Your Alluring Love (The Bennett Family)

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Your Alluring Love (The Bennett Family) Page 23

by Layla Hagen


  “Yes, you are. And I never lie to you.”

  True. I’ve been taking out my anger on all of them, and they don’t deserve it.

  “Fine, let’s go.”

  I swear the room sighs in unison as Clara and I cross the studio, heading toward the exit.

  “Hot dogs?” she asks. “A bit hardcore in the morning.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “Hot dogs it is.”

  We walk side by side down the stairs and out of the building, crossing the street to our usual hot dog stand. After buying two, we head to the small park behind the truck, walking around aimlessly.

  “Want to tell me what’s wrong?”

  “You were at the gala. You know what’s wrong.”

  “Well, I saw Alice leave, looking upset. You’ll have to fill in the blanks.”

  The last thing I want is to talk about it, but Clara watches me like a hawk. She won’t let it go, so in as few words as possible, I tell her what happened with Alice. The words come out fast, like ripping off a Band-Aid, but under it, the wound is still raw, blood gurgling out.

  “Did you talk to her since?” Clara asks, her voice softer now.

  “No.”

  Clara cocks a brow. “Why not?”

  “What part of ‘don’t call me’ wasn’t clear to you? Was clear as day to me.” I opened myself up to Alice in a way I haven’t done with anyone before, and clearly it was a mistake. Even so, I can’t deny I want to talk to her. We have a great thing, and I don’t want to give up on us.

  “This might come as a surprise to you, but people sometimes don’t say out loud the things they really want to say.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I bet what Alice really meant was ‘please call me as soon as possible, declare your undying love and grow old next to me.’”

  A young woman pushing a stroller passes us, throwing us a startled look. Yeah, I’m about as confused as she is.

  I stare at Clara, my head spinning. “Are you pulling my leg right now?”

  She shakes her head, muttering under her breath something that sounds a lot like “Men are so clueless.”

  “I’m being serious.”

  “What part of the things she told me led you to that conclusion?”

  “Look, you and Alice have known each other for years.”

  “How is this relevant?”

  “Because during that time she saw you chase around the world for opportunities. She knew how much you wanted this.”

  “Still not following.”

  We come to a halt in front of a small clearing where a group is practicing yoga, or whatever requires them to put their legs around their necks.

  “She knew this was your dream, and she thought you’d choose the job over her. Maybe she was just afraid of getting hurt.”

  “But I told her I hadn’t accepted the job yet.”

  Clara smiles tightly. “She probably thought you’d eventually resent her if you gave up on your dream for her.”

  “How do women manage to have entire conversations in their head in the time it takes me to decide if I’ll drink a whiskey or a gin tonic?”

  “We’re fast thinkers. Get with the program, Nate. Anyway, saying ‘yet’ is not exactly reassuring. I’ve known you for three years, but even I’d bet that ‘yet’ changes into ‘I’m moving tomorrow.’ Maybe she just wanted a graceful, dignified exit.”

  “What if she just wanted an exit?” I push. “She didn’t even consider a solution, like long-distance or moving with me.”

  “That just tells me she has great self-preservation skills. Get out before there’s a chance of being turned down or pushed away.”

  “Women are complicated creatures,” I say in frustration.

  Clara flashes me a grin. “I’ll simplify it for you. What do you want?”

  “I want Alice in my life. I don’t care how. And yes, as improbable as it might seem to you, I actually did think about turning down the job.”

  Clara opens her mouth, then closes it again. This might be the first time she doesn’t have any comeback.

  “I mean, I get paid a truckload of money for what I do now here. What’s the point of always chasing the next thing? The people I care about are here—”

  “Who are you, and what have you done with Nate Becker? Alice has been an excellent influence on you. Talk to her.”

  “What if you’re wrong,” I insist, “and she just doesn’t want any of this?”

  “You’ll have to man up and accept it.” Pressing her palms together and lacing her fingers, she adds, “Go out on a limb and take a chance, Nate. Call her. Where’s your phone?”

  “At the office. Turned it off on Saturday. Horowitz was starting to annoy me with his calls.”

  “Ah yes, he’s pretty desperate for you to take the job.”

  I feel more alert than I have in hours. “I have no plan.”

  Looking behind me, Clara presses her lips together. “Then think fast, or improvise. As your assistant, it’s my duty to tell you that improvisation isn’t your strongest skill unless you’re trying to entertain a crowd, so think fast.”

  “Why?”

  “Two of the Bennett brothers are hurrying toward us. They look pissed.”

  “Took them no time at all.”

  “Don’t worry, they have no guns. Just very pointy pitchforks.”

  Glancing behind me, I see no sign of any Bennett brothers.

  “I was just messing with you,” Clara says when I turn to her again. “You work best under pressure. Figured you’d come up with a plan in no time then.”

  “You’re unbelievable.”

  She shrugs. “Was worth a shot. Though I am surprised that none of the Bennett brothers are here kicking your ass.”

  “I’m completely innocent here.”

  “You don’t understand how the brother rule works. Sister meets man. Sister is brokenhearted. The conclusion is man must be beaten to a pulp.”

  “I did always love your knack for simplifying things. My bet is Alice didn’t tell them. She’s one who prefers to fight her own battles. Or in this case… bolt.”

  “Do you love her?”

  “Damn right, I do.”

  “Then you’ll figure it out. Now, not to toot my own horn, but my improvisation skills are great. If you were, say, to need to take the rest of your day off, I could step in and convince everyone you had a legitimate reason for leaving. You could stay and wrap the day, of course, but I’d hate to see you bite someone’s head off. I have a hunch that aggressive streak rearing its ugly head today won’t subside until you talk to Alice. Take the day off. It’s for the good of the team.”

  “You know what your special skill is? Talking so much that you confuse anyone to the point they agree with you just so you stop. But I do want to take the day off. Are you sure you can handle things here?”

  “I owe you for many things. Go! I’ll take care of everything here.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Alice

  “You’re going to cut your fingers.” Tim, my Blue Moon chef and all around savior, hovers around me as I’m dicing chili peppers for a marinade. Tim has been feeding me delicious things all day. Delicious and healthy things, which makes him a superhero in my book. It’s like he could see the heartbreak written all over me since I stepped into Blue Moon today. “No one wants marinade with a side of fingers.”

  “Ew, I didn’t need the visual.”

  “Neither do the customers, so let someone else do the dicing.”

  I contemplate arguing, but the truth is my mind has been wandering every ten seconds. Nate has taken over my thoughts. I called him on Saturday, but it went straight to voice mail, and I haven’t tried calling him since. I figured he’d contact me when he sees it. No sign from him yet, so he still hasn’t turned on his phone, or—I refuse to consider another option. Yeah, I’m stubborn.

  I’m giving him two more hours. If I don’t hear from him, I’m taking matters into my ow
n hands and will seek him out.

  “Alice, there’s someone asking for you,” one of the servers says, poking his head inside the kitchen. My heart leaps in my throat. It could be anyone from a delivery person to a patron, but I can’t keep myself from hoping.

  “I’ll be right out.”

  First I wash my hands; there’s no worse way to doom a conversation—professional or romantic—than by accidentally rubbing your eyes after cutting chili peppers.

  My palms become clammy as I walk into the dining area. Drawing in a deep breath, I berate myself for being downright ridiculous. But when I spot Nate pacing in front of the entrance, my breath catches. Tall and steady, his delicious gaze rakes over me immediately. I close the distance to him with quick steps, smiling at the customers on the way. When I come to a halt in front of him, my pulse is frantic.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi back. Sorry, I turned off my phone over the weekend, so I only saw your call today. Thought about calling back, then decided to do this in person.”

  “You came here. It’s all that matters. Let’s go outside.” Some of the customers are watching us curiously, and I want this talk to be private. Outside on the deck, the air is more biting than crisp, and I shudder involuntarily.

  “Here.” Nate shrugs out of his jacket, draping it around my shoulders.

  “No, I’m okay. You—”

  “Don’t start fighting me, Alice.”

  “Fine.” Drawing in a deep breath, I add, “I’m sorry I left on Friday.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t stop you.”

  I open my mouth but Nate brings his hand to my face, placing his thumb against my lips. “I’ll speak first.”

  “Always so bossy,” I mutter around his thumb, then press my lips together because I’m dying to hear him out.

  “I’ll talk to Horowitz and turn down the job in London. I don’t want to be away from you, Alice. What you and I have is special, and I won’t let this go. I’ll figure everything out, I promise.”

  My heart drums frantically in my chest, the pounding echoing in my ears. “So, can I talk now, or are you going to boss me around some more?”

  He tilts his head to one side, as if this decision requires all his concentration power. “I’m tempted to boss you around some more, just because I love seeing your reaction. But what you were going to say?”

  Clearing my throat, I suddenly feel anxious again. The skin at the back of my head prickles, and my mouth has dried up.

  “I don’t want you to give up on your dream. I can manage my restaurants even from London. I’d have to fly in a week every two months or so, maybe more in the beginning because I’ll miss my family like crazy, but—”

  Nate jerks his head back, clearly not having expected this. “Are you serious?”

  I nod eagerly. “I made a plan, simulating how my workdays could look. There are some details to streamline, but it looks possible.”

  The corners of his mouth twitch, his eyes glinting. “You made a plan?”

  “Yeah.”

  “When?”

  “Over the weekend.”

  He stares at me thoughtfully for a few seconds before shaking his head. “You are incredible. I’ve barely processed what happened on Friday over the weekend. Clara was right. Women think at a different speed than men.”

  “Clara is a smart girl. In the interest of honesty, Pippa came by my house on Saturday and encouraged me to do it. Once I had it all in front of me, I realized I could make it work. I’ll make it work, because I want you to live your dream, and I want to be next to you when that happens.”

  Bringing his other hand up, he splays his fingers on my jaw and my cheek, squeezing lightly. “Do you mean this?”

  “Every word.”

  We’re standing near the edge of the deck. The water in front of us is glinting beautifully, reflecting the weak sunrays.

  Dropping my voice, I whisper, “I’m going to tell you a secret.”

  He flashes me a cocky smirk. “You can’t imagine your life without me?”

  “With the risk of my admission going to your head, yes. But also, I even considered up and leaving, with no plan, just to be with you.”

  “I’d take care of you, always. I love you, Alice.”

  “Can you say that again?”

  “I love you. For years, I wasn’t feeling at home anywhere. Now I feel at home whenever you’re with me. You’re my home, Alice.”

  He lowers his hand from my face to my waist, pulling me to him. Goose bumps form on my arms instantly. Sighing, I cocoon against him, inhaling his delicious scent. I don’t think I’ll ever get my fill of him. Then he wraps both arms around my waist, bringing me closer still. Dipping his head, he buries his nose in my hair, right below my ear. And then he takes in a breath so deep it makes my knees weak. It’s like he hasn’t taken a deep breath in days. When his lips touch my neck lightly, I warm all over.

  “My family is going to go berserk when I tell them I’m moving to London,” I whisper. “After they calm down, they’ll be happy for us.”

  “Hmm, I know something that might soften the news.”

  “Do tell.”

  “I’ll ask them for your hand.”

  I gasp in surprise, pulling back so I can look straight at him.

  “What?”

  “Marry me, Alice.”

  My mind doesn’t process his words right away, but when it does, my entire body reacts. Butterflies roam in my belly and a bolt of energy zips down my spine, extending to my limbs until my toes curl and the tips of my fingers prickle with excitement.

  “Is there a question mark anywhere?” I tease.

  “Nah, not my style.” Pushing a rebel strand of hair behind my ear, he lingers with his fingers at my earlobe. “I want you to be my fiancée when we move to London.”

  “When’s the job starting?”

  “Theoretically right away, but I can negotiate to start next week.”

  My jaw drops. “That’s gonna require a lot of planning.”

  “Luckily you’re a planning genius.”

  Tilting his head forward, he brings his mouth to mine, swiping his tongue once over my lips before sealing his lips over my mouth. The kiss is explosive and all-consuming, taking my breath away. Fisting the lower hem of his shirt with both hands, I pull him to me, flattening myself against his chest. I become greedier by the second, wishing I could feel his skin against mine, wishing we could disappear under blankets and only resurface in a few days, or weeks.

  “So that’s a yes?” he whispers when we pull apart. The door of the restaurant swings open and a couple steps out. They nod at us politely before stepping onto the narrow path leading to the outer gate.

  Once they’re out of earshot, I eye Nate.

  “No question, no answer.” I shrug one shoulder playfully before crossing my arms over my chest. “Everyone will think we’re hurrying because you knocked me up.”

  He kisses my forehead and then my temple, feathering his lips down my cheek all the way to the tip of my nose. I barely restrain myself from smothering him with kisses. If I kiss him again, I won’t be able to stop.

  “No problem. We can start with that project right after I put a ring on your finger.”

  Pushing myself away from his grasp, I shake my head, hoping to clear it. I firmly believe this man can get me to agree to anything if he focuses his smoldering gaze on me long enough.

  “By the way, about the engagement ring—”

  “I’ll buy it from Bennett Enterprises. Didn’t even occur to me to go to the competition.”

  “Would be a pretty serious incentive to say no when you pop the question.”

  He sighs. “You won’t let me off the hook, will you?”

  “Of course not. You have to drop on one knee, open the lid, pop the question.”

  “You just moved from closet romantic to full-on romantic.”

  I flash a grin. “I know. I’m not even sorry.”

  “Any other requests?”

>   “I want an epic bachelorette party. But the girls will see to that.”

  Epilogue

  Alice

  One year later

  “This is epic,” I exclaim, my eyes glued to my laptop screen.

  “You’ll have to close that for takeoff. And you’ve seen it half a dozen times.”

  “I think a dozen comes closer.” After mine and Blake’s episode on Delicious Dining aired months ago, the network decided it was so good, they’ll do another one. Blake did it, and it finally aired last week. I loved it. I’ve been rewatching it quite a few times. We’re taking off toward San Francisco, and the flight attendant has already told me to close my laptop once. “I’ll just watch this bit, and then I’ll put it away.”

  Nate kisses my temple but doesn’t argue. Smart man. Our life in London is hectic but beautiful. Our apartment is lovely. I fly out to San Francisco about every six weeks, not only for work purposes but also because I have withdrawals if I don’t see my family often. Sometimes, like now, Nate joins me and we have a full program, visiting both my family and his mom. No matter if we’re in San Francisco or in London, when we’re together, everything feels right, balanced. Sometimes to find your balance, you have to put yourself out there, not hold back at all, no matter how scary that might seem.

  Managing the restaurants from afar is a challenge, but I’ve learned to love it. It keeps me on my toes, drives me to focus on the essential parts. Besides, I took Pippa’s advice and asked Blake if he’d mind helping me manage all the locations, and he immediately agreed. We’re equal partners in the business now, and my little brother does me proud. Which doesn’t mean I can’t tease him when he makes an ass of himself on TV. There is a particular moment in the episode that I keep rewatching and laughing at every time.

  When I finally put my laptop away, Nate says, “You’re not going to let Blake live it down, will you?”

  “Of course not. It’s my duty as a sister to tease him.”

  Nate takes my hand, kissing my knuckles and then the back of my hand, lighting up my nerve endings. Thank heavens this is a twin seat, because if we had a neighbor I’d be afraid he could feel me heating up. When Nate catches me eyeing the engagement ring on my finger, I smile sheepishly.

 

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