Flirting with Love (27 page)

“I’ll never forget.” She pushed up so she was sitting and took a moment to get her bearings. Ross handed her the tablets and she whispered, “Water.” She gulped down the medicine and leaned in to his chest. “Can’t I just stay here all day?”

“I’m not sure you want all my clients in the bedroom, but I did take care of the animals for you.”

She fisted her hands in his shirt. “You’re the greatest boyfriend ever. No wonder I love you.”

He lifted her chin so he could see her eyes, and he pressed a kiss to her lips.

“My breath has to be nasty.” She turned away, and he drew her back again.

“I don’t care.” He kissed her again. “I want you to know something. I’ve never said that I loved a single girlfriend before. Not a single one. Just you, babe.”

She lowered her eyes. She couldn’t say the same, and she wondered if he knew that from their conversation in the truck before they made love.

“It’s okay. I know you’ve said it before. You told me. I just wanted you to know.”

She continued clutching his shirt. “Yes, I said it before, but what I had with Robbie wasn’t like what we have. I know that now. That wasn’t love, Ross. What we have is real and true. What I had with him was friendship.”

“Lis, you don’t have to explain. We all have pasts. It’s okay if you loved him. Some people love many people in their lifetimes. You love me now, and that’s what matters.” Ross tried to stand, but she held on tight.

“Ross.”

He pressed his finger to her lips. “I don’t question your love for me, Lis. I believe you. That’s what love is, putting aside our insecurities and trusting in our partners. I have to get to work, but if you need me, just text, okay? I’m taking the boys with me to the clinic.”

She nodded, gritting through the ache in her head. “Thank you for taking care of me and the animals.”

“I always will.”

Elisabeth listened as he went out the front door with the boys. She breathed deeply, wondering how on earth she got lucky enough to be with the kindest man on the planet—and how she was going to make it through her deliveries with a killer headache.

Her cell phone vibrated, and she grabbed it from the nightstand and read the text from Emily.

Are you alive?

She texted back.
Barely. You?

A minute later her response came through.
Did my brother tell you he loves you, or did I dream that?

She closed her eyes for a beat, reveling in the answer
and
the friendship before texting back.
YES!

Emily texted back seconds later.
OMG! Yay! Wait…Do you love him? Yes, I’m nosy. Get used to it!

She didn’t hesitate to answer.
LOL.
YES!

Emily didn’t text back right away. She showered, dressed, and was fifteen minutes into baking before she received another text from Emily.

Okay, now the whole town knows.

Elisabeth called her.

“Hey,” Emily said just above a whisper.

“You sound awful.”

“Thanks,” Emily said. “Headache.”

“Tell me about it. Why did you tell the whole town? They don’t exactly like me yet.”

“Oh, shut up. We love you and that’s all that matters.”

That made Elisabeth smile.

“I didn’t really tell anyone. I stopped in at the diner for coffee, and I ran into Wes. Sorry it took so long to get back to you.”

“You had me worried.”

“I’m sorry. You know Margie. She can talk forever, and when Wes showed up, he gave me a hard time about last night. The bugger. Like he’s never gotten shitfaced before. I’m happy for you and Ross, but a little jealous. I’m starting to think I’m destined to be single forever. Maybe I should borrow some of Alice’s cats.” Emily laughed.

Elisabeth finished mixing the beer batter for the cakes she was making and held the phone against her shoulder while she poured it into a bowl. “I think love finds us when we don’t even know we’re ready, so don’t give up. Whether you find your true love here or in Italy, it’s bound to happen. You’re too amazing for it not to.”

“You’re so nice, Elisabeth. Daisy and Callie roll their eyes at me and tell me to start dating.”

“Well, that would help, but I’ve never been big on dating, so I don’t think that’s the answer. The first time I saw Ross, I
knew
. You know how you get a flutter in your chest, and your stomach starts to do little flips? Ross made my entire body wake up and go weak at the same time. He was so in control when I turned his office upside down with my noisy piglet. He didn’t even get upset with me, or snappy or anything. He just looked at me and said,
It’s okay. Take a deep breath
. I could barely breathe looking at him. He—”

“Okay, okay. Brother. Remember? I get it, so there’s probably hope for me yet.”

“Sorry. I was gushing.” She slid the cakes into the oven. “Are you guys really going to help me at the fair tomorrow?”

“Of course. It’ll be fun. What should we bring?”

“Nothing. I’m making beer cakes, puppy cookies, and pies. We should be good. Oh, maybe bottled water? That would be good. Ross is going to put up the awning and help me with the refrigeration unit I rented. I’ll set up a grooming station and we’ll be all set.”

“How are you going to do everything that you do when everyone suddenly wants you to care for their pets? I mean, think about it, Elisabeth, the pet massages, grooming, picking up and dropping off dogs, not to mention baking and delivering pies. My mom said Jade’s clients are all talking about you, too, which means your business is likely to really take off.”

Just hearing there was a possibility of her business taking off made her pulse speed up. “Not all, just three. I’m not sure. I’ve been thinking about it and I’ll probably have to figure out a way to bring my grooming supplies and do what I did in LA, a mobile grooming van or something. I sold mine before I moved, but eventually I can get another one. That would give me a way to be a little more organized and not have to waste time running back and forth.”

“I’m exhausted just listening to all you do. I’ve got to go figure out how to get through a meeting with a blinding headache. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.”

They ended the call and Elisabeth eyed the box by the wall. She knelt beside it, feeling much stronger than she had the last time she’d looked at its contents. She withdrew a few pictures of her aunt and closed the top flaps. Packing away Robbie was easy. She had no qualms or emotions about saying goodbye to their past, but packing away the letters from her aunt, and the few knickknacks she’d received from her over the years, was more emotional. But she wasn’t shutting her aunt or her aunt’s memories away. Aunt Cora was everywhere. This was her house Elisabeth was living in, her furniture, her photographs on the wall. Elisabeth used her aunt’s recipes to facilitate the business her aunt had grown from nothing more than an idea and a warm heart. She looked around the kitchen and sighed. It was time to start her own life. To put Robbie away for good and to put the heartache of her aunt’s passing behind her.

As she carried the box to the hall closet, she mentally put away the comparisons of her mother to herself, and all the doubt and worry that went along with it. She was in the town she always knew would be her forever place, with a man who was her forever love. How could life get any sweeter?

ROSS HEADED INTO his house to take care of the dogs and work out after work. The house was quiet without Elisabeth there. Knight stuck to his side, following him as he went upstairs to the bedroom, as if he missed Elisabeth, too. He hadn’t realized how used to her being there he’d become. He changed into his workout clothes, then texted Elisabeth before going down to his home gym.

Just got home. Doing a quick workout. Then I’ll shower and come over. Okay?

He was setting up his weights when she texted back.

Want to stay at your place? My head is better. I can bring dinner. Xox.

Damn, he’d forgotten the
xox
.

He returned her text.
Sounds good. Extra xox from me
.

He’d felt lighter since he’d told Elisabeth he loved her, freer, stronger. He’d always hoped that at some point he’d find the right woman, someone to build a life with. Someone he would love and protect and who he knew would love him for who he was and not for his money. Elisabeth was better than any woman he could have ever dreamed up, and loving her felt damn good. He’d liked taking care of her last night, and this morning, with the exception of how sad she’d looked about him not being the first man she said she loved, but Ross didn’t fret over it. He believed her when she said she loved him. He saw it in her eyes and felt it in her touch. He added extra weights to his bench press bar and turned on ESPN, then pushed through a rigorous workout. He was just finishing his last set of sit-ups, drenched in sweat, feeling strong and exhilarated, when he heard the dogs barking. He flicked off the television and headed upstairs.

“Lis?”

“In here.”

He found her in the kitchen juggling a casserole dish and a basket of bread with Knight, Ranger, and Sarge rubbing against her legs. Her back was to him, her beautiful back bare to her waist in a white halter dress. Her hair was tied back with a red silky ribbon.

“You took such good care of me that I thought I’d take care of you. I made your favorite. It’s probably not as good as your mom’s, but…” She spun around, looking radiant. The bottom of her dress was trapped between her leg and Knight and pulled tight across her hips, accentuating her waist. The kitchen smelled delicious, like chicken Parmesan, warm bread, and Elisabeth. But it wasn’t his stomach that was growling with hunger. Just the sight of the ribbon gave him all sorts of lascivious thoughts.

“Wow.” A breathy whisper as she raked her eyes down his body.

“Wow is right. You look hot.” He leaned down and took her in a slow, passionate kiss. She ran her hands along the sides of his back, making him instantly hard. She trapped his lip in her teeth and dragged her tongue along it as they drew apart. When she ran her fingers along the waist of his shorts, he lost all hope of holding back his desires.

“I don’t want you to think I love you only for your body or anything, but...I should come over when you’re working out more often. You look Photoshopped.” She ran her fingers over his muscular stomach, sending a bolt of heat through him.

He pulled the ribbon from her hair and dragged it over her hands. “Photoshopped, huh? Well, then, paybacks are hell, because I have to endure thinking about your hot little body all day every day, and this sexy little ribbon of yours makes me think of a few better uses for it than in your hair.” He kissed her neck. Her skin was warm, and she smelled like a fresh summer breeze. He nipped one of her shoulders and kissed his way back along her heated skin to her neck.

“Other uses?” She batted her eyelashes and spoke in a seductive Southern drawl, rocking her hips into his. “Why, Mr. Braden, whatever do you mean?” She took the ribbon from his hand and wound it around her wrist. “It does make a nice bracelet.”

Holy hell
.

She feigned a loud gasp. “Well, I do declare. Look what that little ribbon did to you!” She looked down at his erection and then back up, wide-eyed and innocent, as she slid her hand beneath his shorts and stroked his hard length.

He sucked in a breath and backed her up against the counter. “I thought you were such a good girl.”

“Why, I am a very good girl.” She slid her hand lower and cupped his balls, sending a streak of lust through his body.

He lifted her up and set her on the counter, and in one move he tore the dress over her head. Her bare breasts were too beautiful to resist. Two perfect mounds that he had to taste. He lowered his mouth and teased her nipples into hard points, earning him a throaty moan that heightened his arousal.

“Holy fuck, Lis. You’re like a centerfold.”

She grabbed his head and held his mouth to her breast. “Your centerfold.” Her head fell back, her breasts rising and falling with each lustful breath.

In a hot second he dropped his shorts to his ankles and pulled her panties off, then lifted her to the edge of the counter. Her slick center was hot against his arousal. He buried his hand in her hair and fisted it in her silky locks.

“Jesus, I love you so damn much.”

“Then stop teasing me.” She grabbed his hips and, circling his neck with her arms, she wrapped her legs around his waist, then slid down his body, taking in every inch of him.

“Holy…Good Lord.” He covered her mouth with his, taking her in a greedy kiss. He filled his palms with her gorgeous ass and moved her up and down, feeling her heat, her desire, as she buried him deep over and over again.

“I love you, Ross,” she said against his lips. “I really love you.”

He stepped from his shorts and carried her to the guest bedroom—he’d never make it upstairs. He laid her on the bed and came down over her, his hands on her breasts, his lips kissing every inch of her exposed flesh. He nipped his way back up over her hips, her stomach, ribs, breasts, and finally her mouth, and ran his tongue along the sweet swell of her upper lip. Her breath was hot, needy, but he took his time loving her. He ran his strong hands up her delicate arms and fingered the ribbon on her wrist. He didn’t want to do anything she wasn’t into. He ran his tongue along the edge of the ribbon. She arched her back, pressing her hips to his.

“I’ve never done that,” she whispered.

“It’s okay. We won’t.” He came back to her lips and kissed her tenderly. He loved her too damn much to do anything she didn’t want to, but he loved that she teased him the way she did.

“I want to, with you. I trust you, Rossie.”

He touched his forehead to hers. “Lis, we don’t have to—”

She leaned up and kissed him. “I want to. I want to do everything with you. I waited my whole life for you.”

The love and trust in her voice made his heart swell.

“I’ll just hold your wrists. No need for more. If you still want to another time, we can. I need you now, Lis.” He settled one hand over each wrist and held them gently above her head. She was completely open to him, his hips between hers, her arms restrained, and her trusting, blue eyes smiling up at him. He nearly lost it.