“Love you too. Send my love to Mom.”
“Will do.”
I hung up and searched for what to say for a minute. “Sorry.” I grimaced slightly as I plated the tacos. “They’re a little overprotective.”
“You seem to bring that out in people,” he rumbled warmly.
I sat next to him, and we dug into our tacos. I was starving, having not eaten since lunch. I knew the question about Brian hung in the air, but after the day I’d had, I just didn’t feel ready to get into it. Not tonight.
“I know we need to talk about a few things,” I hedged. “But just not tonight, okay?” I asked quietly.
“Fine, not tonight,” he agreed after a moment of hesitation, “but Ellie, it should be soon. I just promised your father I’d protect you, not something I take lightly, and I can’t do that properly if I don’t know the details.”
“I know,” I murmured.
He reached over, stroking my hair back from my face. “Whatever it is, Ellie, it won’t change a thing,” he swore.
I nodded despite not fully believing that.
“So, what’s on for the weekend?” he wanted to know, thankfully moving us to lighter topics… or so I thought.
I shrugged. “Not sure.”
“What would you think about letting me take you away for the weekend? And before you argue with me about it being too soon,” he added with a knowing look, “let me just say that the press got ahead of me more than I’d like. I really want some time just us, without you feeling the pressure from the outside world.”
I raised a brow. “More time to convince me not to run screaming for the hills?”
“Exactly,” he replied, unfazed. “I have a place in the mountains. I think you’d like it, and I’ve been meaning to get out of town. We can take Kodi. If you don’t want to go, that’s something else, but I don’t particularly give a shit about moving too fast. I’m going with what feels right, and this does.” He leaned in to nuzzle my neck. “You do.”
If he was crazy, that made two of us, because I felt the same way. “Okay,” I agreed before I could think better of it.
He grinned, those gorgeous dimples of his flashing. “Good. Only downside is, that means I need to take off. I have some planning to do.” He stood up, clearing his plate before bracing himself on the other side of the bar to regard me. “Thank you for dinner. It was delicious.”
“You’re welcome,” I replied easily.
“Before I leave, I want you to promise me something,” he continued, and I was surprised by the severity of his tone. “Use the security system, baby. I know you think it’s overkill, but I don’t agree. Promise me.”
“Okay,” I promised, meaning it. It did make me feel better and clearly put him at ease as well.
He nodded, appeased, before heading my way, guiding my thighs apart so he could step in between my legs. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow once you get home from work. I gotta leave now or I won’t be able to,” he rasped, bending to kiss me firmly.
“Okay,” I agreed breathlessly.
Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.
Chapter 5
ELLIE
“Jesus, Ellie, let me help you,” Mason swore the next evening as he shoved off from where he’d been leaning against his Rover in front of my loft.
“I’ve got it,” I protested as I balanced my bag, a bag for Kodi, his dog bed, and Kodi himself.
Mason strode toward me, taking Kodi’s leash and his bed. “I should have come up,” he grumbled.
I looked up at him, laughing. “Mason, I can carry a few bags.”
“Well,” he leaned in to kiss me, “you shouldn’t have to. You ready?”
