Page 58 of Miss Treated

As much as I’d have loved to curl up in Kelsey’s bed, I had a five-thirty meeting with my father. I located my clothing. “I have a meeting.”

“Of course. Yeah. You don’t want to be late.”

Insecurity was splashed all over her face. Time to remedy it. “I’d like you to come over to my place tonight. Matter of fact, you should pack a bag for the whole weekend. And in case you’re tempted to say no, I offer the following inducements. One, I made gnocchi for our dinner tonight. Two, Lady misses you. And finally, I have specific plans for you, both in my bed and in my shower. Oh, and PS, if you have to work tomorrow, I have excellent Wi-Fi and an entire home office at your disposal.”

She smiled. “You kind of had me at gnocchi. But—”

“No, no, no buts,” I argued, but then relented as I slipped on my boxers and trousers. “I’m kidding. What’s the but?”

“But I have plans with the girls on Saturday night. Brooke, who is a friend of Daisy’s, is in town for a medical conference, so we’d planned on dinner.”

She seemed like she expected me to be upset she had other plans. I was sure her ex, the controlling bastard, would have been. “You should go out and have fun with your friends. I’ll do the same with some of my buds. Afterward, you can either meet me back at my place or spend the night here instead. In any case, perhaps we can meet up on Sunday.” She didn’t need anyone else putting demands on her time.

She blew out a breath. “All right. I’ll meet you over at your place at our original time of eight o’clock?”

“I’ll look forward to it.” I leaned down and kissed her deeply, wishing I didn’t have to leave.

When Kelsey arrived at my condo at eight o’clock on the dot, I wasted no time pulling her inside and kissing her soundly. I’d started to get nervous she might have regrets and not show.

“Do you mind making yourself comfortable while I go walk Lady? When I get back, I’ll finish making dinner.” Damn, I was almost nervous. Perhaps the idea of going slow hadn’t only been for Kelsey’s benefit. I was in unfamiliar territory, and I was terrified of fucking things up. The pressure was tremendous.

She leaned down and scratched Lady behind her ears. “Sounds great. Thanks.”

I didn’t know who was more anxious to return to her, me or Lady. The dog did her business in record time. When I got back, Kelsey had kicked off her shoes and was sitting outside on the lanai on a chaise lounge. With her feet curled up under her, she was staring out at the darkened night.

She looked up and smiled when we came outside and greeted Lady by patting the lounge.

My dog didn’t hesitate to jump up and curl in her lap. Lucky dog.

“The view is why I bought the place.”

“I can see why. The ocean air calms me. My brother has a house in Newport Beach, and I used to go there whenever I could to get away from—” She suddenly stopped as though she’d changed her mind about what she’d intended to say.

I took a seat on the end of the lounge and pulled her foot into my lap to massage it gently. “Get away from your ex?” I finished.

She smiled sadly. “Sometimes. Or my mother. It’s not that I have anything against New York or New Hampshire, but something about the West Coast has always relaxed me.”

Something occurred to me. “You know, you can talk about your previous relationship without bothering me. It’s a big part of your history, and I don’t want you thinking there’s anything you can’t share with me.”

She focused beyond me toward the beach. “I wish I could erase it completely. Especially the part where I stayed too long.”

My chest hurt at the way she blamed herself. “You left when you were able to do so. Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve serves no purpose except to make you feel like shit. You can’t tell me if one of your girlfriends were in the same situation, you’d sit here and blame her. Maybe it’s time to stop blaming yourself.”

She blinked a tear free, and I panicked at the thought I’d gone too far. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. It’s time for you to realize how very special you are. But I didn’t mean to make you cry.” I reached out to stroke her face and wiped the tear with the pad of my thumb. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for this woman. I only wished I had the power to make her see herself as I did.

“Please don’t be sorry. You’re right about the blame game. No one wins. Now I believe there was a promise to feed me?”

I leaned forward to kiss her. “Absolutely. Prepare to be dazzled.”

We sat at my dining table an hour later with bowls of gnocchi covered in pesto sauce and a big chunk of garlic bread each tucked to one side. In retrospect, perhaps the garlic hadn’t been the best idea.

A short time later, after we’d both made a dent in the large servings I’d dished out, she pushed her bowl away. “I’m stuffed. It was delicious. I’m officially dazzled.”

“No room for dessert?”

“What dessert?”

I nuzzled her neck, loving the fact she was here at my table, and I finally could kiss her whenever I wanted. “Me, of course.”