And he lowered his face for a kiss.
Long, golden, as perfect as a sunset over the sea, his stomach swooped and sang as her arms stole up his back. This wasn’t a kiss witnessed by millions. Wasn’t witnessed by anyone, he hoped. He cradled her face in his hands and kissed her more deeply, until she drew back with a gasp.
“Sorry.” She drew in a deep breath, then pointed to her nose. “Clogged-up nose. I couldn’t breathe.”
He smiled. “We need to go out on a real date soon, huh?”
“That’d be good.”
“I know life is frantic at the moment, but if you let me know when works best for you, I’ll make it work.” Somehow.
“But you’re so busy.”
“I’ll make it work,” he repeated. “You’re my priority.”
Her face softened. “Really?”
“Yep.” He hugged her close again, murmured in her ear, “I’d much rather spend time with you than my teammates or trainer.”
She laughed as he’d hoped. “Then you should be sure to do something about that.”
“Dinner. My place tonight.”
He didn’t know where those words came from. Had no idea what his apartment looked like, or what time his last appointment finished. But as she stroked his face, her look close to adoration, he found he didn’t care.
He hadn’t been joking. Bailey was his priority, and he’d do whatever it took to show that she’d never need to doubt that again.
CHAPTER 20
After spending the rest of the day wrangling children and wrestling applications into potential classes, it felt good to leave the studio and return home and change into jeans and a pretty top. She’d said she could catch an Uber, but Luc had insisted on picking her up, saying he had zero desire for random people to know where either of them lived, and he’d much rather have the opportunity to spend time with her anyway. So she’d waited, watching out the window for his shiny black pickup, smiling as he parked in the no-stopping zone.
“Don’t be out too late, otherwise I’ll come hunt you down,” Poppy warned.
“Yes, Mom.” She rolled her eyes, blew Poppy a kiss, and scampered down the stairs. She probably should contact her parents again, see if they wanted to catch up for lunch this weekend. Which was a dumb question, as they always did. But maybe it would be a chance to help them get to know Luc more.
She reached his vehicle just as Luc was getting out.
“You beat me.”
She smiled. “I’m competitive, or so some people tell me.”
“I happen to like competitive.” He opened her door, waited until she was settled, then gently closed it.
She snapped in her seat belt, and noticed a few people had stopped to stare. Was a wave inappropriate? Or would that simply clue them into where she lived? Best to not invite more strangers to dig too deeply into her world.
Luc rejoined the traffic. Peak hour had picked up lately, as summer vacations drew to a close. It reminded her that school would resume shortly, that his preseason would begin soon, and once again she teetered at the edge of spiraling into doubts and confusion. Then his hand found hers, and she grasped it like she would a lifeline, her fears settling, like he’d prayed for her. She exhaled.
“You feeling better now?”
“Yes. Did you just pray for me?”
“Yes.”
She squeezed his hand, emotion clogging her throat. Oh, he was a good man.
He drove to a different neighborhood, not too many blocks away, but still within walking distance of the Coffee Haus café. “So this is where you are,” she said, craning her neck to look at the high-rise, as he slowed then turned into an underground parking garage.
“This is home sweet home.”
A few minutes later she was standing in the lobby of his tenth-floor apartment. Cream, hardwood floors, the place would have looked cold except for the amazing view. Even from here she could see the full-length glass at the end of the hall showcasing a view of the city as it stretched to the horizon. And at this time of evening, with the lights showing, and the last rays of sunset, “It’s beautiful.”
He shrugged, placing his keys in a black bowl, then gestured her to the living room. “It’s not far from the arena and I like the fact you can see the river from the balcony. I can get to the river easily.” He shot her a look. “That’s where I go running most days. You know, in case you’re interested.”
“Mmm, I’m interested, but not in running so much.”
“Yeah?” He drew closer, a smile on his face like he enjoyed this banter. “What are you more interested in?”
She wrapped her hands around his neck, and smiled up at him, and whispered, “Dinner.”
He laughed, and swooped in for a kiss, which soon grew a little hungry, and she had to place one hand on his chest. “Careful. We can’t do dessert first.”
“Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘life is short, so eat dessert first’?” he murmured against her lips.
“No. And,” she gently pushed him away, “I think you should feed me. Before I get hangry.”
“I can’t actually imagine you as angry, let alone hangry. I’ve never seen you eat too much.”
