“Watch it,” I warn. “That’s my best friend you’re talking about.”
“…your aunt.” She quirks her eyebrow in challenge, which makes me smile. But we’ve got to get back on track, and she needs to know how I really feel.
“Look. Everyone chases the whole head-over-heels feeling with all the lusting and can’t-be-apart-for-three-minutes. Been there. Done that. How long did it last?”
Elliott shrugs. “I don’t know. A couple years, I guess.”
“Exactly. I already love you.” Her eyes widen. “Yeah, I said it. You’re one of my best friends, so that love is already there. And you probably feel the same, right?”
She pauses, and I can tell she’s really processing my words. “Well, yeah.”
“We live together well. We work together well. We could stay roommates and we’d be perfectly happy. The only thing we’re talking about is adding sex and the possibility of sleeping in the same bed to our future. That’s it.”
She bites her lip and looks down. “But what if someone comes along that you fall in love with?”
The vulnerability on her face speaks volumes about how scared she is. I realize I did the right thing by planting the seeds of dating and letting her come to her own conclusions on her own time.
Walking toward her, I grab her by the arms and rub up and down. “You can only fall in love with someone if you’re looking to find it. I’m hoping to find it with you. Once I’m committed, that’s it for me. That means not flirting with any other women. Not going on dates with other women. That means being committed to my very best friend in the whole world. And maybe taking her in the ass at some point.”
Elliott’s laugh is loud and boisterous, and I know her fear is being overshadowed by her love of the unexpected twist in conversation. “Pig.” She slaps me lightly on the arm.
“Maybe. But I’d like to try being your pig. What do you say?”
She sighs. “I’m so much older than you.”
“I know that’s a sticking point for you, but think of it this way: statistically, men die before women, so we’re basically the same age.”
“Statistically men mature slower, so I’m basically your grandma,” she deadpans.
“Did you just call yourself my grandma?”
Elliott cringes. “It was a poor choice of words. I didn’t realize it would sound bad until it was too late. But it also proves my point.”
I chuckle. “You’ve never seen my grandma. You are nowhere close to looking like her. You are sexy and sweet and funny. You’re a great mom and a great manager. You make running a daycare look like the easiest thing in the world, and you make being a mom look like cake too.”
“Are you trying to butter me up?”
“Is it working?”
“Maybe a little.”
I smile and do something I’ve only dreamed of for the past six weeks—I lean down and kiss her. She tastes like coffee and chocolate and a hint of pineapple, which makes me laugh against her lips.
“What’s so funny, Beast?” she whispers, never breaking contact with me, instead tangling her hands in my hair.
“Pineapple,” I murmur and wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her closer.
“A girl can’t be too prepared.”
And then we stop talking, communicating our excitement and even our fears about this new venture, with only our mouths. It’s exactly how I thought it would be.
Perfect.
Chapter Eighteen
ELLIOTT
“I wanna take you on a date.”
I look up at him from unloading the dishwasher and stare at him like he’s lost his mind. We’ve been officially “dating” for a couple weeks now, and as much as I hate to admit it, Abel was right. Nothing much has changed. Our morning and afternoon routines are the same. We still have witty, fun conversations. He’s still bright-eyed and perky first thing in the morning. I’m still like one of the extras from The Walking Dead.
The biggest change is the kisses we sneak when the girls aren’t looking, which is much of the time, considering they’re downstairs. Playing Wii. Again. Although Wii boxing is still banned.
Not that I should be surprised by any of this. Living with Abel wasn’t ever a hardship, and I’ve learned quickly dating him isn’t a hardship either. I should have known. He doesn’t bring me flowers or chocolate, but my love language has never been gifts anyway. I couldn’t care less about roses and jewelry. But a man who pitches in and pulls his own weight, as well as some for others? Now that’s the love language I can appreciate.
“And what, exactly, are we going to tell the girls since they don’t know we’re dating?”
“That’s easy.” He slings his arm over my shoulder and leans down for a quick peck. “We’re going to tell them we have to go to a work event.”
“Okay. That’s doable. But are we gonna leave the girls at home on their own?”
“There is such a thing as a babysitter,” he deadpans.
I tap my finger to my lips. “Your parents don’t know we’re dating. My mother doesn’t know we’re dating. Basically, no one knows we’re dating, so exactly where do you want to find one of these illusive babysitter things?”
“Another easy one,” he exclaims, throwing his arms out victoriously. “Joey.”
“Joey? Are you kidding me?” The Joey I know would love nothing more than to give me grief about my private life, so cluing him into this new relationship is a negative. The short time I’ve known him from living here, he seems to think making me blush is a good life goal. It doesn’t bother me, necessarily; I would just prefer not to hand him ammunition.
Abel’s arms and face fall. “What’s wrong with Joey?”
“First, he would spend the entire time in the basement with two young girls sparring with him. That’s weird.”
Crossing his arms, Abel huffs. “Only if you make it weird. I call it teaching little girls how to defend themselves.”
I point my finger at him. “You just made it a million times creepier.”
“Yeah, that sounded better in my head.”
I huff a small laugh and continue. “Second, if Joey comes over to babysit, he’ll know there is no work event and, therefore, figure out you’re taking me on a date. So will the girls. And the cat will be out of the bag.”
“Hmm. You bring up an interesting problem.” Abel thinks for a minute before his eyes light up. “I’ve got it. We’ll tell them we have to go to a PTA meeting.”
“We’re not on the PTA.”
“Joey doesn’t know that.”
“But the girls will as soon as we don’t show up to volunteer for anything.”
“Eh. We can tell them we had irreconcilable differences at the meeting and quit.” Moving closer, Abel places his hands on my hips and pulls me closer. He’s always doing that. Touching me in little ways and sneaking in small kisses when no one is looking. I like it. I like that he’s affectionate and makes it a point to let me know he’s attracted to me. It can get a little dicey when keeping a new relationship under wraps. But Abel knows exactly what to do to make me feel confident that this is truly a good thing.
“But really,” he says, his tone changing from Playful Abel to Sensual Abel. “Go on a date with me, Elliott. I know we’re hiding from the girls because this is a little too insta-family. But let’s go somewhere to be just Abel and Elliott. Not Mom and Dad, or coworkers or employees. Just us.”
Well, when he puts it like that…
“Fine.” I look at up him and smile, feeling some nervous excitement over our first night out. “When?”
“Hold that thought.” Without letting me go, Abel pulls his phone from his back pocket and presses a couple of buttons. I’m not sure which ones since he’s taller than I am, but soon enough, the phone is pressed to his ear and I find out. “Hey, Joey. What’s up? Yeah?” Abel grimaces. “Ew. Joey. No. Joe… seriously… That’s gross! I’m not interested in your sex life. Stop!” I press my face into Abel’s chest, unable to stop my giggle. He pinch
es my side, tickling me and making me squeak. “I didn’t call to hear this stuff, so stop talking for two minutes. You done? Thank you. I need a babysitter tonight. You free? Uh huh. Yeah, it’s a PTA meeting so Elliott has to go too. Is that okay? Ainsley’s pretty mellow compared to Mabel, but it's still double the kids. Yeah. Cool. See you in a bit.”
Shutting down his phone, Abel quirks an eyebrow as if he’s won some invisible contest I didn’t know we were playing. “He’ll be here in two hours.”
“Sounds like a plan. So where are you taking me? It better be somewhere fancy,” I joke, secretly hoping I can wear jeans, no matter where we go.
He bobbles his head back and forth momentarily. “Fancier than work. Not as fancy as a wedding.”
Now he has my interest piqued. “So, dress like I’m actually going to a PTA meeting?”
He stares at me blankly. “I have no idea. I’ve never been to one.”
“You’re missing out, Beast. That’s where you can find all those hard-up single moms who spend all day at our gym.” I pat him on the shoulder, a grimace set firmly on his face, and go back to putting the dishes away.
“That’s exactly why I don’t go to those things.” An honest to goodness shudder runs through his body. Who knew men could have such a strong reaction to women hitting on them? It’s practically visceral.
“But seriously, Abel. Where are you taking me?”
Abel’s face lights up but he remains tight-lipped. “Just be ready for anything, Cutie.”
Famous last words, I’m sure.
“Doesn’t the aquarium close at six?”
Abel’s gloved hand squeezes mine as we walk quickly up the steps to Shedd Aquarium, one of the largest aquariums in the world and a popular tourist spot when people visit in the summer. Because who in the world would purposely come to Chicago in the winter? Crazy people, that’s who.
But no one ever accused us of being sane. We’re the ones who lied through our teeth to our coworker about why he is currently in our basement playing referee to two eight-year-old maniacs. Every part of that statement proves how insane we actually are.
“Normally it’s closed now,” Abel says. “So, we’re going to Shedd After Dark.”
“What’s that?”
Abel stops, forcing me to do the same, and stares down at me. “You’ve never been to Shedd After Dark?”
Confused, I ask, “No?”
Chuckling lightly, he resumes his walk, pulling me along beside him. “You’re in for a surprise tonight, then. It’s basically cocktail hour with marine animals and without anyone under the age of twenty-one hanging around.”
Sure enough, when we make our way through the front to get tickets and check all our winter gear in the coatroom, it’s like the aquarium has been transformed. I’ve been here during the day before, but I’ve never seen it like this. The lights are dim, there’s a bar set up, and live music is being played in the open area in the front. Abel was right; this is going to be fun.
“I wasn’t sure what to get you, so it’s white wine.” Abel hands me a good-sized glass filled almost to the top. “I hope I guessed right.”
“You did,” I say with a smile. “Thank you.”
Taking my hand in his, Abel smiles. “Ready to explore?”
“Let’s go.”
We follow the crowd wandering around the aquarium, unaware of people trying to get by as they drink and chat with friends. It’s clear everyone is content to just relax and enjoy whatever display they end up in front of. Who can blame them? The Amazon Rising exhibit isn’t only full of soothing water sounds from the habitats, it’s also warm and humid. It’s only the beginning of March. Winter is far from over in this part of the country, so the climate in here is a nice change.
“I haven’t been here in years,” I marvel as we pass a particularly rambunctious crowd and make our way to the Great Lakes exhibit to hang out with the “locals” for a bit. “I’ve always loved the aquarium. There’s something peaceful about it.”
“Probably a combination of the sounds of the water and the silence of the animals gliding by.”
“Don’t forget the colors. I love all of it.”
“So, you haven’t brought Ainsley here?” He points out a giant sturgeon we can apparently touch. I shake my head, partially to answer his question and partially putting the kibosh on any plans he has for me to touch a fish tonight.
“I always have good intentions but never seem to follow through.” It’s a fact that makes me feel guilty if I dwell on it too long. So, I try to avoid thinking about it at all costs. “I’m pretty sure the girls are supposed to come on a field trip here next year. Maybe I’ll sign up to chaperone.”
“You’re a really good mom, you know that?”
My eyes cut away from the fish they were looking at and focus on him instead. Abel has no idea how good it feels to hear him say that. My ex loves to point out any flaws in my parenting he can find, I’m sure to make himself feel better about his own shortcomings. And my mother, well, living with her didn’t exactly build me up. So, these little moments are important, which scares me a bit. How can one man so quickly become my very best friend and so much more?
“Thank you. How do you always know what I need to hear?” I half-joke, hoping to hide how genuinely grateful I am. I don’t want to bring this date down with my deepest, most insecure emotions.
Abel shrugs and takes a sip of his low-calorie beer, which looks completely unappealing. “I’m of the mindset it’s less about knowing what someone needs to hear than being truthful in my opinions.”
“And yet, somehow that opinion happened at the exact time I was feeling bad for never bringing Ainsley here.” I raise an eyebrow at his chuckle.
“You’re not hard to read, Elliott.”
He has a valid point. “I guess I don’t really try to hide my feelings, do I?”
“It’s one of the things I like about you.” Leaning in, he whispers, “You’re real.”
I’m not sure how to respond. It’s not like most people try to be fake, in my experience. Then again, I never lived with Abel’s ex, so I could be completely off base. Still, knowing that this part of me I don’t particularly care for is something he likes makes me bite my lip as I try not to blush and giggle. Too many times, “real” has been perceived as “oversensitive,” which makes me feel sensitive. I know—vicious cycle.
Before I can respond beyond my initial schoolgirl reaction, Abel takes my hand again. “Come on. I wanna show you something.”
Winding our way through the crowd, he leads me down some stairs to another display, losing our drinks somewhere along the way. The Wild Reef is dark, lit up only by the lights in the water tunnel all around us.
“Wow,” I breathe while watching dozens of different colored fish in all shapes and sizes lazily swim by. The colors are striking, and I can’t help but put my hand on the glass, wishing I could get closer.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
I can’t tear my eyes away from the sights in front of me. Not even to answer my date. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“It’s my favorite part,” he admits, standing so close to me the heat from his body radiates to mine. “It always reminds me of how small I am compared to the rest of the world. How small my problems are. Is that weird?”
“Not at all. There’s something very centering about watching them. They’re so at peace with their surroundings. I wish I could feel like that sometimes.”
“Don’t you?”
I shrug because that’s a hard question to answer. “Maybe sometimes. I worry a lot. About finances and if I’m raising Ainsley the right way. About how much the divorce negatively affected her. I guess I can’t really hide what I feel, because I feel too much.”
“That’s not a bad thing, Elliott.”
“Not always. I think…” A piece of coral moves, distracting me from my thoughts. Especially when I realize it’s not a piece of coral at all, but a fish disguising himself in the roc
ks. “Holy cow, do you see that?” I ask excitedly, unable to contain my smile. “It’s amazing!”
“Absolutely stunning.”
Something in Abel’s tone has me turning my gaze to him. He’s not paying attention to the sea life in front of us at all. No, he’s staring at me.
Suddenly, I’m very aware we’re the only ones down here. Either this area is off limits and we didn’t realize it, or no one besides us has ventured this far from the bar. As an added bonus,we’re not in danger of any children interrupting this moment in time.
As we continue to hold eye contact, the tension in the room cranks up several notches. My heart begins beating rapidly and my breathing is suddenly heavier. Abel moves closer but too slowly for me. It’s as if some dormant part of me has woken up and I can’t keep my hands to myself a moment longer.
Grabbing him by the lapel, I pull him into a dark corner. It won’t completely hide us, but it’s dark enough we’ll have plenty of time to pull apart if we’re interrupted.
“What are you doing, Elliott?” His playful tone tells me he knows exactly what I’m doing.
So quietly he has to lean in closer, I say, “You said you wanted to date a cougar. Maybe it’s time for me to pounce.”
For a moment, we stare into each other’s eyes before our brains finally process what I just said, and we burst out laughing.
“I was going for sexy, but I think that came out cheesy instead, didn’t it?”
Abel nods, still laughing. “So, so cheesy.” Then, his laughter abruptly stops. “Good thing it’s my favorite thing to eat.”
I only have time to gasp before his lips are on mine and we become oblivious to everything around us. Gone are the brightly colored fish and magnificent lights. Instead, we are a sea of tongues and breath and hands grabbing at any part we can find. His thumbs graze my nipples causing me to gasp, which immediately elicits a groan from him.
I’ve never had this before—this kind of animalistic attraction. Well, maybe I’ve had this kind of attraction before, but never had an outlet for it. But Abel is matching me nip for nip, suck for suck. My womanly desires aren’t just turning him on, they’re urging him on. Begging him to take this to a new level of connection.
Cutie and the Beast: A Roommates to Lovers Single Dad Romance (Cipher Office Book 3) Page 14
