up, she will. And dear god, I don’t care how long it takes. I’ll wait a lifetime for this woman to share her life and her secrets with me.
Ella looks out the window as I drive through the gates to the marina.
It’s tucked away along the shore near the base of the mountain and you need access to get inside.
There aren’t many people here since it’s in the middle of the week so I find a parking spot easily.
Ella reaches to undo her seatbelt and I turn off the engine before unbuckling my own.
I move quickly, getting out of the truck to meet her at her door as she goes to open it.
She lets out a soft breath, her eyes flashing to mine. I pull it open and hold my hand out to her. “Cole…” she says quietly, almost as if she’s saying my name as a warning.
I tilt my head to the side, not moving my hand away. “It’s not a date, remember?”
“This feels like one.”
“Says who?” I question her, my eyebrows pulling together. “Is there a rulebook that says what does and doesn’t count as things you are supposed to do when you take someone out on a date?”
Her gaze drops down to my hand and she slowly slides her soft palm against mine as she lets me help her out of the truck.
Electricity travels up my arm, erupting across my chest, but I release her as soon as she’s standing upright and shut the door behind her.
“You’re right,” she agrees, a soft smile dancing across her perfect lips.
“I forget that you’re such a gentleman.”
I can’t help myself.
I lean closer to her, my hand brushing her hair away from the side of her neck and my mouth dropping to her ear. “I am, but if there’s ever a time you don’t want me to keep bein’ a gentleman, all you have to do is say the words, darlin’,” I murmur, my lips brushing against her.
Ella inhales sharply, her chest rising abruptly as she holds her breath for a beat. I ease away from her, watching the hues of pink spreading across her cheeks as she stares at me wide eyed. Her nostrils flare and I don’t miss the flames burning in her gaze.
“Shall we?” I question her, holding my arm out for her to take again.
She swallows hard, her slender throat bobbing as she pulls her lips in between her teeth and nods. She doesn’t speak a single word and I can’t help but smile at the irony of her being rendered speechless right now. If only she knew the very things she does to me every time I’m in her presence.
Ella threads her arm through mine and I feel her soft skin warm against my flesh as I pull her with me, leading her towards the docks with boats.
We walk past a row, taking the first right down another one with different boats in their slips.
We get to the third to last one and I stop in front of it, Ella stopping beside me.
She looks at the boat and glances at me. “Is this Austin’s boat?”
I smile, shaking my head at her. “His boat is over there.” I point back in the direction we came from. “This one is mine.”
“He finally convinced you to get one?”
Not him—you did.
“Somethin’ like that,” I smirk, the corners of my lips lifting. She didn’t exactly convince me I needed to get one, but that one day when I was at the bar with Austin and we were discussing boats… He made a valid point and she was the one who pointed that out to me.
Honestly, it did make the most sense and it was time for me to finally get my own. Plus, now I can take Ella out whenever I want to.
“Did you name it?” she asks me as she cranes her neck, trying to see the side of it. “That’s what people do, right? You have to give it some kind of a name.”
I let out a soft laugh and motion for her to get on board with me. She lets me help her onto the boat and I follow behind her. “Yeah, most people do. I haven’t come up with a name for her yet.” I move around the boat, getting it ready to move away from the dock. “Maybe you can help me.”
A nervous laugh escapes her and she drops down onto one of the bench seats, crossing her leg over her knee as she watches me. I don’t miss the way the bottom of her dress shifts and reveals a few extra inches of her thigh.
“Let me think about it and I’ll get back to you,” she says softly, smiling at me as I move to the seat by the steering wheel. She directs her gaze out to the water and I start the engine before carefully moving the boat from the slip.
Ella looks peaceful and content with her arm against the side of the boat and her face turned to gaze at the horizon as we head across the water.
The vessel bobs over the small waves and I watch the way her blonde hair drifts through the air.
She’s absolutely breathtaking, it’s hard for me to look away.
It’s only a three minute boat ride to the restaurant we settled on for dinner tonight. We find a spot out back and dock the vessel. Ella watches me as I move around, ensuring everything is where it needs to be. After I finish, I walk over to her, dropping down onto the bench seat next to her.
“We have a few options for dinner,” I start while pulling my phone from my pocket. “We can go inside and eat, order take-out, or they will serve us here on the boat.”
Ella chews on the inside of her cheek for a moment. “Which would you prefer?”
“The choice is yours, El,” I say, the corners of my lips twitching in amusement. “I wanna do whichever you’d like.”
She gives herself a second to think before her eyes shine like the sun setting in the distance. “Can we get takeout, but eat it here on the boat?”
“Of course.”
“Are you sure?” A wave of uncertainty passes over her expression. “I thought if we got takeout, then we don’t have to stay here if we don’t want to. Or we won’t have anyone interrupt us.”
“It sounds like a perfect plan,” I assure her, nodding eagerly. I don’t want to make her feel any negative way about her seeking some kind of approval. Bad habits die hard, but it’s one I intend on erasing from her memory.
We go over the menu and place an order online. Ella asks about the restaurant as she admits she’s never been here before.
“Where else haven’t you been?” The question tumbles from my lips before I get the chance to review the sentence.
Ella’s eyebrows pull together, but she names a few of the restaurants and bars that she hasn’t been to. I make a mental note of every place, storing them in my brain for a later date.
“Why do you ask?” she asks as I notice someone in the distance carrying a bag of food in our direction.
I smile at her before rising to my feet to retrieve the food from the servers. “So I can make sure I take you to each place.”
My heart skips a beat in my chest as I turn back around and catch her staring at me. Her expression is unreadable, yet her eyes are filled with so many emotions, swirling within the flames burning in her irises.
“There are some cushions I can bring up so we can sit out here and eat.”
Ella’s lips part and a soft breath escapes her and I walk past her, heading down into the cabin. I reach the bottom of the steps and hear her light footsteps behind me. I walk over to the table, setting the bag down before turning around to face her.
“Ella.” My head tilts to the side, my eyebrows drawing together. “Is everything okay?”
Conflict sweeps across her expression, her slender throat bobbing as she swallows hard. My heart thrums inside my chest, anticipating humming in my veins as she moves away from the steps. She closes the distance between us, her tortured expression dissipating as it’s washed away by determination.
Want. Need. Desire.
The air leaves my lungs in a rush as she enters my space, her delicate hands slipping around the back of my neck. She lifts onto her toes, her eyes searching mine, as if she’s seeking assurance once again.
The corners of my lips lift and I lower my face to hers, stopping as my lips almost touch hers. She inhales sharply, her grip tightening on the nape of my neck. I don’t kiss her.
Instead, I wait.
I wait for her to take exactly what she wants.
And she does.