Safer Alone (The Safer Duet #1)

by Amy Rose

  Instead he surprises me. “If you don’t want to tell me that fine. However if you do I will listen.” He reaches out and takes my hand. He is so caring. Nothing at all like Dylan. I suck in a breath and release it. It was time to tell Elliot.

  ~ Chapter Twenty-One ~

  “He was abusive,” I speak, my voice barely above a whisper. I look down at my hands, waiting for the tears that were surely on their way. Whenever I spoke about my past with Dylan, I cried, sobbed even. It hurt to talk about the past, the past I have tried so hard to leave behind. I hear Elliot’s chair scrape against the floor, pushing out from the table. Slowly turning my head in his direction and see him kneeling beside me. Coming close enough to wrap his strong arms around my waist.

  “I am so sorry Angela. I had no idea. I truly am sorry.” His voice sounds strong enough to begin with, but I hear a crack on his final sorry. I don’t understand why he is upset. He isn’t the one who endured the pain I went through. He kissed my cheek and then moved his lips closer to my ear. “If you want to talk about it, I am here. I also respect your choice if you want to keep it to yourself.” He speaks softly. The feel of his warm breath sending a shiver down my neck. I appreciate his words. He has given me a way out of this conversation. I don’t have to say anything more if I choose not to.

  Instead though I let it all flow, “That’s why I left New York. I got a restraining order against him and left town to start afresh. I moved to Nashville and over time I have come to absolutely love it there. I didn’t think I would ever come back here.” I wave my hand around. “I left everything behind, got on with my life, my career. I certainly didn’t expect to meet a guy who lived in New York while showing properties back home.”

  I am proud of myself for what I had just said. I gave him a tiny piece of information but also brought him into a new area of conversation, hoping that it would be enough of a hint to move away from this uncomfortable topic.

  “And I didn’t expect to fall for a woman who showed me a property in Nashville. A completely different state from my own.” Elliot speaks with confidence with this statement.

  I almost faint. He just said he had fallen for me. I decide to lighten the mood. “I’m from Nashville, maybe I know her?” The tears I am fighting stay away, and for that I am grateful. The only way to ensure they don’t come is by moving on and I was going to grab this information with both hands, hold onto this news Elliot had just told me, happy news that he had fallen for me.

  He smiled at me for a moment. “Maybe you do. I’ll describe her for you to see if it jogs your memory.” I nod “Okay. Where to start? She has long black hair. Beautiful green eyes. Smooth fair skin. She is a real estate agent and lives in an apartment on Main Street.”

  A huge smile appears on my face. I place a forefinger to my lips to look as though I am concentrating. “You know what? That does ring a bell. She does sound familiar.”

  He nods. “She should. You saw her this evening when you looked in the mirror.” He smiles and slowly moves his face closer to mine. Kissing me gently, just once on the lips. It only lasts a few seconds before he pulls away. He is being careful, he doesn’t want to push me.

  “I want you to know something Angela. I hate violence. All types of it. Whether it be physical, emotional, financial. I always have. If you choose to allow me into your life, as your friend or even as your partner, I can make a promise to you right here, right now. I will never, ever hurt you like that.” His eyes are gazing directly into mine and I could see honesty. This man has no reason to be making this kind of promise.

  I decide to ask the one question I had been dying to know the answer to since I first felt the electrical current. Even more so since our first kiss. “Do you want to be friends Elliot? Or more than that?”

  He nods in response, “More, Angela, but only if you want that, too.” His voice is gentle. Caring and soothing at the same time. He is giving me the option. I decide to tell him my secret. Then he could make his own choice.

  “I want that.” I pause and take a moment to get the wording right. This was either going to weird him out, make him happy or possibly open up another can of worms. After all this is incredibly odd in this time and age of someone my age. “I want you to know something, something important about me, Elliot. I’m planning on waiting until my wedding night.” I’m not exactly sure what I expect him to do upon learning this piece of information. Perhaps to spring from his knees, step backwards into his seat and say, ‘not interested, thanks anyway.’ Maybe he would laugh. I wait for the reaction to come.

  He doesn’t move at first, staying still like a statue. Then he drops his head into my lap and moves his face from side to side twice. He then lifts his face to look back at mine and slowly unwraps his hands from my waist, gently laying them on my thighs. “Angela. You are full of surprises.” He stops for a moment and then continues “I would have never thought it possible to find someone who I have this in common with, and yet here we are. I’m also waiting.” He doesn’t smile, just looks into my eyes. I don’t know what to say and I don’t think he does either.

  This was a shock. It had never crossed my mind that he would have the exact same values that I do. After all, it’s such an old institution to wait until marriage. It had never crossed my mind that he could possibly still be waiting for someone. After all, how many women must have thrown themselves at him over the years? Including that girlfriend from back in his high school years. When he told me that she had cheated on him, my mind instantly thought that she had engaged in sex with another man. Therefore they had also been sexually active, together.

  “You are?” I question. I hope he won’t hear the disbelief in my tone.

  “I am” he answers “Now, I’m not saying I’m a virgin. Because, Angie, I’m not. But I don’t want to have it with just anybody. I want it to mean something. It’s something incredibly special and I want to share it with that special someone who loves me just as much as I love them.” He is being so honest with me that I can feel all the remnants of those walls I had built around my heart crumbling down. Piece by piece, he unwraps my heart, leaving it completely exposed, completely open to him. It was a surprise to find out that one of the most eligible bachelors in New York is waiting. After all, Elliot oozed sex appeal and confidence. He is someone who seems completely comfortable with his own body. He had declared that he wasn’t a virgin, so he has probably had a number of beautiful woman in his bed. But now he is waiting. Maybe in some crazy way, we might be meant for each other?

  I am getting ahead of myself now. Thinking about a future where we might actually be meant for each other. He said he wanted to spend more time with me. That is going to be hard, incredibly so. Considering we live so far apart, states in fact. We lived too far apart to spend each weekend with each other like most couples do and then there was the fact that I couldn’t just hop on a plane once a month to come see him. Not on a real estate agent’s wage anyway. I would be too busy with working on Saturdays and then overseeing his project restoration.

  After this weekend, we would see each other once every couple of months when he flew in to check on how everything was going at the cottage and then he would fly out again. Then there was Christmas. Even though I had some time off, and I’m sure he would too, he would be spending his with his family and I by myself back home. Possibly have Christmas dinner with Liam and Jessica. That didn’t allow for our relationship to develop. I had to face reality sooner rather than later, this just wasn’t going to work.

  Like Elliot so often did, as though he plucked a thought right from my mind, his voice broke through. “Do you have some time off at Christmas, Angela?”

  This isn’t a question I was expecting from Elliot. Just a thought that was running through my mind. This might be a chance to see how serious he is though. “I sure do. Two whole weeks. My leave starts from the twenty-third of December,” I answer. Wondering where he was going with this line of questioning.

  “Will you be spending time with yo
ur family?” He is getting closer to the question he really wanted to ask now, I could feel it.

  I look down towards my hands that are now sitting in my lap. I was wringing them. I hated talking about my parents. I shake my head. “No. my parents and I haven’t had a Christmas together for about four years. The travel costs at this time of year escalate quickly and I still take appointments with clients if they ask.”

  He asks, “Why don’t they come to you?”

  Have you seen the size of my apartment? I think to myself. How would we all fit? “Partly it is due to the fact that we aren’t exactly close. The other part is because they normally take off seeking warmer weather. Cruising generally.” I wanted to get off this topic quickly and what better way to stop talking about myself then to ask him the same question.

  “How about you? Do you take any time off at Christmas?”

  He smiles at me. “Not usually. I’m going to take a couple of weeks off this year though. From the twenty-third. I want to be available to spend some time with someone.” He raises an eyebrow in my direction. I know what he is insinuating and inside it makes me incredibly happy.

  I press on with more questions. “Do you get together with your family for Christmas?” I go along the same line of questioning he did.

  “Yes. Both Mom and Dad, their names are Maggie and Arthur by the way, come over for Christmas lunch. My sister Elizabeth, she prefers Beth for short, her husband David, and their two little ones, Jack and Nicky, normally arrive a short time after.”

  I am happy to hear that he wouldn’t be alone in this huge house for Christmas “That sounds like it will be lovely. I’m sure your mother enjoys having you all under the one roof at this special time of year,” I offer.

  I release my hands from my grip on his and reach for my glass of water and drink it all. He had a large family, that much was evident from his list of family members. He obviously saw them. I wonder if he saw them often or just a couple times throughout the year? “Do your family live in New York, too, or elsewhere?” I needed to keep the conversation based on him and not me.

  “Mom and Dad are relatively close as they still live in the home I was raised in. The next suburb over in Stamford. Beth and David have a Brownstone in Manhattan.” He seems more than happy to share this information. I am glad that he feels comfortable sharing it with me.

  “That’s lovely that you are all close together. Allows you guys to catch up often, I imagine,” I reply. He nods in response.

  “I see Dad quite a bit as he works for me. The rest of us try and catch up once a month for lunch. I was wondering, since you don’t have plans for Christmas. Would you do me a favor? How would you feel about accompanying me for Christmas lunch?” Elliot asks me.

  I am in shock at the offer he has just made. I am unsure if I should accept or decline. If I do agree then that means I would be meeting his family and that in itself is a huge step. Especially when it would be his entire family all at once. Then I had to consider the cost at that time of year. The flights would be double the cost of any other time of year. “That’s really lovely of you to ask but like I said earlier Elliot, travel expenses are so expensive at Christmas.”

  “You said that your first day off is the twenty-third of December, right? I would be paying for your flights. Only if you would like to come, though?”

  Elliot is asking me to spend Christmas with him. Maybe I should throw a monkey wrench into the works and ask him to attend my Christmas party. See what he says to that before agreeing or disagreeing to his proposal. “Well my work has our Christmas party on the twenty-second once we finish for the day. Maybe you could accompany me?”

  I am surprised that he answers straight away “Sure. I’ll fly out that morning, then we can fly back the following day. If you will agree to come back with me that is?”

  He had just agreed to come with me to my work Christmas party. Our first outing as partners. If he was willing to do this for me in front of a bunch of work colleagues, then I should go to Christmas lunch with him, especially when it would be with his family. “I can’t believe you said yes, but since you’re willing to do that for me, then okay, Elliot. I’ll spend Christmas with you.”

  I couldn’t really believe that I would be spending the holiday season with Elliot Sands.

  ~ Chapter Twenty-Two ~

  “Angela, that makes me so happy. You make me happy. This will be the best Christmas yet. I can feel it. Thank you.” Elliot speaks with feeling in his voice. His excitement is infectious. I turn when I hear footsteps behind me, even though I knew it could only be one person. Andrew is on his way to over to us, with two bowls of dessert in hand. This dish I know the moment it is placed down in front of me.

  “Pavlova” I look up at Andrew and give him a smile he had just placed Elliot’s bowl in front of him and he smiles right back at me

  “Indeed it is, Miss White.” I pick up my fork eagerly and slice through the meringue. The top is covered with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, mango, and passion fruit. I lift the fork placing a delicious mouthful into my mouth. Closing my eyes, enjoying the taste. The explosion of sweetness coming from the berries, mixed with the sourness of the passion fruit provided an explosion in my mouth. I chew, savoring the flavor.

  I open my eyes to see Andrew is still at the table, this is good as I want to provide him with some feedback. “This is delicious Andrew. Thank you so much!” I tell him my appreciation. He smiles at me and nods. He then makes his way back to the kitchen with our dinner plates from our leftover lamb and vegetables.

  I see that Elliot is looking at me with a grin on his face, as though he finds me amusing. “What’s funny?”

  “Nothing’s funny. I’m happy that you like Pavlova. It’s good to know as we have one for Christmas dessert,” Elliot informs me. I nod. Since I have taken another mouthful, I decide on a thumbs up with my free hand.

  This causes Elliot to roar with laughter. I’m not quite sure what I did that was so funny, but I am always happy to be on the receiving end of a reaction like this over a cold death stare and being yelled at. I decide to laugh too, gently. Just enough so he knew that I could laugh at myself too. That I don’t take myself too seriously. At least, not all the time.

  We finish our dessert much faster than either of our other courses this evening, and I notice that both of our plates are completely empty. As I place my fork down, Elliot reaches out for my hand. “Thank you for having dinner with me. Would you like to head inside and have a look at the plans now?” I’m glad he wants to get back to the reason I have come this weekend. Hopefully if we get through this tonight we might be able to just hang out tomorrow. No need to worry about work, just enjoy getting to know each other.

  “Sounds like a plan,” I reply. We both stand up from the table and with my hand in Elliot’s, we leave the table. Making our way across the patio, he leads the way into the house. The same way that I had seen Andrew enter not even ten minutes earlier.

  When we pass through the kitchen, I notice that it is completely clean and Andrew is no longer here. I find it odd. He has just made a three-course meal and there was no washing up to be done. Maybe he washed and dried as he made dinner. Just like I do “Elliot. Where has Andrew disappeared to?” I know that I sound curious, and I definitely am.

  “He is most likely in the butler’s pantry. It’s just over there. See the door that is slightly open.” He points to a door that is ajar toward the far end of the kitchen. I can see a light on and imagine Andrew busying himself in there, scrubbing pots and pans.

  We keep walking until he opens a door off the main hallway on the second level of the home and signals with his hand for me to enter. As soon as I walk through the door, I remember the room from earlier today. We are in his office. I walk toward his large mahogany desk and turn right into the library room that was adjoined. I wander toward the shelves and brush my fingers against the many book spines that were showing. I hear Elliot clear his throat behind me, so I t
urn around and make my way back out towards his desk. There he is standing behind it, unravelling a large piece of paper that had been rolled.

  I make my way to the desk and settle on the opposite side of Elliot; this will allow us plenty of room to move about. I quickly glance over the plan when I see the first big change. “You’re going to change the rear patio into a conservatory?” It just spills out before I can stop myself.

  “Indeed. I wanted an entertaining area that can be used all year around.” It made sense. Don’t get me wrong. I’m just not sure how I feel about such an addition.

  A conservatory could possibly fit into the time period of the building itself. “Will you build it out of materials that would have been readily available back then? Ensure it looks like it’s been there the entire time and not new construction?” This is important to me and I hope it is to Elliot as well.

  “Of course. It will look as though it’s been there for two hundred years. I’m going to place that antique love seat inside and have some custom cushions made, that way you can sit and enjoy a cup of tea in comfort.” He is looking at me when he mentions having a cup of tea there. He stays quiet waiting for my answer. It is as though he wants my approval.

  “Sounds like a plan. I can also see the plan for a larger pool near the rose bushes.” This was another big change. Historically the exterior of the home can be changed without permission of the historical homes association as long as it’s not touching the actual house, for instance changing the roof line or removing a door. So the fact that a pool would be installed on the grounds is fine.

  “I sure am.” He smiles back at me. “What do you think about the kitchen?”

  Elliot asks me many questions during the course of the following two hours. He shows me many of his ideas and asks for my thoughts on each item. We discuss the options for modernizing the bathroom and laundry. Bringing the electrical and plumbing up to code and keeping the reminder of the house the way it was. Just refinishing the floors, replacing drywall where needed, painting the walls, replacing light fittings.