Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
ALISON
If anyone had told me last week that I’d be sitting in Tristan’s beautiful home, nestled amongst the most sycamore trees I’ve ever seen in my life, laughing and joking after a game of pickleball while we drink wine and he cooks for me, I’d say they were crazy.
But here I am, and I can’t deny I’ve had such a nice day spending time with him. Watching him move around the kitchen is so damned sexy. He changed into sweats after our game and is now barefoot over the stove making dinner for us.
“I have to say, I thought you’d live in some high-rise swanky penthouse,” I confess. I didn’t expect his place would be so homey . It has moody parts of the house, like his office and the wine cellar, but there’s bright parts of it too, and the decor is the old mixed in with the new.
I especially love the original reclaimed high ceiling beams here in the kitchen.
I adore the touches of the 1930s splashed through-out with the curved bay windows, flooding the space with light, the parquet flooring and timber features through-out.
But I think it’s just the charm of the place that gets me the most.
He shakes his head. “Nah, not for me. I think I like my space too much, and the garden. It feels like a sanctuary, even if I don’t get to spend a lot of time here relaxing.”
“It really is beautiful, all of it,” I say, running my hand over the cool granite countertop.
“If you’re ever looking for an agent to sell—” I’m teasing, of course, and he knows it as his eyes flick up to mine while stirring the casserole.
Next he grabs out the plates, a cheeky amused look playing on his delicious face.
“I’m not planning on selling any time soon, sweetheart , and even if I were, I’m afraid I wouldn’t hire you.” I know he’s teasing back; if the smile wasn’t enough to tell me, the crinkle at the edge of his eyes always gives it away.
“Is that right?”
“Yep, I’d never get any work done if I was your client. I’d be too busy wanting to do you. Those skirt suits drive me wild.”
I stifle a laugh. Oh he definitely is his own crown of thorns, and I love it. “Would that mean you’d have to listen to me?”
He rubs a hand over his chin thoughtfully. “Would you ever expect that I’d do such a thing?”
I sip my wine, shaking my head at his witty comeback. “You’re too much, do you know that?”
“Maybe I’m just enough?” He tilts his head, the intent look that comes over him sets the butterflies off in my stomach full flight.
His ability at unhinging me with just the smallest glance has never been more apparent.
I don’t know how we’ll possibly make it through tonight without getting down and dirty. He is so hard to resist.
“You’re plenty,” I agree.
He looks thoughtful for a second, folding his arms across his chest and leaning on the counter in front of me. “What if—” He stops short and I glance at him over my wineglass.
“What if?”
He sighs like he’s resigned to some truth I don’t know about yet. “What if I can’t stay away from you?”
My heart kicks in my chest as I swallow the sip of wine and put the glass down. “As in…?”
“As in, you and me. I know our night in Palm Springs was supposed to be a one time thing, but I don’t want to stay away from you, Ali. You’re all I’ve thought about all week. My assistant thinks my mind has taken a vacation.”
I can’t help the little giggle that escapes me.
He tilts his head, his sexy eyes narrowing, lips pursed. “Oh, you think that’s funny?”
“No, just the way you said it amused me.” I wave it off. “And trust me, I’ve been the same ever since that night. You were so sweet to me, and the way you make me feel.” It makes my skin yearn with little tingles all over it at just the mere thought. “No one has ever done that for me before.”
“You deserve the world,” he says, holding my eyes with his. A beat passes between us. “And I want to be part of that world if you’ll let me?”
I feel instantly breathy, not able to believe he wants more. It’s not just about sex? “You mean, we’d like, date ?” I try not to balk.
He presses those talented lips together for a second and releases them on a nod. “Yep, we’d date. Exclusively,” he quickly adds. “I’m greedy when it comes to you.”
“But the work thing, Tristan? How would we navigate?—”
“Easy. We put some rules and boundaries in place. This town is big enough for the both of us.”
I laugh again into my wineglass. “Are you sure about that?”
He thinks for a moment, holding his index finger to his chin for longer than necessary. I try to lean across and swipe his arm, but he grabs my wrist and entwines his hand in mine as they press together. Palm against palm.
“Of course I’m sure.”
Who would ever have thought he was a sweetheart? And that I’d feel safe and protected with him? He seems to have the whole package, not just a nice guy or sex on a stick, but smart, self-made and the guy can cook.
“You wanna be exclusive?” I confirm.
His head flops to the side. “Is that so hard to believe?”
“Given your social life prior to this, I’d say yes.”
“Things have changed. And deep down, I think I’ve always wanted more from a woman, but after my divorce, I just needed time.”
“I know what you mean. Divorces are hard, no matter which way you look at it.”
He rounds the counter then and stops in front of me as I swivel sideways in the bar stool. “I want to make you mine, but we can go slower if you want to.”
My lip trembles a little, but I try to suck it in so he doesn’t see.
It scares me letting someone in again after what I’ve been through.
Prior to my divorce, I’d only ever known Gareth, and it was for such a long time.
But Tristan definitely isn’t Gareth, not by a long shot.
There’s not even any kind of comparison.
“You go slow?” I try to joke in mock exaggeration. “Let’s see how long that lasts.”
He bends forward, his hands resting on the edges of the seat, leaning into me.
“Oh, I think you’d see a different side to me if you tried.
I mean it. No sex.” His lips are so close to mine, I can feel the edges almost brush over me as he speaks.
“Let’s get to know each other over the next couple of weeks, see where things take us? ”
A couple of weeks? This sexy man may have just lost the plot. But I find myself nodding in agreement. Getting to know him sounds like a perfect idea.
He presses a kiss to my lips. It may be softer than usual but there’s the promise of more.
His panty-melting scent wafts over me and my hands move to his forearms because I just need to feel him under my fingers, check that he’s real and all.
He pulls back to look at me. “Do we have a deal?” He sticks out a hand in front of me and I can’t help but laugh as I try wafting it away.
“You’re making a deal with me?”
He chuckles too, but keeps his hand in place. “It might be the best one I've ever made yet.”
I reach my hand to his, and the firm grasp he offers is exactly like the kiss. There’s more behind it, but he’s holding back. We shake as I stare into his ocean-blues, a sea that I’m already getting lost in.
“Deal.”
Tristan
2 weeks later
Why the hell I put the no sex thing out there has me almost punching myself in the face.
But it was a spontaneous, grappled attempt to show Ms. Archer that I meant business in getting to know her and I wasn’t just after her body.
That’s the truth of it. But after two solid weeks of us meeting for coffee and dinner dates, plus another sorry attempt at teaching her the pickleball rules, I want her body more than I want oxygen.
I’m glad we’ve done some fun stuff together, talked and seen each other outside of the office and doing deals.
We’ve both seen different sides to each other; turns out she’s a lot of fun when she wants to be and not in realtor mode all the time.
Maybe she thinks something similar about me.
I’m hoping to meet Clementine in the near future, too.
I’m closing up my office for the night after a long day where I plan to head home and relieve some pressure in the shower and have a glass of red.
Mason gave me strict instructions from vacation-land to not burn the midnight oil again, to which I told him to enjoy his time off and not check in with work. But he can’t help himself.
It’s while I’m putting my desk back to some kind of decency when I hear a little knock on my door. Definitely not one of my kids. Hell, they wouldn’t knock, they’d just barge right in. I’m already halfway over to the door before I call out, “Come in.”
The door swings open before I can reach the handle and I’m delighted and surprised to see Ali standing in front of me.
She’s wearing a gorgeous knee-length beige trench coat and patent nude high-heels.
“Hey,” I breathe, assessing her quickly from her gorgeous face right down to her toes.
My natural reaction these days is to reach down and kiss her on the lips.
We’ve been flirty over text and when we’re together, but only sharing little kisses and touches here and there.
She deserves to be courted and I’ve told her so many times.
“Hi.” Her smile is bright and wide, lighting me up inside. My sons say I’m like a moth to a flame these days. They know it’s Ali induced, and I can’t wait for them to meet her properly as my girlfriend.
“What brings you to this neck of the woods?” I lean in and give her a little peck on the lips.
That right there already fires my body up.
Having to keep my natural instincts and abilities at bay while we ‘court’ is an entirely new experience for me.
And I’ve enjoyed it, it’s made me feel like a boy again. But I still need to feel her.
“I have some business to attend to,” she says, her deep, coral painted lips drawing me in as she speaks. I want that lipstick all over my body as well as my cock. I feel him twitch in agreement.
“Business?” I balk. Oh, I like this game.
“Yep.”
“What kind of business?”
Her hands lift to the belt of her coat as my eyes drop to follow her movement. I can’t help it when my tongue drags across my lower lip, my mouth waters at the sight of her here.
She came to see me . With the belt hanging loosely now, she unfastens her coat one agonizing button at a time.
My cock kicks in my pants, my body heating instantly like every vein is suddenly on fire. I can’t even control my heart rate, much less my breathing.
Fuck, my little sweetheart has come here to seduce me?
Game fucking on.
“ This kind of business.” Her hands grab the material of her coat on either side, and as she pulls it open my eyes cascade down, popping wide when I see she’s wearing a very sexy pair of lace panties, and a matching bra.
It leaves very little to the imagination, just how I like it.
It’s almost sheer, but just enough modesty to have me frothing at the bit to uncover the contents.
“Fucking hell, Ali.” My hands reach for her before my brain even has a chance to catch up. I take her in as I gaze down her scantily-clad body again. “You look amazing.”
She laughs in that cute little way she does.“You like?”
“No, sweetheart , I love.” I dip my head to kiss her, soft at first, but it only takes a few brushes of our lips to escalate, and then I’m reaching for her tits, rubbing over her peaks with my fingers as she lets out a little moan. “You’re so fucking sexy.”
“And so are you. I wanted to do you on your desk,” she says simply. “Since you’re not allowed to any more of my open houses.”
I grin. Oh, I’m down for that. I can feel myself harden. Fuck. She’s already inducing pre-cum without barely touching me. “Is that right?”
“I thought we could put a stop to this no touching business once and for all.”
I pull back to look into her gorgeous eyes sparkling up at me. “I’ve never seen anyone look so sexy, but please tell me you don’t usually walk around like this?”
She giggles again and shakes her head, reaching out and pulling me back to her by my tie. “No, Mr. Forbes . It’s only for you.”
It’s like music to my ears, a sweet melody to my heart. One that I hope to have on repeat for the rest of my days.
I scoop her up into my arms and head in the direction of my desk.