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She tucked her fingers under his chin and made him turn to look at her. Something about his tone had her worried. He sounded serious. “What?” Her voice came out as little more than a whisper.
The fine lines around his beautiful blue eyes crinkled when he smiled. “Shoot. I’m sorry. That sounded bad, and it isn’t bad.”
She smiled through pursed lips. “Put me out of my misery, then. What did you want to say?”
“I love you.”
Her heart leaped into her mouth and her arms tightened around him of their own accord as she let out a little squeal. “You do?”
He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her lips. “I do.”
“That’s good.”
She felt terrible when the sparkle in his eyes dimmed. She didn’t want to tease him.
“That’s good, because I love you too.”
That brought the sparkle back, and it earned her another one of his deep, lingering kisses. That was one kiss that she’d never forget.
~ ~ ~
Bentley was antsy by the time Sunday afternoon rolled around. He knew that he should make an effort to pull himself together, Alyssa had already given him a few inquiring looks. But he was having trouble staying light and upbeat when he was already dreading her looming departure.
They’d had a great weekend. They’d spent all of Friday evening in his wing of the house – and made the most of it. He’d never look at his desk the same way again, and that wasn’t just because of the way that they christened it as soon as Alyssa arrived – or even because it was where he told her that he loved her for the first time. It was more than that. It was the way that she loved it so much. She kept telling him how much she lovedhis office, and it wasn’t about complimenting him on a space that he’d designed for himself. No, it was more than that; she just genuinely loved it, and he couldn’t help wishing that she could make it hers.
She’d said more than once that if she were him, she’d only go into the offices when she had to; she’d stay home and work from there, sitting at the desk with its beautiful view of the vineyards framed in the big bay window, surrounded by the bookshelves. He knew what she meant; he’d designed that room exactly as he wanted it to be. But he’d never loved it in the way that she so obviously did. It was a goal that his mind had latched onto and didn’t seem to want to let go of. He wanted her to move here, and he wanted his office to become hers.
“… about him, he’s away with the fairies.”
Bentley scowled at Willow. They were all sitting out on the terrace behind the house after coming home from an afternoon over at Jacob’s place. Alyssa had a great time with everyone, and it was obvious that she fit in well with his whole group of friends. She and Becca had hit it off in a big way; they were already arranging for Becca to go and visit Alyssa in San Francisco.
He was glad that they were becoming friends, but he’d be happier when Becca could come over here when she wanted to see Alyssa.
He had to focus; his mind was drifting again. He narrowed his eyes at Willow. “What the hell are you talking about?”
His sister just laughed. “If you were paying any attention at all, you’d know that I was talking about you. You’ve checked out on us. You’re away with the fairies.”
He had to laugh at that. “Fairies?”
Alyssa smiled at him and snuggled closer to him on the sofa where they were sitting. “Yes, fairies. Have you never heard that one before?”
He shook his head. “Not in the sense that Willow was using it. What have I done?”
“My guess is that you’ve already gone back to work,” said Willow. She didn’t look happy about it, either. He could understand why. She’d already made it clear that she thought the world of Alyssa, and she’d warned him a couple of times not to mess it up. If she thought that he’d checked out on their conversation because he was preoccupied with work, he could see how she would think that he was messing up.
However, it couldn’t be further from the truth. He hadn’t given work a thought over the weekend because he’d been a hundred percent caught up in Alyssa and what they were doing.
He reached for her hand and turned to her. “You’ll have to forgive my sister. I suppose it’s fair that she would jump to the conclusion that I’m thinking about work. But I’m not. I’m not away with the fairies.” He chuckled. “Nor am I preoccupied with any other mythical creature. It’s just that I was thinking that I don’t want you to go.”
Alyssa’s expression softened, and she squeezed his hand. “That makes me feel better. For a minute there, I thought you were bored with me and waiting to be rid of me.”
“No, I —”
His protest was cut short by both Alyssa and Willow laughing at him.
Alyssa brought her hand up and rested it in the middle of his chest. “I’m playing with you. It’s fine. If you want to know thetruth, I’ve only been chattering away so mindlessly to distract myself from the fact that I don’t want to go, either.”
Bentley didn’t even register the fact that his sister was sitting there with them. It didn’t matter, nothing mattered other than closing his arm around Alyssa and holding her close.
