Chapter 55
Robyn
I pull into my parking bay at my apartment building. I get out, and Brutus falls into step behind me.
“Have a good night, Doc.” He stops at the door and tips his head at me.
“You too, Brutus.”
I go into the lobby. My feet are killing me.
I should never have worn these shoes today, but they go with the suit, and I had that meeting with the board.
I’m going to pour a glass of wine and then get onto those budget reports while my dinner warms up in the oven.
For once, the idea of pre-packed lasagna does not appeal.
I press the button for my floor and get out when the doors open.
Smoke grins when he sees me.
“Hi, Doc.” He raises both hands and gives me two thumbs-up. “You have a wonderful evening.”
I blink at him.
“Um. Thanks?”
I shake my head and turn toward my apartment. Whatever. I’m too tired to figure out what’s going on with him.
I dig my keys out of my bag as I walk down the hall, slot the right one into the lock, and push the door open.
I take two steps inside, drop my keys on the floor, and then almost plant myself face-first…because what the actual?
Why are there rose petals scattered all over the floor?
I close the door and walk further inside, my mouth falling open as I do.
The lights in my apartment are set to low.
I sniff because something smells really good. Way better than pre-packed lasagna.
My pulse picks up. Did a criminal break in and cook me dinner? Should I be screaming for Smoke? Then I think of his grin and realize that he knew about this. The bastard!
I push my hair behind my ear and step further inside, around the corner, and into the main living area.
Ridge is standing in the middle of my living room in a charcoal-gray suit. He looks like he stepped out of a men’s magazine.
“Hi.” His voice is deep.
He looks so freaking gorgeous that I forget to breathe for a few seconds.
No, he doesn’t look gorgeous.
No, no, no. Crap!
Noooooooo!
“I’m sorry… I, um…” He shifts his weight from one foot to the other. His expression turns sheepish. “I…”
I follow his gaze.
There are rose petals everywhere. Not just by the door.
They’re scattered across the floor of my living room, dotted over the rug, trailing toward the kitchen.
There is a small round table set up in the center of the space.
A table I have absolutely never seen before, because I don’t own one.
It’s covered in a crisp white tablecloth.
There is a lit candle on it and two place settings with silver cutlery, which I also don’t recognize.
There are two champagne flutes, with a bottle in a chiller next to the table.
He has gone to a huge amount of trouble.
For nothing.
“It’s too much, isn’t it?” Ridge’s voice is quiet. He puts his hands in his pockets and then takes them out again, like he doesn’t know what to do with them. “It’s too much. Shit.”
He should be nervous. Because what the hell?
“What are you doing here?” I find my voice. “What is all this?”
I keep looking around the room because I’m flabbergasted.
What the heck!?
“Oh. Um.” He scrubs a hand over the back of his neck.
“I’m confused. I thought… I thought that you agreed to talk to me this evening.
You told Carla that I…um…should meet you here.
Carla said dinner would be a nice touch.
She said you’d be okay with—” He stops himself, groans, and drags a hand down his face. “Oh, Christ! I messed up.”
“Carla.” I lift my brows. “Really now? Oh wow, you…um…you listened to Carla?”
“Shit.” Ridge shakes his head slowly. “Oh, crap. I got this all wrong. I fell for the oldest trick in the book. I should have known she was setting us up. I just figured, since she’s your PA, she’d know if you’d—” He breaks off again. “She’s right. I’m an idiot,” he mutters to himself.
“I’m going to kill her,” I say very calmly.
“You’ll have to stand in line.” He gestures helplessly at the table.
“I knew I was going overboard. I knew it. I was just so excited that you’d agreed to have dinner with me, and I didn’t want to do a half-assed job.
ChatGPT said to make a grand gesture if you wanted to show someone how…
” He stops there, shakes his head, and lets out a long breath.
“You know what? I’m going to clean up. I’ll be out of your hair in a minute. ”
He moves toward the table.
I look at the floor again.
“It would take an hour just to vacuum up these petals,” I tell him. “Never mind the rest. How many roses died in the making of this grand gesture of yours?”
“A lot,” he admits. “Sometimes a few sacrifices are required.” He sort of gets a smile.
He’s so pretty. I still want to dry-hump him, but I won’t be doing that.
No way!
“I think I’m going to go.” I jerk my thumb back at the door behind me. “You can clean up while I…am gone.”
“Please don’t go.” Ridge takes a quick step toward me, then stops.
“I’m sorry. I messed up. Again. Please, can we talk?
We’re here, anyway. We don’t even have to have dinner together.
You can have it. I made it for you. Carla said filet mignon with a pepper sauce and baby potatoes was your favorite.
I decided on cheese and biscuits instead of dessert because I know your affinity for cheese…
or is it just melted cheese?” He widens his eyes, looking like he’s panicking a little.
It makes me want to smile. I don’t!
I lift a brow at him. “I’ll take any cheese. I love cheese… But that’s beside the point.”
“I also got something sweet in case you’d rather—” He breaks off and lets out a strangled laugh. “I should probably stop talking now.”
I press my lips together.
Don’t smile.
Do not smile.
The problem with Ridge is that he’s even more gorgeous when he’s flustered. I’m having such a hard time staying mad at him, and I have to be strong. I have to.
I made up my mind. I made a decision. I’m sticking with it.
“This isn’t a good idea, Ridge.” I take a breath. “I really don’t want a relationship. It’s not you.”
He laughs at me. “Don’t use that bullshit line on me.”
“It’s true,” I tell him, a little stung. “I…I’m not interested in being tied down. Or in love. Or any of that stuff. I’ve been there, done that, and I have the T-shirt. I don’t need another to add to the collection.”
I laugh a little, but it fades fast when I see the stricken look on his face.
“Give me a chance,” he says in a gruff voice.
“I know you’ve been hurt. I know I hurt you, and that fucking kills me.
I want a chance to make it up to you. We don’t have to rush anything.
We can start small. Let’s have dinner. Let’s get to know each other.
Let me prove to you I’m worth taking a chance on. ”
“It’s not a good idea,” I say again, even though, holy crap, what he’s saying sounds amazing.
“It’s just dinner, Robyn,” Ridge says.
“We’ll eat, we’ll talk, and then we’ll end up in bed.”
“No, we won’t.” He shakes his head, and the look on his face tells me he means it.
I have to smile at that. “You talk such shit.”
He takes a small step closer. He still doesn’t reach for me, but he’s close enough now that I can smell him. My body reacts because I love the way he smells.
“We won’t,” he says again. “I swear. We can spend the next few weeks getting to know each other.”
“Weeks?” I let out a laugh.
“I want this to work. I really want us. So yeah, I think we can go without sex for a while.”
His eyes are on me. They’re so intense.
“So we hang out,” I say.
“Yes. We go on dates. We do things together.” He swallows. “I’m sorry for what I did. I wish I could go back and change it. If I could, I would.”
“I’ve already heard all of this. And I forgave you. We agreed to move on.” There’s a lump in my throat now, and I hate it. “This isn’t going to work, Ridge.” My voice is thin.
“I sabotaged us. I know that now. I was afraid of love.”
He steps right up to me. He doesn’t touch me.
“I didn’t want love. I didn’t want to take that risk.
I can still remember my mother crying herself to sleep.
How broken she was after my dad died. I wasn’t willing to risk my heart because I didn’t want to be broken like her if things went wrong.
But I was being an idiot. I was remembering all the wrong things.
I forgot about them together. I forgot the picture they painted. I forgot how happy they were.”
He licks his lips, like he’s remembering.
“I think if I’d asked her whether she would rather have never met my father, never have suffered when she lost him, she would still choose him. She would choose the time they had together and the pain that came after over never having loved him at all.”
He takes a second, his eyes still holding mine.
“I want to take a chance on you…to take a chance on us. I know I’m asking a lot after I hurt you.
But please, Robyn, take a leap with me. Get to know me.
Spend time with me. Let’s do the things that couples do.
It would all be new for me.” He smiles. “Let’s have the dinners and take long-ass walks on the beach, hand in hand.
I want you, Robyn. I choose you. I’m completely in love with you, and I am a shell of who I was before I met you.
I know I sound like a complete pussy and that I’m probably doing this all wrong, but… please.”
I’m on the verge of shouting yes.
I am.
I just…
“I won’t hurt you again. I promise,” he repeats.
“You can’t promise that.”
“Actually, I can. My dragon already considers you his. He’s already picked you. I’m fucked.”
I tilt my head at him and try, very hard, to keep the smile off my face. “You’re making it sound bad.”
He gets that sheepish look again. “I don’t mean it like that. I mean, I’m fucked in the best way. But only if you say yes. Otherwise, I’m just plain fucked because I don’t want anyone else. I will never want anyone else. It’s just you for us.”
“Whoa.” I lift a hand. “Easy, tiger. This is all a little too much, too soon. I’ll have dinner with you. But that’s all I’m agreeing to.”
He grins at me.
And my heart melts. Just outright melts. I’m embarrassingly easy when it comes to this male.
No. No, I am not. I’m going to make him work. Hard.
“I’m so fucking happy.” He’s already moving, going around the table, and pulling out a chair for me. “I made scallops for an entrée. Please tell me you like scallops.”
“I love scallops.” I walk over, but I don’t sit yet.
“Can I kiss you, Robyn?”
I give him a look. “I thought we were getting to know each other better.”
“We are. My tongue wants to get to know your tongue better. Then you’ll sit, and I’ll serve you dinner, and we’ll talk. Then I’ll kiss you goodnight and pray you agree to see me again.”
“Okay.”
“Okay to seeing me again?” His eyes brighten.
“No. You can kiss me and feed me, and I’ll think about seeing you again. It depends on how you do this evening.”
“This is a test, then?”
“Yes, of course.”
He laughs, and I realize I forgot how much I love that sound.
Then he steps in close, one hand coming up to cup the side of my face. His thumb brushes along my jaw.
When he puts his lips to mine, I know I’m in trouble.
Just like I knew I was in trouble all those months ago.