Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
THEO
“I don’t like that I’ve been rushed,” Rupert says as he buckles up his seatbelt. “There were other things I wanted to do in Boston. I didn’t even get to try their lobsta roll.”
“We have to get back tonight.”
“Well, hello, boys,” Lamar says, turning in his seat.
“Lamar,” Rupert says, giving him a handshake. “I didn’t know the car service was sending you.”
“I saw that there was a trip to Cape Meril and I had a feeling it might be you two.”
“It’s us,” Rupert gleefully says.
Lamar glances at me. “So what’s the rush? Why didn’t you let my man get a lobster roll?”
“Because I have to get back to surprise Renley. She thinks I’m coming home tomorrow and I thought I could gauge her reaction and how much she missed me if I surprise her by coming home early.”
“Solid scale,” Lamar says as he puts the car into drive. “But what if she doesn’t react how you want? Will you handle the disappointment that comes with that?”
“Valid concern,” Rupert says. “Maybe we just go back to the hotel, order some lobsta rolls, and think this through. You know, spend a little more time together as mates, since I did come all this way to be with you.”
“First of all, Boston is not the only place to get lobster rolls. The beach restaurant in Cape Meril specializes in them, so cool it on the lobster rolls.”
“‘Lobsta,’” Rupert mumbles and then looks out the window, looking oddly dejected. “It’s ‘lobsta.’”
“Second of all,” I say in a sterner voice, because I don’t have the energy for his hysterics. “Even if she doesn’t react the way I’m looking for, I have an idea. I already know that she’ll be at the sweets shop tonight, so it’s the perfect setup.”
“Could be risky,” Lamar says.
“I’m aware, but I have to at least try to shoot my shot with her.”
“Didn’t you already with the kiss?” Lamar asks.
“You would think,” says Rupert.
“I need to solidify something with her. It’s all up in the air. I think surprising her and catching her reaction could help me with my next step, you know?”
“I think you’re making a mistake,” Rupert says. “You’re going in too quick, too fast. You need to give her more time to marinate.”
I shake my head. “No, I have her attention now. If I give her too much time to think, then she’s going to pull away. Right now, she’s talking, engaging, giving me the chance to actually connect. I have to run with that.”
“I have to agree with him,” Lamar says as he maneuvers through traffic. “Stick with the age-old adage to strike while the iron’s hot. If the energy between the two of you is burning, don’t let another day of no contact go by between you two.”
“See, he gets it.” I gesture toward Lamar.
“Yeah, well, no offense, Lamar, but you weren’t promised a lobsta roll with the company of a best friend, and I was.”
For the love of God.
“Good luck, my man,” Lamar says as he hands me his business card. “Would appreciate an update, and if you ever have a hankering for another road trip, give me a call.”
“I truly appreciate it.” I give him a handshake.
“Go get her.”
I nod and then look at Rupert, who’s still in the car with the window down. “Don’t make yourself sick.”
“Can’t make any promises.” He taps the back of Lamar’s seat. “Off to the lobsta stand.”
Lamar smirks and then takes off, leaving me at the back of the store where Kitty will let me in.
Ready to see Renley, I head to the back door and offer three knocks like Kitty urged. I wait a few seconds and then the door pops open, showing just half Kitty’s face. Her single eye looks me up and down and she whispers, “Password.”
“Yama-mama.”
She nods and then opens the door all the way, letting me in.
I whisper, “Where is she?”
“Up front. I told her I was going to grab a canister for her to display on the shelf. She’s waiting—”
“Aunt Kitty?” Renley calls out, startling Kitty.
“Just a minute,” she calls out and then turns back to me. Hands on my shoulders, she says, “I’ve noticed the last two nights when you’re texting her, she’s lighter, not as tense. I think this is the right time to make another move. But don’t mess it up.”
“I’ll try not to,” I say, feeling nervous all of a sudden.
“Try is not an option. Secure the bag, Theodore.”
“What’s the bag?”
“My niece,” she whisper-shouts, then turns me toward the door. “Just go get her.” And with a slap to my bum, she sends me on my way.
I glance back at her, and she angrily points toward the main store, so I move forward. As I approach, the subtle sound of music spills through the hall. I’m not ashamed to admit it, but I’d know that voice anywhere: Harry Styles.
She has good taste.
Then again, she must if she let me kiss her.
If only Rupert was around to hear me say that.
Him and the stupid fucking lobster roll. If I was a lesser man, I’d hope that he choked on it, but I’m better than that. At least I like to think that I am.
“Aunt Kitty, do you need help?”
Shit, she’s getting impatient.
Have to make my move.
I head toward the end of the hallway, peek around the corner, and find her with her back to me, standing right next to the bar, so I take that moment to walk right up behind her and loop my arm around her waist.
“What on earth?” she says just as I spin her around, catching the look of utter shock in her eyes. “Theo,” she says in a breathy tone. “Wh-what are you doing here?”
Her eyes search mine.
Her tongue wets her lips.
And when she doesn’t pull away, I believe this to be a complete success.
“Thought I’d come home early and surprise you.” I sit her down on one of the barstools and press one of my hands on the counter behind her, while I keep my other arm wrapped around her. “Are you happy?”
“I…I wasn’t expecting you.”
She’d never claim to be happy to see me, not right now when she’s still trying to deny me and put up the front of not liking me, but she still hasn’t pushed me away, so I continue to take that as a win.
“I can tell, but that doesn’t answer the question. Are you happy to see me?”
Her eyes land on mine, searching.
Her back melts into my embrace.
And her hands creep up my chest.
Smiling, she says, “No.”
I knew she’d say that.
“Such a fucking liar,” I reply as I tug her closer and wait for her to push away one more time, to give me any sort of hint that she doesn’t want this. But when she keeps me in place, I take that as the go-ahead.
I close the distance between us and, with my hand gripping the counter, trapping her in, I inch in closer and closer, just a mere inch from her lips.
“Say it, Gossy. Say you missed me.”
“Never,” she whispers as her hand moves up to my neck.
“So stubborn.”
I start to move away, but then to my surprise, she pulls me back and her lips meet mine before I can even catch my next breath.
Fuck…
I pull her in closer, while her lips move over mine, dancing, actually giving me what I want—her.
Without me begging and pleading.
Without me teasing and joking.
This is all on her.
She made the move.
And I’m soaking in every second of it.
I part my lips at the same time she does and our tongues collide, deepening the kiss, making my lower half go numb.
She’s so fucking good at kissing. Like she puts her entire body into it.
Like she can’t get enough, and she thinks that if she lets go, she’ll never get to experience the kiss again.
There’s passion, there’s yearning, there are the same feelings rolling through her that are pulsing through me.
I feel it in the way she holds me, the way she swipes at my tongue and the softest moans that move up her throat that I’m not even sure she’s aware she’s making.
I cup her cheek, angling her head back to give me better access.
And I’m about to settle in for more when she quickly pulls away, snapping me out of the haze.
When her eyes meet mine, surprise and confusion written all over her expression, all that hope and excitement quickly vanishes.
Shit.
Here it comes…
“I…I don’t know what I’m doing.” She starts to move, but I cage her in, placing both hands on the counter now, causing her to lean back.
“Don’t do that. You know exactly what you were doing.”
She wipes at her mouth with the back of her hand, an insult right to my face. “No, that was…that was not me.”
“Really? Felt like you.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I honestly don’t,” I say just as she ducks under my arm and moves toward the middle of the store.
I turn to face her as she tugs on her hands and looks around the empty space. I take that moment to lean against the counter, kicking one foot back and letting my elbows prop me up behind me.
“What are you looking for? Common sense?”
Her eyes narrow. “Yeah, because I clearly lost it.”
“No, Gossy, it’s been in that brain of yours this entire time, you’re just denying it. Besides just now, when I saw it.”
“That was not common sense. That was a mistake.”
“Didn’t feel like one. Felt like a great decision to me. And are you really going to insult me like that after I’ve been gone for so long?”
“You were gone for forty-eight hours.”
Smirking, I ask, “Counting the hours, are we?”
“Ugh, you’re insufferable.” She heads to the back of the shop, so I follow behind her into the hallway, where I catch her arm and tug her back into me.
“Why do you allow yourself to push away so much?”
“Because this is not what I want.”
“That kiss told me differently.”
“That kiss was because I like the way you kiss, but just because I like it, doesn’t mean I should keep doing it.”
Hell, didn’t expect her to admit that.
I thought she’d take such an admission to the grave.