Chapter 26 #4
“Yes. Not excruciating, but enough to make me nervous.”
“You should’ve stopped me then.”
“Why? It ended up turning into something really intensely good.”
“You didn’t know that at the beginning.”
“I know, but I thought it probably would. Everything with you turns out that way.”
“Yeah, until it doesn’t. We could have stopped and then started again with more prep.”
“I know, but it’s sexier to just give in.”
He frowned. “It’s like I’m talking to hear myself.”
“I really can’t help it. I love you and everything you do to me too much. It makes me reckless. If you wanted someone who’d love you less, you should’ve picked someone else.”
“I know you think you’re being cute parroting back to me the things I say to you to tease you, but I’m serious about this.”
“I’m sorry. I know you’re worried about me. Honestly, I am too sometimes.” Her exhalation was heavy. “A lot of the time, it’s scary to love you this much.”
“I’m afraid we’ll be late,” Kate said again.
Rory ignored her. There was plenty of time.
It wasn’t the time that had her agitated.
It was the fact that he’d been babying her all day and now they were in a jewelry store.
She knew he was feeling a little guilty about the night before and about their life together in general.
Even though Kate’s dad didn’t get the big picture, he was on the money about one thing; Rory was a distraction for Kate, and she put his happiness above everything.
All the time. For his part, even though Rory knew she was really bright and really talented, he didn’t let her education interfere with getting what he wanted whenever he wanted it.
Rory pointed at a sapphire, citrine, and enamel cuff bracelet.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” the saleswoman said with a smile.
“And unusual. We only had one other bracelet from the artist but it wasn’t a cuff.
We always sell out of his work. And unfortunately he works slowly.
Exquisite craftsmanship. Honestly he could easily make a living from his work, but he takes his time, so he supports himself by working as a roofer. ”
Kate stood a few feet from the case and seemed hesitant to even approach it.
“C’mon,” he said, waving for her to come forward.
She bit her lip as she stepped up to the glass.
“Just look at it and tell me what you see,” he said.
She stared at the bracelet for a long moment, while he stared at her.
“The ocean,” she said.
He put it on her wrist. She had beautiful lightly tanned skin. The bracelet looked great against it.
Rory slid a credit card across the glass to the saleswoman.
“It’s too much,” his kitten whispered.
“No, it isn’t, Kate. It’s not nearly enough.”
Her mom noticed the bracelet, even though her dress was kind of a showstopper. She wore a sleeveless green halter dress that hugged her curves in a way that was a little too close for comfort. She’d obviously been feeling emboldened by her time at the Marquis Club when she’d picked it out.
When she’d come downstairs, Rory’s gaze had nearly burned holes in the fabric.
“Too much?” she’d asked.
“You have a wonderful figure,” her mom said. “Doesn’t she look beautiful in that dress, Simon?”
“Really lovely, honey,” her dad said.
Because Rory was silent, she fidgeted. “I brought a black dress, too. I can put it on to show you, and you can decide.”
“No,” Rory said. “That’s the dress.”
Kate smiled. “Ok.”
“My goodness that’s a pretty bracelet,” her mom said, lifting her arm. “Where did you get it?”
“A shop called Marcheline’s?”
“Oh,” her mother said, instantly realizing it wasn’t made of crystals as she’d first thought.
“Your dad’s department head has been talking about that boutique since it opened.
You know how Natalia is. I wish we were taking you to a department function tonight so she could see you in it.
I’m terrible,” her mom said and then laughed.
In the car, Kate told Rory that Natalia was actually named Natalie, but had renamed herself.
“She always talks down to my mom because Mom’s an elementary school teacher, even though my mom went to Yale and Natalia went to Fordham for undergrad.
Rory, would it be okay if I let my mom borrow this?
I can leave it here with her so she can wear it to the department’s holiday parties?
And I’ll get it back when I come home for Christmas? ”
He smiled.
“Does that sound terrible? You just gave it to me, and I’m ready to loan it to someone? I love it, I swear. It’s just it’s my mom. I know she’ll take really good care of it.”
“It’s not your mom’s style. Let’s do this. Let’s go back to the jewelry store tomorrow before we leave town and buy your mom something. You can give it to her as an early Christmas present.”
“When you say we’ll buy something you mean I’ll help pick it out and you’ll pay for it, right?”
“Right.”
“You can’t do that, Rory. You keep buying really expensive things for me and everyone around me. I’m not comfortable with that. You don’t even know my mom.”
“I know enough to know I owe her a gift.”
“You don’t owe her a gift. You stayed in my parents’ guest room one night. That doesn’t equal a gemstone bracelet.”
“Not for that. Think about it,” he said and paused. “She gave me you.”
The wedding was so much fun. She’d never had a better time. As was often the case, people were fascinated with Rory, and in equal parts drawn to him and intimidated by him.
He was mostly silent at first, conversing in that monosyllabic way that made him such an enigma to most people. At the bar, there was a long line, and he surprised her by rolling up his sleeves and ducking behind the bar.
“What are you doing?” the bartender asked.
“Man, you’re in the weeds. Let’s get it done.”
Kate started to go back to the table, but he called her back, pointing to an out-of-the-way spot near him.
“Where I can see you,” Rory said over the noise.
“Are you really gonna make her stand there? You should let her go dance,” the bartender said.
Kate thought it was pretty ungrateful of him to criticize Rory who was helping him.
Rory couldn’t have cared less, being immune to other people’s opinions. “She’s too beautiful in that dress, and I don’t know these people.”
The bartender laughed and shook his head. Kate knew there was another reason he wanted to keep her close. She’d gotten another text from her ex who mentioned they should get together when she was home. As if, she’d thought irritably.
Brandon had such nerve. Rory had sent a text saying Kate’s new boyfriend suggested he stop texting her, but Brandon seemed to think she’d sent the text herself.
And he’d been really aggressive in the last couple of messages.
Rory said it was time for her to get a new cell phone number, and she agreed.
She thought less and less about Brandon these days, except when he texted, and she wanted to stop thinking about him altogether.
She’d moved on, and he should, too. Being with Rory had made her bolder.
She’d even warned Brandon he’d better learn how to be a better Dom before someone got hurt and he ended up in real trouble, because if anyone ever asked her questions, she would tell the truth about their last time together. After that he’d been quiet. Finally.
Rory flipped bottles and tipped fruit into glasses like he’d been trained by the Circus. He was a much better bartender than the bartender. People were literally cheering for him.
When the line dissipated, the bartender offered Rory some of his tips.
“No, that’s all you. Do me a favor though. Give me that quarter full bottle of whiskey so I don’t have to walk back and forth all night.”
“Done,” the man said, giving Rory the bottle.
At the table, Rory had a couple of glasses of whiskey then took her to the dance floor. Crazily, they’d only been dancing for part of one song when one of the groomsmen, a burly guy with insanely curly hair, tried to cut in.
Rory arched a brow. “No.”
“I think he’s drunk,” Kate said when the guy finally wandered away.
“Must’ve been drunk all day. Had to be to leave the house with that hair,” Rory said.
Kate laughed. “Can I tell you a secret?”
“I wish you would.”
She whispered in his ear. “You are my favorite person in the whole world.”
“I hate to break it to you, kitten, but that’s not a secret.”
“All right, then you tell me a secret.”
“I don’t keep secrets from you, Kate. If it’s important and on my mind, I tell you.”
Her eyes widened. “Since when?”
“I don’t know. Since I met you I think.”