“Yes, but you’re not wearing a bra.”
Oh . . . yes, that’s correct.
I smile and say, “Oh, huh, must have forgotten it.”
His eyes narrow, and it’s quite comical.
“That’s not what we agreed upon.”
“Are you complaining about me not wearing a bra? Really?”
“Yes . . . you’re making me hard.”
“Control yourself. We have more organizing to do.”
“It’s been two hours. Can’t we take a break?”
“And where do you suppose we take a break?”
“Outside. You haven’t even seen my pool or backyard. We can stare at the stars, take a breath for a second.”
I glance back at the pantry. “Well, I guess we could take a break. We’ve really accomplished a lot. Maybe a break is in order.”
The relief on his face is cute. He guides me past the storage bins I purchased for the pantry, and leads me through the living room to the large sliding glass doors. After a slight pause, he pushes past the curtains to a panel on the wall, enters a code, and then presses a few buttons. Like magic, the pool lights up in a deep blue color, bulb string lights dance above us, and the larger-than-life palm trees, which line the perimeter of his backyard, glow with soft uplighting.
“Wow,” I say. “This is . . . this is dreamy.”
“I thought you’d like it.” He leads me to a large white lounger in front of the pool, perfectly placed under the crisscrossing bulb lights. “Will you sit with me?”
“Of course,” I answer.
He takes a seat first and then guides me down between his legs, my back to his chest. I lean against his body and use him for support. He wraps his arms around my exposed stomach.
“This okay?” he asks quietly, which surprises me, because he’s always been a man who takes what he wants, so the fact that he’s checking in just makes me respect him that much more.
“It’s perfect, JP.” And then, in the distance, very unexpectedly, I hear the telltale sounds of instrumental music. But not just any instrumental music. “Why do I know this song?” I ask him.
His voice is low, like a whisper of a rumble. “It was the first song we danced to at the gala. An instrumental version of Wildest Dreams.”
“You remembered that?”
“Kelsey,” he says softly, “I remember everything that involves you. Everything. From what you wore the very first day I met you—a blue turtleneck dress—to the way you smelled when we shared an elevator for the first time—like vanilla and brown sugar—to the way you tasted the first time I had a chance to be intimate with you—like a fucking sunset on a rainy day. This song . . . it was engrained in my brain, and I just hoped that I’d get a chance to play it for you again one day.”
I almost can’t hear him from the pounding of my own heart. “I had . . . I had no idea.”
“I know you didn’t. And that’s okay. I soaked you up from a distance and waited until you could see me as the man I really am.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I tried, but also, fear got in the way. Pride took over a lot of times. You’re not an easy shell to crack. You were very professional when we first met, so breaking through that wall was hard.”
“Because of Lottie,” I say. “Because of what she was doing with Huxley. I know she had to do what she did, both of them did. Slightly unorthodox, but not only did I understand, I approved. But that meant I had to show you guys that we weren’t sisters looking for handouts, you know? I wanted to keep things as professional as possible. I wanted to show you we were legit businesswomen.”
“There was no doubt that you were, but I understand what you’re saying.”
“And frankly, when I first saw you, I knew you were trouble. I thought . . . God, he’s so handsome.”
“Did you?” he asks, shock in his voice.
I nod against his chest. “I did. I really thought you were almost too handsome to look at. My romantic mind was reeling with possibilities, but I put that to bed really quickly because I’d worked so hard to establish my business, and working with Cane Enterprises was a huge deal. I didn’t want to mess that up with a crush.”
“A crush, no fucking way. I don’t believe that.”
“I did.” I lean back and tilt my head so I can look up at him. “At first, it was a crush, but I worked hard to interpret everything you said or did as annoying. That annoyance grew and I was able to block out those original feelings and focus on the business. But with every kind thing you did, I could feel my original assessment of you becoming more prominent.”