22. Chapter 21
Leo
“Oh my God.” Ria panics as she watches Cole through the floor-to-ceiling window that streams light into her open living and kitchen space as he walks toward her front door. “It is him.” Gripping my forearm, her touch heats my skin through my suit jacket as she takes in short, sharp breaths.
“Breathe, Ri Ri.” Her midnight-blue eyes lock on mine. The usual urge I get when she pins me with them to cup her face and kiss her soft, plump lips hits me, and just like always I force it down. Repressing my own needs by interlocking our fingers, my tone is steady as I say, “Own this.”
“You’re right.” She nods. Her breath calms just as her doorbell chimes, but she doesn’t take her eyes off me.
Brushing my thumb over her delicate skin, I revel in the feel of her. “Want me to get that?”
“Huh?” She blinks.
“The door, Ri Ri.”
“Yeah. Would you mind?”
Reluctantly, I drop her hand and give her a reassuring smile before turning and releasing a long breath. Squaring my shoulders, I move through her bright living space. Every part is Ria.
Natural.
Beautiful.
The theme throughout is rustic and tranquil, and her beloved plants adorn every surface, giving the room the soft and calming feeling that overpowers everything when I’m around her.
She has two stunning cream couches littered with orange and brown throw cushions and chunky knit blankets.
In the center is a large wooden coffee table, and the main focal point of the room is the huge wood-burning stove—called a log burner over here.
The table has an arrangement of dusky-pink tulips next to a large candle on top of two of her coffee table books.
Without even seeing the covers, I know those books will be about the outdoors, gardens, or plants.
Smiling to myself, I imagine her curled up on the couch, the stove roaring in front of her, a mug of chamomile tea tucked into one hand, and her favorite gardening book propped up on her knee.
For as long as I can remember, she has been obsessed with gardening.
She says there is something special about nurturing something so small into something beautiful and grand.
Watching it develop before your eyes is both an achievement and a wonder.
Grasping the door handle and taking in a huge deep breath, I open the door and am greeted by a smiling Cole whose face changes to shock when he takes me in. “Leo?”
“The one and only. How can I help you, Cole?”
“I…well, this has thrown me a little if I’m honest.” He scratches the back of his neck. “I’ve just moved in next door and I was coming to introduce myself to the neighbors.”
“Oh, Mrs. Daily said she had sold to someone who worked in the city.” My tone is light as I try my hardest to keep up this little act.
“Who is it?” Ria’s delicate voice drifts through from the kitchen.
“It's our new neighbor,” I call out over my shoulder, smiling at Cole.
“Cole?” Ria comes to my side, smiling wide at Cole.
“You’re our new neighbor?” Taking this opportunity, I drape my arm around her shoulder and pull her into me.
Her head automatically tilts to rest on my chest, and her arm wraps gently around my waist, while her other drifts to settle on my chest. The soft and intimate touch has my insides burning up, and I suppress the shudder traveling up my spine.
“It would appear so,” he says brightly.
“Would you like to come in for a drink?” Ria offers.
“You sure? I’m not intruding, am I?”
“Of course not,” Ria says as we step aside.
“We’re heading over to Hunter and Jade’s shortly, but we have time for a brew as you Brits say.
” Cole laughs as he brushes past us. Ria slips out of my hold to guide Cole through the house, and I shut the door before following them, my heart jackknifing in my chest at the possibility of holding Ria close to me again as we make small talk with Cole.
Because last time we were being professional.
Now, in what he is assuming is our home, we need to come across as the madly-in-love couple who couldn’t wait to get married only a few days ago.
“You have a beautiful home,” Cole says as he checks out the photos in Ria’s hallway, and thank God there are plenty of us together.
She has this portrait wall, as she calls it, which is covered in various-shaped photo frames of different colors.
Every single person who is close to her is on this wall, and I pause as Cole throws me a half smile and tilts his head to a photo.
“Thank you.” I swallow as I take in the photo he’s noticed. Ria has framed our wedding photo. It’s a little grainy, but my chest tightens at the expressions of sheer happiness on both of our faces.
She framed this?
Only her special life-altering moments go on this wall. And there we are smiling, pure joy radiating out of us, next to a photo of Ria crying happy tears as she cradles her two perfect nieces.
Cole moves to catch up with Ria and I mindlessly follow. It doesn’t mean anything, her putting that picture there. You’re making this something it isn’t.
As we enter the kitchen, Ria flicks on the kettle.
The kettle that Lily insisted she buy when she first came over and nearly had a coronary when Ria tried to heat the water for her tea in the microwave.
One thing I’ve learned about Lily Chambers is you do not question her on how to make tea—you take notes and you do not deviate.
“We haven’t been here too long but we love it.
Quiet, secure, and really close to the office without being on the doorstep so we can take a step away from work.
” Ria lets out a little giggle as she gathers the mugs.
“Workaholics?” Cole questions.
“Guilty,” Ria answers, leaning against the worktop. “Plus my brother and Jade live across the street.”
“You’re close to your brother?”
“I am close to both of my brothers. Noah is back in New York, but we speak all the time. But I actually meant it’s good being close because this one”—she gives me a cheeky grin—“can’t go twenty-four hours without speaking to my brother.”
“I think that is the other way around.” Opening the fridge, I retrieve the milk and place it down on the counter.
“I’ve got this; you sit down.” I tuck a loose piece of her hair behind her ear, letting the back of my fingers trail across her cheek as I tip my head toward the island.
She gives me a thankful smile but shocks me when she lifts up and brushes her lips to my cheek.
The kiss is gentle and featherlike, but I feel it right down to my toes.
“Thank you,” she whispers before moving to sit beside Cole.
Turning, I focus on making the tea and not the way my heart is thundering in my chest. Get a goddamn grip. None of this means anything.
“So how is married life treating you both?”
“Good.” Ria sighs. “But if I’m honest, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind since we got back.”
“Yeah.” I place their cups of tea in front of them and sit on the stool next to Ria. “I was not expecting to ask her to marry me then. That is not how I planned on making this one my wife,” I say sheepishly.
“No?” Cole questions.
“Definitely not.” I drag her stool closer to me, and her leg brushes mine as she gazes up at me, her brows knitting slightly. “I had it all planned out.”
“So what happened?” Cole sips his tea, his eyes trained intently on me.
“She did.” I take her hand in mine and give it a little squeeze, the memory of the moment I asked her coming to the front of my mind as look at her.
The fog clears as pieces of that night come back to me.
Her beaming carefree face is all I can see.
“She was laughing at me as she so often does.” Ria rolls her eyes playfully but I keep going.
“I was serenading her—I believe I was singing Robbie Williams’s ‘Handsome Man’—and my favorite sound, her laughter, outshone every other noise in the bar.
And I knew then. Why wait? Why hold off for the perfect moment?
My forever after is here now, and I’ve waited long enough. Thank God she said yes.”
Not taking my eyes off Ria, I watch as her lips twitch into a half smile and she drops her head coyly. She has no idea I mean every single word, and fuck, does it make my stupid heart crack a little more.
“You know I could tell there was a spark between you two today, but I didn’t see this.” Cole motions between the two of us over the island.
“We don’t like to allow our personal life to affect our business,” Ria says quietly, and I pull her into my chest and she comes willingly. Her floral scent wraps around me, and I have to remind myself that this is fake for her.
“I can appreciate that.”
“My family business is a legacy that I want to pass down to my own children one day. I will not let anything or anyone jeopardize that. Even myself.”
“That’s very honorable. Seeing you two together like this is beautiful. And you know”—he takes a drink of his tea before continuing—“it gives me hope that one day I could find my other half.”
“Looking to settle down?” I ask, trying to steer the conversation away from us.
“Not yet.” He lets out a laugh. “I’m far too busy for a relationship, and when I do finally settle down, I need to have enough time to dedicate to that person. I don’t do anything that I don’t give one hundred percent to.”
“I understand that feeling. But when you click with someone, you find a way to balance that. Your other half will always allow you to still be you, just a better version.” My mouth and brain are not working together today.
Fuck, shut up.
Ria’s hand that is looped around my waist tightens, and I rub circles on her back, the patterns calming my rampant heartbeat.
Cole gives us a half smile before saying, “Spoken like a man in love.”