Because as much as he wanted to kiss Elizabeth again, he was sure she didn’t feel the same way.
Chapter 9
Elizabeth took the boysenberry cheesecake out of its box and slid it onto a plate. So far, having dinner with Blake, Holly, and Daniel was better than she thought it would be.
The main reason for that was Holly. She was a happy, positive person. It showed in the amazing paintings she created, her relationship with Daniel, and the way she lived her life.
For the first time in ages, Elizabeth was able to relax and enjoy everyone’s company. After living in fear for the last few weeks, it was wonderful to live in the moment and not worry about tomorrow.
She walked across the kitchen and opened the freezer door. The tub of Blake’s favorite ice cream was exactly where she thought it would be.
“Do you need help?” Blake asked from the doorway.
Elizabeth left the ice cream on the counter. “You could find the ice cream scoop for me.”
While Blake hunted through a drawer, she cut the chocolate brownie into squares. All she needed to do was take the fresh fruit salad out of the refrigerator, and they’d be ready for dessert.
Blake left the ice cream scoop on the counter. “Anything else?”
She looked around the kitchen. “I don’t think so. Daniel has already taken the napkins and spoons into the dining room.”
“Before we leave the kitchen, there’s something I need to tell you. I’m sorry.”
She nearly missed Blake’s softly spoken apology. When she realized what he’d said, her heart plummeted. “What are you sorry for?” She knew exactly what he meant and it hurt.
“For kissing you. It shouldn’t have happened.”
Elizabeth didn’t agree, but she wasn’t going to make a fool of herself again. “That’s okay.” She forced a smile onto her face and picked up the cheesecake. She’d been waiting for him to say something since he’d come home from work. Now that he had, she wished he’d forgotten about it.
She looked at the cheesecake. “We’d better take everything into the dining room. Daniel and Holly will think we’ve abandoned them.”
Blake touched her arm. The heat from his fingers felt like a branding iron.
“Can we still be friends?”
Elizabeth wanted to be more than his friend. Years ago, she’d told Blake she loved him and that had ended in disaster. And now he was apologizing for kissing her senseless. She thought he’d enjoyed kissing her. But if he had, they wouldn’t be having this discussion.
Maybe it was different for billionaires. Blake had so much money that he forgot what it was like to struggle for something. Not that a relationship with him would be a struggle. It would be, well, amazing.
“Elizabeth? Are you okay?”
Her eyes misted over. The old Elizabeth would have pushed aside what she was feeling and carried on as if nothing had happened. But not anymore.
She’d wasted too much energy on a career and lifestyle that had nearly killed her. She needed to celebrate who she was and be proud of what she had achieved. And more importantly, she needed to be honest with herself and Blake.
After taking an unsteady breath, Elizabeth looked at him. Really looked at him. He was genuinely sorry for what had happened. The fact that he was kind, compassionate, handsome, and the most annoying man she’d ever met, made what she was about to say even harder.
“I like the way you kiss.”
Blake’s mouth dropped open. “You do?”
Okay, so she’d understated the obvious. But she didn’t want his head getting any bigger. “I do. And if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer that we keep our lips to ourselves.”
Blake frowned. “Why?”
“Because I’m searching for my authentic self. If I kiss you, I’ll get lost.”
“Huh?”
His confusion made Elizabeth smile. “I’m working on being true to myself.”
“And I make you feel lost?”
“Not all the time.” She looked away from his deep blue eyes. If she was being totally honest with herself, he’d always made her feel as though she was searching for something. Something she thought she’d found last night.
Elizabeth handed him a bowl of ice cream. “We’d better take dessert through to the dining room. Otherwise, we’ll have a gooey mess on our hands.”
Blake looked at the ice cream, then into her eyes. “I don’t want you to feel lost.”
And just like that, she fell in love with him all over again.
Elizabeth speared a piece of pineapple with her fork. So far, dessert was going well—as long as she ignored the searching looks Blake kept sending her and the worried frown of her brother.
“How was the opening night of your exhibition in Toronto?” Elizabeth asked Holly.
“It was incredible.” Holly’s curly red hair bounced around her shoulders. “Dad met me there. We mixed and mingled with people we hadn’t seen in ages.”
“She sold all her paintings,” Daniel said proudly. “The gallery wants to book her for another exhibition next year.”
“Will you do it?” Elizabeth asked.
Holly shrugged. “I don’t know. It takes a long time to create a series for an exhibition. If I go to Toronto, I won’t be able to exhibit in Europe.”
“Is that where you want to promote your work?” Blake asked.
Holly nodded. “I already have a strong European client base, but it’s good to show my work to different people.” She looked at Elizabeth. “Tell me what’s happening in your life.”
“Has Daniel told you about Anton de Bresney?”
“He has. Are the police any closer to finding him?”
“I don’t think so,” Elizabeth said. “But on a positive note, my clinic is looking great. Paul and his construction team are working hard. They want to have as much as possible finished before Christmas.”
“That must be exciting.”
“It is.”
“What about the Crazy Love app? When I saw you in the café, you were still waiting for the results.”
Elizabeth didn’t look at Blake. She’d probably get a black mark beside her name for kissing the man who’d created the program. “I was matched with four men.”
“And?”
“I haven’t called any of them. Between the clinic and Anton de Bresney, I haven’t had any spare time.”
Holly’s gaze moved to Blake. “Do Elizabeth’s men know they were matched with her?”
“Not at the moment.”
“So it doesn’t matter if she doesn’t contact them for another few weeks.”
“No.”
Holly seemed confused. “When Daniel and I were on the trial, we received copies of each other’s profiles really quickly.”
Blake cleared his throat. For some reason, he didn’t look very comfortable. “Elizabeth is in our VIP program. It’s different from the normal process.”
“Oh.” Holly grinned at Elizabeth. “I hope Blake found you some amazing men.”
“They’re interesting. Only one man lives in Bozeman.”
“One?” Holly’s eyebrows rose. “Why one, Blake?”
“The number of applicants in Montana isn’t as high as other areas. Have you settled on a date for your wedding?”
Elizabeth didn’t know what was going on, but Blake had just changed the subject with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
Daniel frowned, then shook his head. “I wish we had. Between Holly’s work commitments and my schedule, I can’t see us getting married for at least twelve months. Tell Holly about your house.”
Elizabeth’s gaze shot to Blake. “You bought the house on Cottonwood Road?”
“I did. I’m moving in next weekend.”
“That’s wonderful.” Elizabeth had to stop herself from giving him a hug. “You’ll be very happy there.”
Blake’s smile disappeared. “I hope so.”
Holly glanced at Elizabeth, then looked at Blake. “Tell me about your n
ew home.”
“It’s set on an acre of landscaped gardens. Five bedrooms, a big open-plan living area, and a deck that overlooks the Bridger Range.”
“Sounds wonderful.”
“I was lucky to find it.”
Elizabeth thought about the size of the house and what Blake would need when he moved. “Are the owners leaving some of their furniture for you?”
“No. I’ll buy what I need.”
She nearly choked on a cherry. “The house is huge.”
“Not as big as the first one we saw.”
“You’ll have to fill six trucks with furniture to make it feel like home.”
Blake shrugged. “It probably won’t take that many.”
“Elizabeth’s right,” Daniel said. “It was bad enough when I moved to Emerald Lake. It can take weeks to find everything you need.”
“I don’t have weeks,” Blake said. “Which is why I have a favor to ask.”
Elizabeth didn’t know why he was looking at her. “I’m all out of favors.”
Blake’s eyes crinkled. “This one doesn’t come with any strings attached.”
Her eyebrows rose. Since when did kissing someone come with strings?
“Don’t keep us in suspense.” Holly laughed. “Elizabeth looks as though she’s ready to box your ears.”
“I’m not,” Elizabeth said in the most zen-like voice she could manage. “I’m thinking healthy, positive thoughts.”
“That would be a first,” Blake muttered.
Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed. “Most people are nice to the person they’ve asked to help them.”
Blake’s gaze dropped to her mouth. “How nice do you want me to be?”
The air between them sizzled. Even though she knew Blake was being deliberately annoying, it didn’t stop a blush from hitting her cheeks.
Daniel cleared his throat. “Assuming my sister still wants to speak to you after tonight, what’s the favor you need?”
Blake’s blue eyes connected with Elizabeth’s. “I was going to ask if you want to come shopping with me. There are enough stores in Bozeman to fill my house with the basics. I can buy the rest later.”
Elizabeth wasn’t fooled by the bland expression on Blake’s face. He knew how much she’d enjoyed buying things for her apartment in Cedar Rapids. She’d sent him before and after photos of her latest thrift store finds. With a little paint or new fabric, she’d transformed each piece of furniture into something special.
“What do you think?” Blake asked her.
“I’m not sure I’m the right person to help you.”
Blake looked down at his dessert bowl. “That’s okay. I can do it on my own.”
Elizabeth felt bad. “I’m sorry.”
Holly leaned forward. “Why can’t you help Blake?”
“I’ve never had the budget to buy new furniture. I wouldn’t have a clue about what looks good and what doesn’t.”
“But your apartment in Cedar Rapids was lovely,” Holly insisted.
“I bought all my furniture from thrift stores. It cost me next to nothing. If I made a mistake, it didn’t matter.”
“Blake isn’t a slouch when it comes to knowing what he likes,” Daniel said.
“I’ll tell you if I don’t like what you’ve picked out,” Blake said. “It would only take a couple of hours.”
“When did you want to go shopping?”
“Tomorrow.”
A bubble of excitement fizzed inside Elizabeth. “And we would only be buying the basics?”
Blake nodded.
“And can some of those purchases be from thrift stores or do they need to be brand new?”
“It doesn’t matter where the furniture comes from.”
She looked at the smiles on Holly and Daniel’s faces.
Blake wasn’t exactly smiling, but he looked less wary than he had a few minutes ago.
“Okay. I’ll help you.”
Blake’s grin sent a warning signal straight to her heart.
A little voice inside her head told her not to worry. He wanted to be her friend. She could be his friend and still be true to herself. As long as she didn’t kiss him.
“Do you really like that?” Blake tried to appreciate the colors in the rug, but he couldn’t see how it would work. “It’s kind of…ugly.”
Elizabeth stuck her hands on her hips. “You need a rug for the living room.”
“What’s wrong with the wooden floors? I’ve got central heating. A rug won’t make the room any warmer.”
“But it will make the room cozy.” She sighed as Blake struggled with the concept. “You want a family home that oozes character. The bones of your house are wonderful, but there’s no character. Adding a sofa and two chairs to the living room won’t create the feel you want.”
When he still didn’t get it, she pulled out her cell phone. “Here. Let me show you.” Last night, after everyone had gone to bed, she’d looked at interior design websites. If she was going to help Blake, she wanted to make sure she knew exactly what he wanted to achieve. Over breakfast, she’d made him choose the pictures he liked the best. She’d saved those to a file and emailed them to herself.
“Look at these photos.” She stood beside him and pointed to the before and after images of a living room. “The interior designer painted the walls and added a rug that had some accent colors. They bought cushions that had splashes of the same colors. A few plants, a cute light fitting, and voila. You have a room you could easily snuggle into and never leave.”
“Snuggle?” Blake’s breath tickled her neck.
“It’s a cross between a cuddle and a…”
He moved closer. “Go on. I’m listening.”
She tried to remember what she was saying, but Blake’s heavy breathing was distracting her. As soon as she looked into his laughing blue eyes, she knew what he was doing. “You’re teasing me.”
“You make it too easy. Show me the photos again.”
This time, Elizabeth handed him her phone. “It might be better if you flick through them yourself.”
Blake wisely chose not to say anything. He sat on the nearest sofa and studied the images. “Okay. I think I’ve got it.”
He handed her the phone and walked across to a furniture display. Blake squinted at the rug, then at the sofa sitting fifteen feet away.
Elizabeth looked around the store for someone who could help them. When she saw a man walking across the showroom wearing a suit and tie, she asked if he could move the sofa they liked onto the rug.
Within a few minutes, he’d asked another two staff to help. Everyone lifted, slid, and tweaked the furniture until Elizabeth was happy with the end result.
After the staff had gone, she raced across to another display and took a large silver urn off a table. “This will look perfect on your coffee table.”
Blake wiped his hands on his jeans and stared at the furniture.
“What do you think?” Elizabeth asked.
“It looks okay.”
Elizabeth didn’t want okay, she wanted incredible. “Maybe this will help.” She found the listing for the house Blake had just bought. Thankfully, the interior photos of the house were still on the realtor’s website.
She flicked through the photos, stopping at the ones she wanted Blake to see. “Imagine this furniture in your living room.”
Blake took her phone and held it in front of him. “Hmm. I like it. But is it snuggly enough?”
“I can’t help you with that.”
“Yes, you can.” Blake pulled her toward the sofa.
“Blake Jefferson,” Elizabeth growled. “I’m not snuggling with you on your sofa. We’re friends.”
“Exactly. If I can’t rely on you to help me choose a sofa, then who else can I turn to?”
Elizabeth grabbed a cushion off a chair. “Use this. Pretend it’s your latest girlfriend.”
“It’s not the same.”
“Are you pouting?”
Blake pulled in his
bottom lip. “Of course not.” He took the cushion and flopped onto the sofa.
“Well?”
“It’s not working.”
“You don’t have any imagination.” Elizabeth stood a few feet away. “Imagine a cold winter’s night. The wind is howling through the trees and snow is blowing onto your windows.”
She held out her arms. “This is your stone fireplace. A roaring fire is dancing in the grate and your crystal chandelier is twinkling overhead.”
“You never mentioned anything about a chandelier.”
Elizabeth held her finger to her lips. “Ssh. You’re interrupting the moment. Where was I?”
“Dancing flames and twinkling lights,” Blake said dryly.
“Right. Your feet are relaxing on your footstool…” She pointed to the stool in front of Blake’s legs.
He pulled it closer and plonked his feet on top.
“…and you have a gorgeous girlfriend wrapped in your arms.”
Blake looked at the cushion and sighed.
“Use your imagination.”
“I am.”
“Do you feel cozy?”
“No.”
Elizabeth sighed. “Not even a little?”
Blake waved the cushion in the air. “This is a poor substitute for the love of my life.”
“Dig deeper into your imagination. I’m a fireplace. I can’t be in two places at once.”
“If you pretend to be my gorgeous girlfriend, I’ll buy everything in our imaginary living room.”
“Everything?”
Blake nodded. “Right down to the ugly rug.”
“It’s not ugly. It’s beautiful. And with your deep brown wooden floors, it will look stunning.”
Blake held open his arms. “I’m waiting.”
Elizabeth bit her bottom lip. She was trying hard to nurture her authentic self. But snuggling with a man who was allergic to commitment wasn’t being true to herself. It was reinforcing a deluded belief that one day he might change.
“The sales assistant will appreciate the bonus he’ll earn after our shopping spree.”
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