Chapter 5 #2
Josie laughed. I looked at my glass of wine. Was I tipsy already? I pressed my lips together, determined not to say anything else.
"You were about to add something?" Isabelle asked, a twinkle of amusement dancing in her eyes.
"I think I'm talking too much," I said, fiddling with my glass of wine. Josie set an elbow on the table and propped her head in her palm.
“But we're here to listen.”
I shook my head. "If I say it out loud, I won’t be able to stop thinking about it."
Isabelle shook her head. "Trying to suppress thoughts doesn't work. As a therapist, I advise my clients to get things off their chest by talking about them. Otherwise, things might… explode.”
“I think they already did. We kissed that night,” I went on. The cat was out of the bag. I might as well tell them the whole story. They didn’t say anything right away, just exchanged another glance.
Isabelle narrowed her eyes. "I hope it’s okay that he’s joining us for dessert. I bugged him about it."
Holy shit. I sat ramrod straight, looking from one to the other. Why didn't I know this? Then again, he was their brother. They could meet whenever they wanted to. Okay, this wasn't such a big deal. I had some time to sober up, and I was hoping that once I finished my meal, I’d feel better.
My head cleared as I ate my spaghetti, and I felt good as we were about to order dessert. I wasn’t a tipsy Chatty Cathy any longer.
The second Ian arrived, I realized it didn’t matter. He trained his molten blue eyes on me, and I fidgeted in my seat. Goodness, just his presence made my body light up.
“Ladies, good evening. What’s looking good?” He sat between Isabelle and me, glancing at the menu.
“Since we’re four, I think we should order their Dessert-Palooza. It has eight mini desserts,” Isabelle said.
We all agreed and placed the order immediately. I fidgeted in my seat some more. Heat just radiated off him—or maybe it was the wine in my body making me shudder.
“Okay, why are you two looking at me like this?” Ian asked, glancing between his sisters.
“No reason. Ellie shed some light about how you helped her with her curtain rod,” Isabelle exclaimed.
I felt myself blush. Holy shit, I thought Henry and I were close, but the Gallaghers were in a league of their own.
Ian cocked his head toward me. A smile played on his lips. My face was so hot that I was barely restraining from fanning myself.
“There are two things you need to know about my family. One: no one minds their own business. Two: once they’re on your case, they won’t back off.”
“I’m gathering that.” Grabbing my water, I took a quick swig, still feeling as if my cheeks were on fire.
“I did text to ask you if it’s okay if I join you,” he said in a serious tone. “You didn’t answer, so I assumed you didn’t mind.”
“My phone died, so I didn’t see them. But of course I don’t mind.” I was touched that he’d wanted to make sure I was okay with this. But how couldn’t I be? It was his family; I was the outsider.
Besides, I was starting to think there was no cooling off when it came to Ian.
“Awww,” Isabelle said. “You two are cute. In my defense, I didn’t know something was going on. I just wanted to cheer Ian up.”
“What happened?” I asked him.
He just waved his hand. “Work is stressful. I’d love to let some clients loose. They’re so damn demanding.”
“So why don’t you?” I asked. “You’re your own boss.”
“Some clients are a pain in the ass, but cutting them loose would make us look bad.”
Josie raised her glass. “I admire your work ethic. If a client gives me too many headaches, I just politely point them to someone else. It’s different, though. I take them on case by case, whereas yours are long-term. But you could set boundaries.”
“Or just pass them on to Dylan. You take on all the difficult clients,” Isabelle added.
Ian laughed. “That’s because they annoy Dylan more than me. Let’s not talk about work anymore.”
“Okay,” Josie said.
I watched them in awe, liking how they gave each other advice and shared everything from sorrows to work stress. … joys.
Ian moved his leg under the table, and when it accidentally brushed mine, I sucked in a breath, and my belly, as energy zipped through me from the point of contact.
How was this even possible? We were both wearing jeans.
I hoped he didn’t notice my reaction. As discreetly as possible, I glanced at him, only to realize his gaze was trained on me and his nostrils flaring. Oh, my .
I studiously looked at my empty glass of wine, trying to gather my wits.
“By the way, we should go out with my husband’s cousins, Tess and Skye Winchester,” Josie said. “We’re all very close, and I think you’ll like them.”
“I’d love that,” I said. Could they tell that I’d love to have a group of girlfriends? I couldn’t believe they were so accepting of me.
Our dessert was served quickly. I liked this restaurant a lot—they were attentive, the food was great, and the menu was eclectic. They seated around fifty, and the servers moved swiftly. The kitchen must operate at the same level of efficiency.
“Oh, I like these,” I said, looking at the platter with the eight desserts: strawberry cheesecake, Tiramisu, a giant, burger-sized macaron, cronut, chocolate cake, and three types of cupcakes.
We split each in four, so everyone could taste everything.
They were all delicious. My favorite was the chocolate cake.
“We have to do this again,” Josie said, placing her napkin on the table and gathering her things. “But I’m going to leave now. I promised Hunter I’d be home so we can both put Sophie to bed. I’ll pick up the bill.”
“No, you won’t,” Ian said sternly.
“Ian—”
“I mean it. It’s on me.”
“Thanks,” Josie said.
I started to protest too, but when he trained his gorgeous eyes on me, I closed my mouth right back. As if to prove his point, he actually paid while Josie got ready to leave.
She put on her jacket, sending everyone air kisses before ordering an Uber.
Isabelle yawned. “I probably won’t stay long either. The little one is making me so tired. I’ve been falling asleep at nine every day this week.”
Ian cocked a brow at her, and his sister grinned. They were having one of those silent conversations I sometimes had with Henry. I was dying to know what they were saying. On second thought, maybe I was better off not knowing. I had an inkling it might be about me.
“Well, if we’re staying, then I’m having another glass of wine,” I said.
“I’ll order one too,” Ian said. Even though he’d only eaten dessert, he reached over and grabbed the wine menu, and a whiff of his cologne reached me. It was exquisite: a mix of vetiver and bergamot that made me want to lean in closer.
My body was like a live wire since he sat down. I was operating on another frequency, aware of even the smallest detail. We ordered wine for the two of us, and the waiter immediately returned with the drinks.
Isabelle only stayed for another fifteen minutes, during which she and Ian kept exchanging more eye messages, as I liked to call them. I was bursting with curiosity, and after Isabelle left, I finally gave in. Ian and I had nearly finished our wine.
“Okay, so what was all that about? The eye thingy and gestures.”
Ian laughed. “That obvious, huh?”
“Yeah. I do it with Henry too, but you three are on a different level.”
“She was very transparent in her attempt to leave us alone. I gave her nonverbal shit.”
I blushed again. “I thought it might be that.”
He looked at me with a wry smile. “They like you.”
“Oh, that was part of the nonverbal communication too?”
“No, just my observation.”
“I’m so happy you introduced me to them. It’s lonely at first when I move to a new city.” I played with the stem of my nearly empty glass, breathing in deeply. I loved New York. I’d only been here for a short time, but the energy of the city was amazing.
“Come on, I’ll walk you home,” he said.
I grinned. “Want to protect me from some more cyclists?”
He grinned back, and I tried hard not to swoon at the sight of his dimples. “Or whatever else crosses your way.”
“You know, I’m usually very good at taking care of myself. Had lots of practice. Something about you messes with my focus.”
I thought he’d laugh at my not-so-subtle hint, but his gaze turned hard.
“Why did you have lots of practice, Ellie?”
Oh, crap .
I played some more with the stem of the glass, shrugging.
“When I was a kid, I was a bit of a misfit at school. And after the divorce, I shrunk into myself even more, and other kids started making fun of me. It was harmless in the beginning, but then they got mean. And then they started fighting me for real.”
“Fuck.”
“So I looked up self-defense classes on YouTube and learned a lot.”
“Why didn’t you attend one?”
“I needed an adult to sign me up, and I didn’t want Mom to worry. She had enough on her plate. Henry caught me exercising once, going through the moves, and he enrolled me in a class. We told Mom I was taking dance lessons.”
It was one of the reasons Henry was so protective of me.
The vibe between Ian and me had gotten a bit too serious for my liking, so I rolled back my shoulders and said, “So I am perfectly equipped in case someone tries to rob me. For speeding cyclists, on the other hand, I think your special skills are required, handsome.”
His eyes lit up immediately, and we rose from the table. “In that case, let’s go. Before you change your mind.”
My apartment was forty minutes away on foot, and we decided to walk. Even though my feet hurt from standing in the kitchen all day, walking actually helped me feel better.
The evening was chilly, but we walked at a brisk pace that kept me warm.
Ian’s arm around my shoulders was contributing to my rising body heat.
He even offered to walk me up the stairs to my apartment, making tonight feel like a test. Could we be just friends…
who were a bit touchy-feely? And who sometimes flirted?
“So thoughtful,” I teased him, but he just watched me intently as I went up the stairs. When we reached the door, I looked over my shoulder, and my knees buckled at the intensity in his gaze.
“Want to come in?” I asked.
A deep growl reverberated from his throat. “No way. I've been thinking about kissing you so often since the last time I was in there."
I licked my lips. "How often?"
"You don't want to know."
"I do."
"All the fucking time," he said. Coming closer, he skimmed his thumb just under my lower lip. I shuddered, realizing I wanted more of him too.
“Ellie, I know I shouldn’t touch you. Want you. But I do. I want to know you. It’s new to me and not something I’m used to.”
Wow. I licked my lips again. My heart hammered against my ribcage.
“Say something,” he prodded.
“I can’t think straight when you’re this close, handsome,” I teased, but it was the truth. Instantly, he stepped back, putting a bit of distance between us, and I immediately missed his nearness.
He tilted his head playfully. “I see that. You only call me handsome when you’re…” He made a gesture with his hand as if the right word escaped him.
“Under your spell? I agree. And I?—”
The door opening interrupted us. Harper stood in the doorway.
“Hey! What are you—oh, hi, Ian. Is the door stuck or something? I heard you come up a while ago.”
“Umm, no. Ian and I just got to talking. I didn’t even try to unlock it.”
“Come in, Ian,” Harper said, but he shook his head.
“No, that’s fine. I’ll leave you two. Ellie and I had a great evening, and she has a lot to think about,” he said with a playful smile.
“Like what?” I challenged, wiggling my eyebrows. I was playing with fire.
“Like how she defines crossing lines exactly … or if she’s using that as an excuse for something else.” Wow! I was shocked that he’d seen right through me. He kept my gaze, and I didn’t even blink despite feeling my whole body heat up. “And being under spells. In general.”
Harper laughed. I just chuckled. If tonight was a test, we’d failed it with flying colors.