Chapter Eighteen
A s Becket parked his truck in front of Ellie’s Yarn Cove on Saturday just before lunch, he saw June in his rearview mirror, also on her way to the shop. She’d told him she wanted to spend more time in Marietta. He’d texted her earlier and asked her to meet him here.
After he’d dropped off Ellie in town for work earlier, he’d been to see the family attorney in Bozeman.
Rick had no problem with the contract and urged Becket to sign it as soon as possible.
This kind of deal didn’t happen so often in this day and age, he’d pointed out.
This time, though, Becket wanted Ellie to be present.
No more secrets, no more misunderstandings.
“Hi, Becket.” June smiled. “I was so happy to hear from you. You’ve seen your attorney?”
Nodding, he motioned for her to enter the shop before him. “Yes, I have. He’s happy with the contract.”
“So why are we meeting in a yarn shop?” June asked.
“I want you to meet the woman in my life, Ellie Campbell,” he said as he followed her into the shop.
Ellie was nowhere to be seen, but he heard her voice coming from the back. “I know Becket is not the marrying kind, Aurelia. I love him anyway and I’ll be with him for as long as he wants me. I would appreciate it, though, if you’d stop spreading rumors about him. Any yarn for you today?”
“I’m just doing my duty as a…”
“Not interested in yarn?” Ellie interrupted her. “In that case, goodbye. I want to lock up.”
The next moment, Aurelia Hill appeared from behind a cupboard, her cheeks a high color, her lips pressed firmly together. When she saw Becket and June, she sniffed. “I told her you’re going to break her heart…”
Without responding to her comment, Becket opened the door for her. “Good day, Aurelia.”
With another indignant sniff, she left the shop.
As he turned back, Ellie was approaching from the back of the shop. As always, she literally took his breath away. She looked gorgeous. He’d seen her earlier in the white button-down skirt and loose-fitting top she’d bought in Bozeman, but seeing her again nearly brought him to his knees.
Her gaze landed on June before she looked at him again. “Becket?” The expression on her face wasn’t hard to read. Aurelia Hill had upset her and she still didn’t trust him.
Becket frowned. Damn it, how could Ellie still doubt him after last night?
His eyes never leaving her face, he strode toward her, pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
Not a peck, but a long, wet one that left both of them gasping for air.
“I want you to meet June, the publisher I told you about.”
Taking Ellie’s hand in his, he introduced her to June.
June was all smiles. “Now I understand the new illustrations on ET Becket’s Instagram page. It’s lovely to meet you.”
Ellie smiled but she still looked apprehensive.
“Becket has to sign his contract,” June said.
“Of course, I didn’t have to sit around and wait for him to do that, but I wanted to see more of your quaint town.
Now I’m hungry. I noticed a diner further down the street.
Will you two please join me for lunch? And then I can get to know you while Becket here signs the contract. ”
“You two go ahead, don’t worry about me,” Ellie began, but June had already turned toward the door.
“Great. I’ve been strolling through your lovely town this morning.
I had my nails done and bought the most fabulous chocolates from a redhead at Copper Mountain Chocolates. I would move here just for those.”
“Um… if you’re sure. Let me get my bag,” Ellie said as she gave him a questioning look.
Fed up, Becket turned to the publisher. “June, would you please grab us a table at the diner? Ellie and I will join you shortly.”
“Of course,” she smiled. “Take your time. My plane isn’t leaving until tonight.”
Becket locked the door behind her and, taking Ellie by the arm, marched her toward the back of the shop, behind the cupboards.
“Becket, what…?”
He rounded on her. “Last night… We should’ve talked to you, but all I wanted was to be with you. We were going to talk this morning…” He brushed a curl behind her ear, “but then you distracted me and we ended up being late.”
“Becket…”
“I haven’t finished. I had hoped after last night you would know how I feel about you. I have tried to show you in every other way. And by the way, you haven’t told me either. The first time I’ve heard you love me was when I overheard you telling Aurelia Hill…”
“Of course I love you. Always have. Even though I’ve made peace with staying single forever, my heart recognized you the day you caught me in your arms.”
He lost his breath. Staring down into her clear blue eyes, his heart tripped. “Can you repeat that, please?” he got out.
“I love you. And I know you don’t feel the same way, but I can’t keep this bottled up any longer. You were very clear about not…”
But that was as far as she got. He had her pinned against the wall before she could catch her breath. “You love me?” he got out as he slipped a hand up her leg, pushing her skirt aside.
She nodded.
His throat was strangely dry and he had to swallow a few times before he got a word out. “That’s a good thing,” he murmured as he trailed kisses down her face. Her soft sigh went straight to his loins and he stroked her, moving his hand higher and higher up her leg in small circles.
“Becket…”
“Because you see…” Slipping his other hand beneath the tantalizing loose-fitting top, he cupped a breast, “It turns out I love you, too.”
She stilled, those blue eyes locking with his. “You love me?” Her voice was hoarse.
His fingers slipped underneath the satin and lace, finally reaching her core. “I love you, Ellie Campbell,” he breathed into her ear, “more than I’d ever thought possible. How could I not? You get me, you see beneath the exterior, you see me.”
He caught her lips with his, dropped his hand from her breast, unbuckled his belt and got rid of his jeans.
Groaning, he suddenly stopped. “I don’t have anything to protect you…”
“Yes, you have,” she panted. “My bag. Behind you.”
Grabbing her bag, he opened it. “Where?”
With unsteady fingers, she took the bag from him and took out the condom that had fallen out in the shop on the very first day he’d stepped in here. “Skin-on-skin feeling for enhanced sensation and pleasure,” she gasped. “I found this one underneath one of the cupboards.”
Barking out a laugh, he opened it with his teeth. With eager hands she helped him.
“Ready for me?”
“Always,” she sighed into his mouth as she lifted a leg over his hip, giving him easier access. “You’ve corrupted me,” she smiled against his mouth.
“Love you,” he got out before he pushed into her. As her velvet heat welcomed him home, he buried his face in her curls, inhaling her scent, her softness, reveling in her love.
*
When they finally joined June in the diner, Ellie’s heart was still beating so frantically she was sure everyone around them had to hear it. She was probably also grinning like an idiot, but she couldn’t stop smiling. Everyone looking at her surely knew what she’d been up to.
They ordered a light lunch and as June and Becket talked all things contract, Ellie only caught a word here and there, she was still floating on a pink cloud. Becket had one of her hands in his and he didn’t drop it, not even while he was signing the contract.
As they finished lunch, June smiled at Ellie. “It was lovely to meet you, Ellie. I hope you can get someone to take care of your shop while Becket has his book tour. Something tells me he’d rather you come with him.”
“Book tour?” Becket asked, clearly also surprised.
“Oh, yes. As soon as we go to the printers, we’ll let you have the tour dates.
It’s a way to meet your readers and, of course, we also hope to sell lots and lots of books!
” Checking her watch, she got up. “I’m paying for lunch, thanks for your company and thanks for my contract.
I’ve never had so much trouble chasing down an author before, but I’m so glad you finally called us. ”
Heads turned as she left the diner. “Cooper was so right, she is stunning.” Ellie turned toward Becket to find his eyes on her. “What?”
“You’re the only woman I notice,” he said. “You will come with me when I have to tour, won’t you?”
Ellie nodded. “We’ll see. I have been thinking about getting someone to help in the shop, but I’ll have to make sure it’s the right person.” And maybe by that time, he’d have moved on.
“I’m not going anywhere without you. Let’s go home.” As they left the diner and walked toward his truck, he put an arm around her. “I want to pick up some steaks for tonight. I know the dogs will be very happy with that on the menu.”
“That sounds perfect. Will you please drop me off at my house before you do that? I need to pick up a few things. Oh, and we need to get Marmalade and Duke from Cooper.” Worried, she looked at him. “How do you feel about an extra dog and a cat? And what will Harper say?”
Becket laughed. “So you’ve noticed who is the queen bee in the house?”
“Harper is so clearly in charge.” Ellie smiled.
“Let’s see what they do, but the dogs are so smitten with you, I don’t think adding Marmalade and Duke will be a problem.”
*
Ellie had just taken a bag from the cupboard in her bedroom to put a few things in when her doorbell rang. It couldn’t be Becket, he’d just left. Maybe it was Arlene or Rose, or even Vivian.
She jogged down the steps toward the front door. Her mind still on what she needed to pack, she opened the door with a ready smile. She froze, stunned to see Marcus Tate standing on her porch.