Chapter 23
LORI
"Wait, why are we getting into your car? Are we driving somewhere? Why didn't you tell me to meet you there?" I asked when I met Graham the next day. He'd asked me to drive to the stadium, only to now inform me we were driving in his car to another location.
"Because I'm whisking you away."
"Oh." I fidgeted with my thumbs behind my back, smiling sheepishly. "Well, whisk me away, Frazier."
He pulled me flush against him, kissing me until I tingled in intimate places. Did he not know what danger an under-sexed and under-kissed woman was? He couldn't kiss me like that in public, or he was risking me jumping him like I had in that tent and my kitchen.
As we climbed into the car, I wondered if we were heading to the beach, or if he had a restaurant in mind. The truth was, it didn't matter. I was just happy to spend some time with him. We'd talked on the phone every day this week, but nothing beat admiring those fine muscles, that sculpted jaw.
"We're going to a park I love," he informed me. I beamed, looking out through the window, at the people, the cars. I was being whisked away to a midday date in a park. Could life get better than that?
"How did it go with the new wedding location?" he asked.
"Joanna replied this morning. She agreed to my prices." I'd told him about Joanna's restaurant on the phone, and now I filled him in on the details.
"I like seeing you so excited. You light up."
I relished his compliment. We talked a little about everything until he pulled the car in front of Griffith Park.
We climbed out of the car, and he headed to the back, opening the trunk and retrieving two blankets and a huge lunchbox.
"What's in the box?" I asked.
"Our afternoon snack."
"You… prepared this?" My voice was high-pitched, but I had the strangest feeling I was actually dreaming all of this. Maybe I'd dozed off at my desk researching groom costumes for Chihuahuas.
"I did."
Graham took my hand and gave it a small squeeze, kissing my forehead.
Not a dream, then. He led me through a narrow passage flanked by greenery.
The smell of patchouli was thick in the warm day.
The path opened up in a beautiful clearing.
Enormously old California oak trees lined the other end of the clearing.
This was one of my favorite parks. Central Park in New York had nothing on it.
Griffith Park was five times bigger and contained some of my favorite landmarks: the Hollywood sign, Batman's cave, and even an outdoor theater.
"Let's go under those trees," Graham said.
"Sure."
He didn't let go of my hand as we crossed the clearing.
I loved the feeling of my hand cocooned in his warm, much larger one.
The grass was high, tickling my ankles. The only sounds surrounding us were birds chirping and the rustle of leaves.
It was a sunny end of February day, which caused a conundrum.
If we sat in the shade, it could become chilly, but if we sat in the sun, we'd start sweating.
When we reached the trees, he laid out the blanket in the shade, pointing out that we could cover ourselves with the second blanket if needed.
"My lady, if you please."
"Why, thank you."
I sat on the blanket, stretching my legs. Graham lowered himself on his haunches, unloading the box.
"I made grilled cheese sandwiches and French pancakes with peanut butter and raisins."
"You made them?"
"Yeah."
I wouldn't have cared if he'd bought our snack from a fast food joint, but knowing he'd taken his time to prepare this made everything even more special—and surreal. Was I really here with this handsome man? Could this really be my life?
"What are you thinking about?" he asked, sitting next to me.
"That this doesn't seem like my life," I said honestly.
"It is." He kissed the side of my head, then moved his lips lower, feathering them on my cheek before resting them on my neck. I shifted my position until my back was flat against his front.
The grilled sandwiches were delicious.
"Where did you learn to make these?" I asked after my third one. I wasn't even that hungry, but they were addictive.
"Nana's recipe."
"I'm already in love with Nana," I declared, munching happily.
"She loved showing me her recipes. Said she hadn't managed to teach my dad, but wanted to do things differently with me."
"Is she close to your dad now?"
I felt him go a little rigid, and regretted the question. I wanted him to open up to me, but in his own time.
"Not exactly."
"And your mom?"
"She passed away a few years ago. I wasn't too close to her either. My parents divorced when I was two years old. I lived with Dad, except summers, which I spent with Nana. Mom had visitation rights, and I saw her every other month. She remarried and had two more kids, but I’m not close to them. I’ve seen them a couple of times in my life. ”
My heart clenched for Graham the boy. I couldn't imagine what that must have felt like.
"I'm sorry."
"I got used to her not being in my life.
I missed her, but I got used to it. I overheard Dad tell Nana once that he wasn't equipped to be a single dad.
I actually believe he just didn't know how to handle it.
I told you not everyone was a great parent like you.
" He wrapped his arms a little tighter around me.
Graham threaded his hand through my hair, moving it to one side and planting a kiss at the back of my neck.
"I like how strong and independent you are. "
"Thanks."
After finishing the sandwiches, we dug into the pancakes.
"Oh my God. You're a wizard, not a cook. Pancakes can't be this good."
Five minutes later, the pancakes were gone, and my belly was about to explode.
We cleaned up with some wet wipes from my purse, and then I rested my hands on Graham's thighs, moving my palms in small circles.
The sun had shifted in the sky, and so had the shade, so my feet were now lying in the sun.
A gentle breeze swayed through the trees. This was heaven.
"Do you want ice cream? I hear there's a joint somewhere in the park," he said.
"Mmm, no space. Thanks to a gorgeous man, I'm already full."
Graham laughed softly in my ear. "I see. Tell me more. You like him?"
"Oh, yeah. He's quite something."
"Does he make you smile?"
"Often."
"Good. If I ever stop making you smile, I want you to tell me, okay?"
I stilled. "Why would you even say that?"
He didn't respond, so I turned around, trying to gauge his expression. His lips were set in a thin line. "Does it have to do with your divorce?"
Something flickered in his eyes, and I knew I was right. "Want to tell me about it?"
For a brief moment, I thought Graham might brush me off, but then he said, "When we divorced, Elizabeth threw it in my face that her happiness wasn't a priority for me. We were married for three years and didn't see eye-to-eye on anything. She was an aspiring actress, and I think she believed marrying me would be more glamorous. She wanted us to attend every movie-related event in town, travel constantly. I tried, in the beginning, because I knew networking was key in the industry. But I couldn’t keep up with all the events, all the parties she wanted us to attend so we’d be seen by key people.
And as for traveling, it started to wear me out at some point.
Eventually, she attended more and more events on her own, travelled alone.
I don’t blame her; it’s what she wanted.
But we spent more time on different continents than together.
I flew to visit her every other weekend, but it wasn’t the same.
We were married for three years, and during the last two, I think we didn’t spend more than a couple of months together. ”
“So things… fell apart?”
“Yes.”
"Sounds like you were too different to compromise."
"You could say that. We wanted different things in life, and neither of us realized it until a few years into our marriage. Or maybe I just don't know how to do relationships right."
"I don't think that's true. You're close to Amber and Matt. You've charmed me and Milo like a pro."
I was humbled by his openness. I also didn't know what to say to reassure him. These were early days, and I didn’t know him that well.
Plus, I had fears of my own. Graham kissed up and down the side of my neck, but where the kisses had been light and playful before, they were more sensual now.
His lips lingered longer, and when the tip of his tongue came in contact with my skin, a current of awareness zipped right through me.
"This wasn't my best idea," Graham said. It gave me immense pleasure that his voice was rougher. "Should've taken you somewhere private. We can do that now."
"I knew it. You've lured me here under the pretense of a date, when all you want is to have your wicked way with me."
"No pretense, sweetheart. I like spending time with you—talking to you, holding you. But I also like to sink deep inside you, and I won't apologize for it."
I was officially on fire. Using nothing but words, he'd transformed me into a bundle of need. I shifted on the blanket, turning so I could look at him. His gaze was molten.
"You cannot do this," I informed him.
"What?"
"Turn me on, just like that. I could teach you a lesson, you know." I moved my hands upward on his thighs, so he'd get the message. "But I'm not that cruel. I can't send you back to work with blue balls."
He threw his head back, laughing. "You're something."
"I can be a little devil," I confirmed. "You ain't seen nothing yet."
"Is that a threat?"
"Yes. Yes it is." I added a scowl to drive my point home, but Graham merely laughed again. Then he pulled me even closer in his lap, kissing me, the heat of his body seeping into mine.
Kissing like this, slow and deep, felt incredibly intimate. It was also arousing as hell. I felt every stroke of his tongue against mine between my legs.
"I cleared my afternoon," he said.
"You did?"
"Yeah. When you said you had time until five, I cleared my schedule too."
"Just for me?" I asked.
"Just for you."
Ah, hell. That made me ridiculously happy.
He gave me a sexy kiss, pulling my ass farther into his lap until we were grinding against each other.
I was so hot for him that I felt I was going to break out of my skin.
He was hard, and his fingers kneaded my ass cheeks possessively over my dress.
He skimmed his fingers up my body, laying them at the sides of my neck.
He kissed one corner of my mouth then moved to the other.
"How about we move this party to my house?" I whispered, shuddering.
"I love your ideas, baby."