Leaning forward, I trail my lips across her soft cheek and press a kiss against the dimple there before moving to the corner of her luscious lips. Letting the very tip of my tongue sneak out I sample her there. She’s delicious, like ripe berries. I can’t tell if it’s her lip gloss, something she ate, or just her, but one taste is all it takes to make me an addict. I quickly repeat the caress, already craving more. One taste of her will never be enough.
A cross between a whimper and a moan vibrates against my mouth as she turns her head slightly, pressing her lips more fully against mine. I nudge them open and nibble at the sweet bow of her upper lip before sliding my tongue in to tease against hers.
“Blake,” she murmurs my name again, winding her arms around my waist and digging her fingers into the ridges of muscle along the base of my spine. Returning her embrace, I straighten, lifting her feet from the floor until her arms release me, only to clasp tightly around my neck, her fingers scraping through my short hair. Slanting my mouth across hers, our tongues tangle urgently, and I devour her sweetness, the sugary taste of her exploding across my taste buds.
“Ellie?” Her mother’s voice is close. Too close. With a gasp she tears her mouth from mine, her heaving breaths matching mine. I hate seeing the dreamy look fade from her eyes as I set her feet back on the floor. She scrambles back a step, her fingers absently stroking her wet, kiss swollen lips.
“We,” she croaks, but before she can finish Beatriz calls again from the hall just out of sight.
“Dinner is ready you two.” It sounds like she is laughing, and I wonder how many times she had to call before we heard her.
“Coming Mama,” she calls back, giving me one last longing glance before turning and hurrying from the room. I stand still for a long moment, catching my breath before reaching down to make a clothing adjustment. My heart is still thundering against my ribs when I step into the hall, willing my erection to subside so I don’t embarrass myself, and follow the chatter of voices and the wonderful smell of dinner back to the kitchen.
Chapter Sixteen
Ellie
I can’t stop feeling the press of Blake’s lips against mine, the scrape of his stubble against my chin and cheeks, tasting the faint hint of cinnamon gum over the smooth flavor of his tongue slipping against mine. It’s that last one that has me pushing my food around on my plate. Mom made my favorite, chicken tacos with loads of cilantro and lime, and the way she keeps looking at me, I know that she is about to say something and draw attention to my lack of appetite.
Sighing, I lift a taco to my mouth and take a big bite, loving the burst of flavors across my tastebuds as much as I lament losing the taste of Blake. He, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be having the same problem. I haven’t seen anyone dig into Mom’s cooking like this since Dan was still alive. It makes her happy. Every time she looks at him stuffing his mouth with her home-made tortillas and savory chicken she smiles happily.
I’m amazed at how easily he’s fitting in with my family, not that we are difficult to get along with or anything. Lizzie is already hanging on his every word, and Auggie is looking at him the same way he does Spiderman. With a combination of awe and straight-up hero worship. We do our best, and Auggie is a normal, happy toddler, but there’s no substitute for a man in a boy’s life. None of us can lift him up until he can touch the ceiling. I think that was the best thing that ever happened to him. He’s already asked Blake to lift him up again half a dozen times, much to everyone’s amusement.
“Elinor,” Mom’s voice is quiet and filled with concern, “why are you not eating? I made your favorite.”
Darn it! I knew I wasn’t hiding my distraction well enough. “I’m okay, Mama. Just tired I guess.”
“You work too hard,” she clucks her tongue softly and shakes her head looking at Blake sitting across the table from her. “Mi hija, she works too much.”
Lizzie meets my eyes across the table and winks. Sometimes I see glimmers of my sister, the one I lost, and it makes me miss her so much. She was my best friend, I could talk to her about anything, but since the accident I never know what she will blurt out or how she will take things, so I keep secrets that I never would have kept from her before. I smile back at her wishing so much to be able to tell her about the kiss I shared with Blake, to ask her advice. Maybe I will talk to Ana, goodness knows I need to talk to someone about how this man makes me feel.
“She does work too hard,” Blake’s agreement surprises me. How can he know how hard I work? He’s only been around for about a week—has he been keeping an eye on me since that first night? I feel heat rush into my cheeks at the thought that all of this, his kindness, the kiss, everything, is a result of his witnessing the scene with Lawrence. That’s got to be it. How mortifying! It makes sense, I suppose. Why else would he even notice a housekeeper? Let alone kiss one!
The thought makes my stomach churn uncomfortably.
“I don’t work too hard,” I blurt, my voice loud and pitched higher than normal. Three sets of eyes turn toward me, Mom’s and Lizzie’s wide with surprise; of the three of us I’m usually the quietest and hardly anything ruffles my feathers. Blake doesn’t know that about me, but his eyes are narrowed thoughtfully. I can’t shake the feeling that he is seeing something on my face that I’d rather he didn’t see.
“You do,” Mom insists, “and we appreciate everything you do for us.” I know she does, that they do. It’s not their fault that lately I’ve been feeling overwhelmed and so very alone. That’s on me.
Forcing a lighthearted smile to my face I respond, “Well, thanks to Mr. Cerelli giving me a raise today I should be able to work a little less.”
I knew bringing that up would distract Mama and Lizzie, they immediately break into animated chatter, asking questions and happy exclamations. Blake, not so much. He continues to watch me thoughtfully while sipping the glass of iced tea that Mama served him with dinner, but he doesn’t challenge me. He’s going to though. I can tell.
The news of my raise is enough to distract Mama and I focus on finishing my meal, so the rest of supper is less intense. I’m more relaxed, in part thanks to Blake. He’s attentive to Auggie, even moving him from his booster to sit on his lap when Mom pulls a plate of apple empanadas from the oven where she set them to warm while we ate. Seeing how at ease he is with my nephew, how right he looks with my precious boy on his lap, is enough to make my ovaries explode. How in the world am I supposed to resist this man?
As much as I think I could like him, maybe more than like him, I just don’t see how I could ever fit into his life of travel and adventure. I’m rooted here. In this city, in this neighborhood. In this house. If Mama, Auggie and Lizzie need me there’s no way that I could ever be free to be with someone who’s life isn’t here. It’s best if I chalk the kiss up to a lapse in judgement, for both of us, and try to keep my distance from him.
Settling it in my own mind makes me feel better. Maybe I won’t talk to Ana about it after all. There’s no need, since it won’t be happening again. It can just be my secret, a nice memory to think about when I’m lonely. I realize that I’ve been lost in thought again when Lizzie scoots her chair away from the table and plucks Auggie off Blake’s lap.
“Come on Augs,” she says, “let’s go get you ready for bed.”
“Fly!” he insists, reaching for Blake who grins at him.
“After you get ready for bed,” he tells him and Auggie nods happily, popping his thumb in his mouth. It’s a sure sign he’s getting sleepy.
“You’re very good with him,” Mama observes, “Do you have children? Brothers and sisters?”
He shakes his head no at the same time he shrugs his shoulders, “No kids. I don’t know about siblings,” he admits. “My mother died when I was small and I lived in foster care most of my life.”
His words are bland, without emotion, and that makes my heart break for him, for the little boy he was. Mama feels the same way, I can see it in her eyes. She wants to adopt him
and make him part of our family. To be honest, I want to do the same. Right after I crawl into his lap and hold him close until the emptiness I see leaves his eyes.
No! No! No! I’m not going to think about him that way. We’re barely friends. He’s not my boyfriend. And he’s not going to be. He might already have a girl back wherever he lives. That’s a thought I didn’t have earlier when he was kissing me. Just because he’s here in Vegas alone doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have a girlfriend, or a wife, wherever his home is. Glancing at where his hands rest on the table, one loosely holding his glass, I check for signs of a wedding ring. He’s not wearing one, not that I thought he was, but I had to double check to see if there was a tan line or something. There isn’t.
Mama stands and begins clearing the table and Blake pops the last bite of his empanada in his mouth and rises too, picking up his dishes and mine too.
“I can get that, you don’t have to,” I tell him, rising from my seat. Family clears the table for company in this house, not the other way around.
“You were on your feet all day,” he says thoughtfully. “Sit for a few minutes. I can help your mom.”
“Not that she’ll let you,” Sitting, I mutter at his wide back as he carries his stack of plates to the sink and leans down to whisper something to my mom. Darn him for being so charming and sweet. Mama titters cheerfully and whispers something back to him. I’m glad she’s having a good time. It’s been too long since she’s had a chance to visit with anyone beside us and the people we see at church on Sunday.
Blake is taking off his flannel and setting it aside to help wash the dishes when I slip out of my chair. “I’m going to go check on Lizzie and Auggie,” I say.
“Okay, mija,” Mama says, looking over her shoulder at me. Blake glances back with a smile, his eyes no longer hiding pain, but bright with contentment. My heart stutters and I fight back the urge to walk into his arms and wrap my arms around his narrow waist like I did in my room earlier. Grinding my back teeth together in frustration I stomp out of the kitchen and down the hall to where I can hear my sister’s laughter, mixed with my nephew’s, over the sound of water splashing. Stopping I lean against the wall and lower my face into my hands.
This all feels so normal, like things did before the accident when Dan would help Mama so Lizzie and I could spend time together. Except this time, it isn’t Dan in the kitchen, it’s Blake and he’s not Lizzie’s husband. He’s not mine either, but something about his presence makes me feel like everything is going to be okay again, and that isn’t a feeling I can trust. He’ll be gone soon. I’ve heard that he, Travis and Faye are only here to do some consulting work for Mr. Cerelli, and once that’s finished, I'm sure they’ll be going home.
Just thinking about him leaving makes me sad. Sadder than it should, considering that we barely know each other. Blowing out an agitated breath, I push off the wall and force a carefree expression onto my face. Even fifteen-year-old Lizzie knows when something is bothering me, and I can’t afford for her to figure out what it is.
“How are you two doing in here?” I ask as I walk into the bedroom and lean against the bathroom door. Lizzie jumps to her feet, an excited smile on her face.
“Is Blake your boyfriend? He is sooo cute!” she gushes. Before I can shake my head or voice a denial, she continues, “And super nice too! If he isn’t your boyfriend you need to lock that down before someone else does, sis!”
“He’s not my boyfriend, Liz,” I tell her, shaking my head when she rolls her eyes muttering, you’re so lame under her breath as she turns back to Auggie in the tub.
“Whatever,” I grumble, leaving them to finish bath time. I guess I just need to bite the bullet, take the bull by the horns, or whatever stupid idiom I can think of and get Blake out of here before everyone gets the wrong impression about us. It’s bad enough that Lizzie already has one, I need to nip this in the bud before Mama does, too.
Even though I know that Mama and Lizzy will get over whatever they may be thinking, it’s me I’m worried about. Of everyone that I could start to catch feelings for, why did it have to be someone who I know is going to leave? I need to get him out of my house and out of my head before I start fooling myself into believing that I can have him when I know it’s impossible. If I was the type to have a fling I would jump into one with him wholeheartedly, but I’m a forever sort of gal and I’m not going to break my own heart by starting something with a man I know can’t be my forever.
I can hear Mama’s laughter before I’m even halfway down the hall and my shoulders slump. It’s been a long time since we have had this much levity in our house. The kitchen is tidy when I reenter, Mama and Blake sitting at the table with coffee cups in hand. There’s another, half-eaten empanada on the plate in front of him and a big smile on his face and the leg I’ve noticed him favoring from time to time is stretched out under the table.
“Elinor, you’re back,” Mama says. You’d think that I’d been gone for hours instead of just five minutes.
“Yep.” Crossing to the coffee pot I fill a mug and top it off with cream and sugar until it’s a pale tan color, just the way I like it.
“Blake was just telling me that Mr. Cerelli asked him and his partner to stay on at the casino for a while. Isn’t that great?” Blake smiles into my eyes and I can’t stop my own grin as relief pours through me. Maybe there’s a chance after all...
Lowering myself into one of the empty chairs I try to act nonchalant, “That’s nice. How long will you be here?”
The corner of his mouth twitches like he’s holding back a bigger smile, or a laugh, and he reaches up one hand to rub the back of his neck. “We aren’t sure yet,” he says. “Probably quite a while since Xavier has asked us to not only evaluate security at the casino but train the security staff and implement the recommended changes. Travis wants to relocate permanently.”
“That sounds complicated.” I say. My heart is racing with excitement even though he didn’t say he is going to stay. Travis is his business partner, so maybe that means he’s planning on staying too.
“It’s fun.” He says, leaning an elbow on the table and taking a bite of his dessert, chewing thoughtfully.
“Fun?” I can’t stop the giggle that breaks loose, in part because he thinks work is fun, but mostly because I can’t contain the hopeful happiness growing inside me.
“Yeah, it means I get to set up a whole new security system. Cameras, facial recognition, alarm systems.” His voice is rich with excitement, he clearly loves his job. What would it feel like to be able to feel that way about work? I felt like that when I was in college. I’ve never wanted anything other than to be a teacher and losing that dream was a bitter pill to swallow, but I can’t feel anything but happy for him that he gets to live his dream.
“That sounds like a big job.” I offer, not really knowing what that entails, but impressed just the same.
“It is, but it’s not just me. Travis will do a lot of the hands-on training with Xavier’s staff; I’ll do computer upgrades and training. Between the two of us we have all the bases covered and any members of our team who want to relocate will be welcome, but it won’t be required. We have other offices.”
“That’s exciting. Will there be changes for everyone?” I ask wondering if the changes he’s talking about will impact the housekeeping department.
He nods, sipping his coffee. Before he says anything else Mama speaks up, “I’m going to go check on Lizzy and Auggie and then log on and get some work done.”
“Good night, Mama.” I say, as she gets up from her chair and kisses the top of my head before putting her cup in the sink.
“Good night, Beatriz,” Blake says, rising from his seat, “Thank you for dinner and your hospitality.”
I sigh internally at his good manners, crushing on him a little harder. Mama steps close, enfolding him in her arms for the second time tonight and pulling his face down so that she can kiss his cheek.
“You are welcome here an
ytime, mi hijo.” My boy, she called him. His arms slowly wrap around her, returning her embrace for a long minute before she releases him and softly pats his cheek. “Come back and see us soon,” she urges, before quietly exiting the room.
Blake drops back down in the chair. “Your mom…” he says, his voice filled with emotion and I think about what he told us about growing up in the system.
“She’s pretty great.” I offer, filling the silence. “After we lost dad, I don’t know what I would have done without her. Lizzie had just gotten married, so she wasn’t here and for the first time in my life I was alone.” I’ve never told anyone that before.
“I’m glad that you all have each other.” His voice is quiet, the look in his impossibly green eyes soft with longing as they meet mine across the table. I chew on my lip, wanting nothing more than to hold him and give him the love I get the feeling he has missed out on his whole life.
“We’ve gotten each other through some bad times,” I agree, appreciating that he doesn’t ask any questions about how we lost dad. Talking about one family tragedy was enough for tonight. “Would you like to sit out on the patio?” I ask impulsively, pointing to the back door, no longer ready for him to go. Our back yard has been Mama’s pride and joy for as long as I can remember.
Blake nods and stands, gathering up our cups and his plate and taking them to the sink. I cross to the fridge and pull the door open, peering inside.
“Want another beer?” I ask over my shoulder, catching him leaning against the kitchen island, his eyes roving over my butt. Blushing, I bend forward a little more, reaching in and pulling out a beer and one of the fruity wine spritzers I keep in the back. If he’s enjoying the view, who am I to stop him?
When I walk by him leading the way outside to the paving stone path, I add a little extra swing to my steps, loving how sexy it feels knowing that his eyes are on me. For the first time I can remember in ages, I’m just a girl hanging out with a guy I like. It’s a nice change.
Embracing Ellie: K&S Securities Series Page 10
