Nita’s response popped up a few moments later.
He’ll be there. You said he goes to the office every day, right?
Yes, but maybe he won’t this week. I don’t know, guys. This is crazy. Maybe I should just message him I’m here.
As expected, Louie’s response was instant.
NO! You need to surprise him! Grand gesture! Don’t give up yet! You just got there!
Honestly, guys, I think I’m just going to sneak away and get a hotel and forget this whole stupid idea. He’s going to think I’m crazy. I am crazy.
Nita jumped in right away with the words I needed to hear.
You are already there. Get some freaking closure already. Don’t you dare chicken out, Ellie. You owe it to yourself to find out. No fear. No regrets.
No fear. I took a deep breath and a huge bite of my cinnamon roll. No fear dammit!
The door to the office building opened and I saw him step out. My heart hammered so hard in my chest I worried he could hear it across the four lanes of traffic. Even from this distance, his physical beauty knocked the breath from my lungs. They boy who’d lived in beach shorts and flip-flops looked so grown up, now sporting a white button-down shirt and jeans that fit so well I could almost see the muscles of his thighs. His hair was shorter now, and a little darker without the bleached streaks from long days spent in the sun. The sight of him caused my breath to hitch and a piece of roll sucked with it and slid down the wrong pipe. I gagged and started coughing, trying to force the delicious offender back out of my throat.
The roll held its ground and I choked harder, panic from seeing him now colliding with panic that I couldn’t breathe. I coughed harder, choking down the small amounts of air I could get past the lodged piece of pastry. The sound of my episode started turning heads of the other patrons sitting at the café. An elderly man two tables down must have seen the horror on my face, which now flamed with redness from the air racing to my oxygen-deprived cheeks. He shouted something in Italian and leapt up with surprising speed for someone his age. The woman beside me screamed and pointed at me and everyone started jumping from their chairs toward me. Before I could choke in another half-breath, the old man’s hand collided with my back and I coughed up the sizeable piece of cinnamon roll.
Gasping and choking for air, I inhaled a deep breath and clutched my chest. My eyes darted to the little piece of bread that nearly took my life and then shot across the street. The crowds were all looking toward the commotion I’d caused, and I saw Liam’s eyes heading my way. As my fantasy of our perfect little reunion exploded into flames, my flight response took over. Panic ripped through my body and I turned to run. When I took my first step toward safety, I tripped on my luggage and spilled onto the street with a loud grunt. The white dress I’d picked out just for this moment flew up over my head and I struggled to cover my red polka dot panties while I flailed on the pavement before I stumbled back to my feet.
The same little old man appeared at my side in an instant, holding my elbow while I straightened myself back up. After I’d regained my composure, I looked across the street praying he hadn’t seen me, praying that somehow, he’d missed the mortifying episode that held the attention of everyone else in the area. But luck isn’t a lady, she’s a vicious bitch. Liam stood frozen and I met his wide eyes. My heartbeat drowned out the sounds of the people scrambling to make sure I was all right. It thumped louder and louder as we stood immobile, eyes locked for the first time since the day I kissed him goodbye. He took a stunned step toward me and off the curb into the street that separated us. My own feet started moving before I had time to think. He pulled me to him as if he’d ensnared me with an invisible rope and I made no effort to resist it. Horns honked and traffic stopped as we continued toward each other, the world around us stopping as I put one foot in front of the other with no thoughts or decisions guiding my way.
Him... it was only him.
As we approached the median, those crystal-clear blue eyes pierced my very soul, but I couldn’t read his emotions. Joy? Shock? Horror? He moved toward me like he was caught in the same trance that had taken over my own body, each step erasing the space between us. Reality slipped away as I struggled to comprehend that Liam walked toward me. Not a text bubble, or the ping of an IM, or a worn photograph. Curling up beneath a warm blanket, I would often stare at his faded image, letting the memories of my love for him warm me up on those cold, lonely nights. But now, a flesh and blood man continued toward me as lingering and haunting memories rushed back in a swell of emotion. The gravity of this moment crashed down on me, and panic over how I should greet him shook me from the hypnotic trance of his burning gaze. Should I shake his hand? Hug him?
Lord have mercy, I don’t know what to do!
We stepped onto the median at the same time, and I opened my mouth to speak, to explain my uninvited presence. “Liam,” I said, but before I could utter another word, those familiar hands slid on each side of my face and his lips descended onto mine, pushing the words back down with the force of his kiss. All of my fears melted away, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, clutching him desperately while my body pressed into his, folding backward under the weight of his passion. The sounds of the city fell away, and I dissolved into the kiss that had haunted me, tormented me and left me longing for it a decade later.
One hand slid from my cheek and drifted down my body until it settled on the small of my back. His strong hand pulled me closer while frantic lips pressed deeper into mine as he tipped me backward, his tongue demanding entrance. Parting my lips, I sighed into his mouth. He tasted the same, like sweetness and summer. It transported me back to the first time we’d kissed, and I could almost smell the lake again and hear the waves crashing behind us. The passion between us saturated every inch of me, flooding me with emotions I thought long dead... emotions that only came alive under his touch, his breath and his kiss. The butterflies in my stomach burst to life while the last of the space between us disappeared. He pressed into me, his other hand sliding through my hair and cupping my head while he ravaged my mouth with his.
His lips softened, and my breath hitched when they brushed against mine before they drifted away. Warm breath ghosted my lips while he hovered above me, and I opened my eyes to see his burning into mine. The sea of blue swirled with emotions and I felt the warmth of his gaze ignite the ember in my soul that had smoldered for him all these years, refusing to extinguish... fighting to stay alive until the day he could breathe life back into it. Just one look from those ocean eyes and it crackled and sparked, bursting into a flame that burned so hot it threatened to incinerate me from the inside.
He held me immobile, his eyes searching my own and moving across my face as if I might vanish... as if I might not even be real. I panted below him, my arms encircling his neck while I stared up, my own disbelief holding my tongue. A light breeze blew around us, his familiar smell teasing my nostrils and I struggled even now to place the scent. It was earthy yet sweet, and it was unique to only him. With just one breath, it sent me tumbling back in time to the days I’d spent in his arms.
Applause erupted from the world around us and for the first time since we’d touched, I realized we weren’t alone. A slow glance behind me found the group of people who’d come to my rescue at the bakery cheering and clapping for us, each beaming with joy at the reunion happening in the middle of their busy street. Cars whizzed by on each side of the median, and the world burst back to life, but we remained frozen in time, our eyes drifting back together.
“Hi,” I finally whispered, my voice wavering while I struggled to regain my senses.
“Hi,” he whispered back before his lips pulled into that familiar smile that turned my whole world upside down.
CHAPTER SIX
Liam
Even though I was touching her, looking at her, and could still taste her on my lips, I still couldn’t believe she was real. Ellie. My Ellie was suspended in my arms and for a moment I wondered if I was stuck in a
perpetual dream, unable to wake up. If so, I had no desire to awaken and would happily remain frozen here in this moment... the moment she waltzed back into my life just like she’d done that fated summer night so many years ago.
“You’re here,” I whispered, searching her face once again for any signs she’d disappear, and this was just a dream. Those familiar lips pulled into the soft smile I’d seen in my mind so many times since we parted ways a decade ago.
“I’m not a stalker, I promise. I wanted to surprise you,” she said.
“It worked. I’m surprised.” I smiled, a special warmth spreading through my body.
“Good surprise or ‘call the cops I’m being stalked’ surprised?” She bit her lip while she waited for my answer.
“Good surprise,” I answered and gave in to the need to taste her lips once more. When she met my kiss with the same desire that raged inside me, reality hit me square in the chest. She was here. Even with my vivid imagination, I could never fabricate the feelings she evoked in me with each swirl of her tongue, the feel of her weight in my arms, and the way my skin tingled when her fingers brushed across the back of my neck. No, this wasn’t a dream. My Ellie was here.
The applause from the onlookers started again, and I chuckled into her mouth, her own giggle mingling with mine before I kissed her softly once more and pulled her back to standing. A gust of wind blew through her honey-colored hair and a piece blew across her face, covering those soft green eyes I wanted to stare into until life interrupted. Instead, I brushed it away with my fingers and left them on her cheek, savoring the softness of her skin. She was more beautiful now than when I’d last seen her, though I still struggled to believe that was possible. The first time I’d laid eyes on her at the ice cream shop in Ephraim I could still remember how my mouth went dry, and the way my heart raced when our eyes met. The memories were remarkably similar to the feelings I had right now.
“Hi,” I said again, more elaborate words still ceasing to form. The shock of seeing her twisted my tongue into the same knot that formed in my stomach.
“Hi,” she repeated, and her soft smile returned.
“I can’t believe you’re here.” I slid my hand down her cheek.
“Neither can I. This wasn’t planned. There may have been drinks involved in the decision-making process. A lot of drinks.” Her gaze dropped to the ground, and she shifted nervously in front of me.
Laughing, I shook my head. “Remind me to send the bartender a thank-you card.”
“Are you sure this isn’t too weird? I haven’t lost my mind, I promise.” She looked back up at me, and the uncertainty behind her eyes sprang forth again and I wondered how she could even question my desire to see her.
“I’ve been dreaming of this moment since the last time I saw you. This is the greatest surprise of my life, Ellie.”
The worry lines around her eyes softened, and she closed them for a moment, pressing her cheek deeper into my hand. A car horn honked and startled us both, snapping her eyes open.
“Maybe we should get out of the median,” I said, realizing for the first time how unsafe we were perched on the small concrete strip between two rows of racing traffic.
“Okay, my bag is still over there.” She pointed to the café across the street where our cheering crowd finally meandered back to their seats.
“Come on.” I reached for her hand and laced my fingers with hers. The movement was simple, yet the feeling of her squeezing my hand back sent a swell through my chest and nearly dropped me to my knees. I watched for traffic, but my eyes wanted nothing more than to devour her, memorizing every angle of her face and curve of her body. It was all I could do to focus my gaze and find an opening to get her safely back to the café. When it came, I raised my hand to halt the traffic and tugged her behind me with the other one until we got safely on the other side of the street.
When we arrived at the café, the applause started up again while we walked between the familiar tables. Glancing toward her, I saw the same soft pink color bloom in her cheeks I remembered from the first time I saw her, standing at the ice cream counter. Her eyes met mine for a moment before her shy gaze dropped back down to the ground.
“Bellissimo!” an older man said while he kissed his fingers and tossed the gesture our way. I recognized him as the man who helped her to her feet after that unfortunate tumble.
“Grazie,” I said, while Ellie grabbed her bag from beneath the table.
“Can you please tell him thank you for helping me?” Ellie gestured to the smiling old man.
I translated the words and he nodded, his smile shining on the both of us while he sighed and sat back, his obvious appreciation for our affection apparent in the way his eyes lit up when he looked at us.
“I loved a woman like that once,” he said in Italian, and Ellie looked to me wondering what he’d said. “You are a beautiful couple. Never forget these feelings and never let her go.”
“I won’t. Ever,” I answered back in Italian and his wistful smile grew. As my gaze captured hers, I knew I meant it. Even after ten years I still hadn’t forgotten the feelings only she could evoke in me. Now that she was here again, those feelings only amplified. Like a garden hidden beneath the winter snows, her reappearance felt like spring and she brought with her the warmth of the sun and the refreshing rains to bring them to life again. Only this time, they bloomed even brighter.
The old man and I exchanged a knowing nod, and I turned back to Ellie. “He says you’re welcome.”
“I still can’t believe after ten years, the first time you saw me I was ass over teakettle.” She palmed her face then peeked out between her spread fingers.
“You always did like to make an entrance.” I laughed. “Mission accomplished. I heard the commotion and turned to see the most beautiful woman flying through the air. When you stood up, though, it was almost me who ended up on the ground. I couldn’t believe my eyes, but I recognized you. Instantly.”
“God, I’m so embarrassed,” she said, covering her face again but her laughter still snuck through. “First, I choke, then I panic, and then I flash everyone on the street. Yep, same ol’ Ellie.”
“You choked?” My eyebrows shot to my hair line and my own laughter started to build.
“Oh, yeah. You missed that part. Let’s just say I should probably buy that old man dinner.”
“How about you tell me the whole story. Would you like to go for a walk? There’s a nice park just a few blocks away.”
“I’d love to,” she said, and I reached down and grabbed the handle of her bag with one hand and extended an elbow.
“Shall we?”
“We shall.” She slid her hand through my arm.
We strolled in silence down the busy street and our eyes continued drifting together as if pulled by some invisible electrical current. I worried each time I looked away that when I looked back, she would be gone. But each glance in her direction found her by my side. Every time I saw her there my heart skipped a beat and the shock of the sight of her hit me again, just like it had when I saw her across the street. We turned the corner into the park and the sounds of the city quieted as we walked along the flower-lined path to the bench overlooking a small garden.
“Please, sit,” I said, gesturing to the bench.
Her arm slipped out of my elbow and instantly I missed her touch. Ten years of longing for it and now even the inches of space between us seemed too many. When she sat, I slid down beside her, making sure my body pressed up against her, and that pain I felt in her absence subsided again.
“So. You’re here,” I said, still struggling to process her presence.
“I’m here.” She crossed her long legs at the ankle and fumbled with her hands in her lap.
Now that the passion from our explosive reunion subsided, figuring out what to do with my own hands proved more difficult than it should. All I wanted to do was wrap my arms around her, but it’d been so long since we’d seen one another I wasn’t sure if that
was appropriate. I leaned an elbow on the bench beside her head and turned to meet her nervous stare.
“I got a message from you yesterday morning, and then heard nothing all day or night. I was getting worried, but I see now my fears were unwarranted.” I smiled. “How long have you been planning this?”
“Honestly?” She smiled back. “I’d indulged in one too many martinis, my sister and Louie convinced me to buy a plane ticket at midnight, and at six in the morning I was taking off from O’Hare and on my way. I arrived this morning and now I’m here.”
“That explains the radio silence.” I shook my head in disbelief. “You amaze me, Ellie Anderson.”
“I amazed myself. Let’s just say this is officially the craziest thing I’ve ever done.”
“Do you regret it?” I asked, and for the first time I wondered if seeing the older version of me had disappointed her in some way. I was a different man now than the one she’d kissed goodbye with tears streaming down her face when we were just eighteen years old.
“God, no!” she responded, and her hand grabbed mine, pulling it into her lap. “I’m so glad I did this. Remind me to send a thank-you note to that bartender, too.”
“Good. Because I’m so glad you’re here, Ellie. Stunned... but so glad.” I wrapped my fingers around her small hand and that last little pang craving her touch was satiated and the tension slipped off my shoulders.
“I don’t think my employers are going to be as glad about this.” She cringed and shook her head.
“I take it you left without taking time off work?”
“Oh, yeah. I left, and my friend and coworker Louie will do his best to cover for me and convince them not to fire me before I get back.”
“You’re working at a restaurant now, right?”
“For now,” she answered, and her eyes drifted away again.
The Big One (Second Chance Romantic Comedy) Page 6
