Too Enchanting

by Bethany Lopez

  Needing to shake her off, I stepped outside to take a few deep breaths, then went back in to join the others. I wasn’t going to allow Kylie to ruin the big reveal for me. I’d worked too hard.

  As we waited, my eyes found Jed again, but this time, he was watching me as well.

  I smiled and gave a little wave in greeting, and when he grinned back, my mind shifted to the night in his workshop. The memory of his mouth on my breast caused a flash of lust to run through me, and I could feel my neck heating as I remembered how I’d had to finish myself off when I got home.

  Jed’s eyes darkened as he watched me, and I knew he realized what I was thinking about when I saw his hands fist at his side.

  I could hear them calling action in the background, but my entire being was solely focused on Jed. Handsome, thoughtful, creative, sexy, Jed. And, I knew as he mouthed the word tonight that I was falling hard and fast for the neighbor I’d once thought of as annoying.

  The realization sent a thrill of anticipation through me, and I found myself wishing we could skip the final taping and the wrap party, and head right to dinner, and what came after…

  “Oh my God!”

  The excited squeal had me tearing my gaze from Jed to the happy couple, the warmth of his stare following me.

  I couldn’t help but react to the way Mrs. Camu was looking around her house, eyes wide, her hand covering her mouth, while Mr. Camu led her in with his hand at the small of her back, a big grin on his lips as his head swung back and forth to take it all in.

  Thank God, they love it!

  Kylie was doing her thing, showing them around the house, with Sadie and Jose stepping in to clarify new additions to the space.

  Once they started the tour, the rest of us filed out and into the yard, to give the stars of the show, the cameramen, crew, and the Camus space to film what they needed.

  “We’re heading to the bar and grill on Main Street for the wrap party, see y’all there,” one of the crew members yelled out, and everyone who wasn’t on cleanup started piling in their vehicles and heading out.

  “There you are…”

  I paused on my way down the steps to see Jed sauntering over to me.

  “Hey,” I greeted him with a shy smile. What I really wanted to do was jump up on him and start kissing his face, to hell with the camera crews and everyone, but I settled for placing my hand on the back of his bicep and giving it a small squeeze before dropping my hand to my side.

  Damn, his muscles feel great under my palm.

  “That was pretty cool, huh?” I added, tilting my head toward the house.

  “Yeah, I had no idea how great it would be to be involved in something like this. Seeing it on TV just isn’t the same.”

  Jed’s hand came up to brush a stray lock of hair off of my cheek, and the feel of his rough, work-worn fingers against my skin had me leaning into his touch before I even realized what I was doing.

  His eyes darkened, and I swear, I felt that look all the way down to my toes, and suddenly wished we were anywhere but in the midst of a television crew.

  “What do you say to skipping the wrap party and going straight to dinner?” Jed asked, his tone low and full of promise.

  That promise had me suggesting something that would normally make me blush.

  “Or, what about we skip the wrap party and dinner, and just head to your place … or, mine.”

  Jed looked like he wanted to not only say yes, but to drag me to his truck and take me home right then, but instead he shook his head as he ran his thumb across my cheek.

  “I want to take you on this date first … do this right. Then, if we still want to continue the date after dinner, I’ll be more than happy to meet you wherever you wish.”

  I liked that. Really liked that he wanted to stick by what he’d said from the beginning and take me out on a real date, even though I was dying to get him alone and do the naked mambo.

  I let out a sigh, which I’m sure conveyed my disappointment, because he grinned wickedly in response.

  “Okay then, yes, let’s skip the wrap party and go to dinner.”

  “Do you need to go home first?” he asked, and although I was eager to get to our date, I thought about how much work I’d done over the last few days and realized I had a situation that needed shaving, and if we were going to do what I hoped we were going to do after dinner, then I needed to jump in the shower for some quick grooming.

  “Yes, if that’s okay, just for like, thirty minutes,” I replied.

  “Perfect, I could use a shower, and we can drop off your car and ride together,” Jed said easily, then added, “I’ll be at your door in thirty.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Jed

  I hadn’t been lying, I did want to grab a shower, but I’d also needed time to do a quick cleaning of my house just in case we ended up coming back there after dinner.

  I was normally a pretty neat guy, but the long hours at the show, and the time I’d been putting in at my workshop, meant shit was pretty much thrown all over my place at the moment. So, I took a five-minute shower to scrub the important spots, then jumped out, toweled off, and started to rush through the house.

  I grabbed all the clothes from around my bedroom and shoved them in the closet, pushed everything else under the bed, and threw on some boxers so I could run through the rest of the house.

  The dishes got rinsed and shoved in the dishwasher, and I threw anything that didn’t look important in the trash and took a couple seconds to scrub out the downstairs toilet, as well as the one in the master.

  Then I sprayed an apple cinnamon room spray in each room, before rushing upstairs to get myself dressed. When I walked in the room and saw the state of my bed, I sprayed the sheets with the room spray real quick, then made it, smoothing out the comforter and calling it good.

  Within seconds, I pulled on my black slacks and a charcoal gray V-neck, then rummaged around my drawer until I found a pair of black socks that almost matched and decided on my Doc Martens to finish it off.

  After a spray of cologne and a swipe through my hair with a comb, I was ready … with ten minutes to spare, so I went down stairs and turned on some Sports Center until it was time to go.

  Ten minutes later, I was on Serena’s doorstep, my fist poised to knock, when the door flew open and she stood there before me.

  I knew my jaw had dropped so far it was scraping the concrete, but Serena was literally the most beautiful person I’d ever seen up close. She’d somehow surpassed even her own beauty, in just thirty minutes time.

  She wore a red dress with a deep V that fell just above her knees with a slit up her right thigh that had my hand itching to touch. Her lips matched the dress, and her hair was falling in deep waves around her face.

  “Stunning,” I managed to say, leaning in to brush my lips against her cheek, not wanting to muss her up.

  “Thank you,” Serena replied softly, stepping out and shutting the door behind her.

  That’s when I noticed the tall, thin black heels she was wearing, which still only brought her head to my shoulder.

  I was going to need her to keep those shoes on all night long.

  “You look very handsome,” she added, then chuckled and said, “But then, you always do.”

  I was pleased she thought so and thanked her as I placed my hand on her back and guided her down the stairs. Once we were at my truck, I opened her door, then waited until she was tucked safely inside before closing it behind her.

  Jumping inside, I turned to her as I started it up. “You like steak?”

  “Love it.”

  “Great,” I said with a grin, then headed out of town.

  Thirty minutes away, there was a lake with a great surf and turf restaurant right on the waterfront. I’d only been there a couple times, but the food was fantastic, and the ambience just what I wanted for my date with Serena.

  “Oh, I’ve always wanted to come here,” Serena said when we pulled up.

 
; We’d passed the drive chatting mostly about the show, telling stories about Jose, Sadie, and the crew. Now, I was hoping we’d focus on us, and dig a little deeper into what would become an actual relationship if things went my way.

  “Well, I’m happy to be the one to bring you,” I replied, then hopped out and rounded the truck to get her door.

  I took her hand, my eyes rapt on the black shoe, followed by the toned, tanned leg that preceded her out of the truck.

  Once inside, we were led to a table out back, right up against the window, so we could hear the water lapping against the dock and see the lights sparkle out over the water. When we were seated, I reached for Serena’s hand and brushed my thumb over her knuckles.

  “Thanks for agreeing to go out with me, even amidst all the craziness and busy workload.”

  “I’m happy to be here,” she admitted, her expression sweet. “I’m sorry I made you wait so long.”

  “You’re worth it,” I replied, then turned my attention to the waiter who approached and asked if we’d like to order drinks. “Want to order a bottle?” I asked Serena.

  “That sounds lovely.”

  “You pick it,” I urged, then let her hand go so she could peruse the wine menu.

  Once a bottle of Pinot Noir was ordered, we were left alone to look over our menus.

  “What’s good?” Serena asked.

  “I’ve only been here a couple times, and I know you said you’re allergic to shellfish, so I won’t recommend that, but both the ribeye and petite filet were great when I had them.”

  Once we knew what we wanted, we put our menus down and I reached for Serena’s hand again, eager to say what was on my mind, so I could get it out there and not have it weighing on me any longer.

  “Rena, I know we haven’t known each other that long, and in the time we have known each other, we haven’t been able to spend a great deal of time together, due to work and other commitments, but I have to say, what I’ve come to know about you so far, I’ve really liked. I’m at a place in my life where I don’t waste a lot of time messing around. I’m older, more established, and I know what I want.”

  I kept my eyes on hers, and when my tongue darted out to wet my lips, I saw her gaze catch and hold there. I smirked, hoping that tell meant we were on the same page. “What I’m trying to say, Serena, is that I want to see more of you, exclusively. There’s no one else I’m interested in, and I hope you can say the same. I want to get to know you better, and, hopefully, build something with you. What do you think?”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Serena

  My heart was fluttering in my chest, like a baby bird trying out its wings for the first time.

  Everything Jed was saying sounded perfect, I just couldn’t believe he was actually saying it … to me.

  I listened with an open mind and an open heart, and once he paused, obviously ready for my response, I blurted out, “God, yes, I do. I want that … with you.”

  I cringed, playing that back in my head and realizing that could have come out more elegantly, but Jed’s answering grin told me he didn’t care about my delivery, all he heard was the word yes.

  “Great,” he replied, squeezing my hand once before letting it go so the waiter could pour our wine, then take our food orders.

  “So,” I began after the waiter left. I played with the stem of my wine glass and said, “We’ve already talked about our pasts, what about the future? Do you want to continue with your wood working? Do more construction?”

  “I’d eventually like to focus solely on my own creations. Construction has been great, and I’ve been able to save a lot of money doing it, but you can only do work like that for so long, before your body starts breaking down. I have no desire to be a foreman or run my own construction company. Things have already been better than I imagined when I started my Instagram page and started offering my pieces for sale.” Jed’s face was animated as he spoke and I loved that he was so passionate about his work. I could totally relate. “If things keep going in the direction they are, I’d say within the next five years I can quit construction all together.”

  “That’s really great. I think it’s important to do what you love, what really fills you up inside.”

  “How about you?” Jed asked. “Do you have a five-year plan?”

  “Well, I hope to still be managing the gallery, and that it’s a great success,” I replied with a chuckle.

  “And, your own art?”

  I shrugged one shoulder and admitted, “I’m not sure. I’d like to say I’ll have had my own showing by then, but I’m still not sure that’s something I even want. For now, I’m happy keeping my art to myself.”

  “What about marriage? Kids?” Jed asked, and my stomach got a little tingly at the thought of having those things with him.

  “I definitely want to get married,” I replied, picking up my glass and taking a sip. “And, I always thought I’d have kids, that is, until Chloe told Jasmine and I horror stories about having babies.”

  Jed chuckled.

  “What about you?” I asked, then held my breath as I waited for his answer.

  “Yeah, for sure. I want marriage, kids, a dog, the whole deal.”

  “Yeah?” I asked with a grin.

  “Absolutely,” Jed said, smiling back at me.

  “Good.”

  “Good,” he repeated softly, his eyes darkening as they roamed my face, then lower, until I could feel the heat of his gaze on my chest, as palpable as if he were touching me with his hands.

  Suddenly, it got really hot in the restaurant, and I found myself shifting in my seat to try and get comfortable.

  Jed’s knowing smirk only further fueled my desire, and I suddenly wished we were already on the dessert course.

  Needing to change the subject before I did something embarrassing, like straddle him in the middle of the restaurant, I picked up my water glass and took a big gulp, then cleared my throat and asked, “So, how’d your meet and greet with little Ben go?”

  The smolder left Jed’s face as he grinned at the thought of Reardon and Chloe’s baby, and I bit back a sigh of temporary reprieve.

  “Really good. You know, babies are usually pretty hideous, but that little Viking was actually a cute kid.”

  “Babies are not hideous,” I protested with a snort, my hand flying up to cover my face when I realized the sound I’d just made.

  “They sure as hell can be,” Jed said, ignoring my snort like a gentleman. “I stopped by after one of the guys on my crew’s wife had their kid, and that baby looked like that alien from the movie that popped out of Sigourney Weaver’s belly. It was not the baby you’d want for the next Gerber commercial.”

  “You’re terrible,” I said with a laugh.

  “I speak the truth,” he replied with a chuckle. “But, I’m sure when it’s your baby, no matter how lopsided the head, wrinkled the skin, or scrunchy the face, it’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.”

  I nodded in agreement, though still giggling at the picture he’d put in my mind.

  “And, even the weirdest-looking baby seems to grow out of it and turn into a cute kid. Unless it’s an asshole, then it doesn’t matter what it looks like.”

  I almost spit out my wine.

  “Oh my God, you really can’t call a baby an asshole.”

  “Just call them like I see ‘em,” Jed said with a wink, and I knew he was messing with me.

  The entire dinner went that way, with teasing and laughter, jokes and more laughter. By the time we left, I think I’d laughed more during that dinner than the entire past year, which on one hand, was really sad, but on the other, was great.

  I was so comfortable and at ease that I forgot to be nervous about what would happen next, and before I knew it we were pulling into Jed’s driveway, he was opening my door, and we’d reached the end of the evening.

  “Do you want to come inside?” Jed asked, leaving the decision up to me.

  That’s when
I decided, it wasn’t the end of the evening, it was only the beginning.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Jed

  I’d love to,” Serena said, and my heart dislodged from my throat.

  I really wanted to keep this date going, but I wanted to make sure she was ready. We didn’t need to rush, I was planning on being with her for a long time. But after our talk at dinner, and the way we’d been teasing each other over the past few weeks, I wanted the night with her.

  Hell, I just wanted her.

  We walked through the house, Serena looking around curiously, and I realized she hadn’t yet been inside, only out at my workshop. I was glad I’d taken the time to at least straighten up. The place wasn’t spotless, but at least I didn’t look like a total slob.

  “Would you like something to drink?” I asked belatedly as we walked up the stairs.

  “Oh, ah, maybe a glass of wine. And water.”

  I led her into my room and said, “I’ll go grab the drinks, feel free to look around. Snoop. Whatever you want…”

  Serena laughed when I gave her permission to snoop.

  “Make yourself comfortable,” I amended, then turned and jogged down the stairs, hoping like hell I had some wine.

  Maybe you should have made sure before you asked her what she wanted, jackass, I mentally chided as I searched the kitchen.

  I opened the fridge to grab a couple of waters and muttered, “Score,” when I saw the bottle of opened Riesling in the door. I couldn’t remember when it was from, so I prayed it was still good as I pulled it out and poured a glass.

  After giving it a sniff, I deemed it good enough, and hurried back up the stairs.

  As I walked in, I saw Serena pull her head from the closet and shut the door quickly, then she turned to me with a look of guilt.

  “Busted,” I joked as came forward carrying the bottles in one hand and her glass of wine in the other. I crossed to the dresser to set them down, then turned back to her and said, “You found out where I shoved my dirty clothes. Whatever you do, don’t look under the bed.”