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“Elias?” Elle’s voice pulled me from my mental wandering. “Are you okay?”
“Fine, yeah, fine.” I rose, scanned the room for my robe—a sheer lacy thing that went with one of my lingerie sets, a rose pink one that I’d worn yesterday—and padded over to the armchair in the corner where I’d tossed it last. “Can you get us a flight to New York?”
“Already booked. Can we scare up a ride to the mainland?” Katy was murmuring something in the background. There was a shuffle then I could just make out the creak of the patio door opening. Elle must have slipped outside to allow Katy to sleep.
“Of course. I’m sure we can get someone to run us to the airport. What time is our flight?” I slid one arm of my robe on and then the other, forgoing tying it around my waist for now. No one would see me aside from Gibson, and he had seen all of me in several wicked positions.
“Ten forty-five. So we have a few hours to eat, shower, and get our heads into the right space. Are you sure you’re okay?”
The soft clatter of a ship’s bell ringing floated through the phone. “I’m fine. This was totally expected. Still, it’s hard.”
“Of course it is. But maybe this is the final hurdle for us to leap as you start a new life.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I liked that thinking. “We’ll swing by the inn around nine. That should give us time to get there and get boarded. I’m assuming this is too last minute to use my jet?”
“Sadly, yes, we’re going to go commercial. Your jet is back in L.A. in the hangar. It should be fine if we keep your face covered.”
“Right. Okay, let me go speak to Gibson about a ride. Elle, thank you for sticking with me through all of this. I know it’s been a shitstorm for you as well.” I made my way to the bathroom to find it empty. The smell of coffee perking wafted by on a subtle little breeze.
“As if I would leave you for being gay. Silly man.”
That made me chuckle. I hung up with a smile that faded when I found my man in the kitchen staring out the window, naked, an empty cup in his hand.
“Sorry about the rude awakening,” I said as I made my way to him. He glanced from the view of a seagull sleeping in a large ceramic pot to me. His expression was placid, thankfully. I’d been worried he might be upset. “I have to fly to Manhattan.”
“I know. This is a small house.” He removed the full cup from the machine and handed it to me before sliding his in. I sipped as he took out the spent pod and replaced it with a new one. The pod would cool, then he would empty the grinds into a container to spread around his little garden. “I’m happy to take you to the airport and pick you up.”
The machine spit and gurgled as it brewed a new cup of dark roast. “Thank you. I’m sorry I had to cut this long weekend short. I feel terrible. You closed the shop just to spend it with me and—”
He leaned over to kiss me, taking care of the hot coffee in my hands. No one wanted scalded balls first thing in the morning. Or ever. His lips were tender, the kiss fleeting.
“And you’re leaving for a few hours to hopefully jumpstart the first leg of the new Elias Lake story. I love that this is opening up for you.”
It was right there. That big L word. It appeared on the tip of my tongue out of the blue. Foolish man that I was. Yet again I was leaping before looking. Letting my heart lead me once more. Did I never learn?
“Thank you,” I whispered, swallowing down the urge to say something that was too big, too soon, too irresponsible. “I’m more than a little terrified.”
“Don’t be.” He lifted a hand to cup my face, his thumb moving over my cheekbone as he stared into my eyes, his gaze rife with emotion. “Now, I will make you breakfast while you shower. Then I’ll drive you and Elle to Augusta to catch that plane. Katy and I will spend the day touring the flower gardens like we’d planned while you two wheel and deal. When you’re ready to come home, text me, and we’ll come pick you up, and we’ll break out some bubby to toast the good news.”
“There might not be good news.” I had to keep my wits about me. Allowing myself to get giddy would only make the crash harder if/when the deal fell through.
“There will be.” He kissed me again, then stepped back. “Now, go shower before I forget myself and peel you out of this sexy as sin robe.”
“The next time we fuck, I will wear those stockings for you,” I promised, pecked his lips, and spun on my heel. His gaze was searing on my backside, so I put a bit more sway into my sashay, taking care of the hot coffee in my hand.
“He radiates beauty with each smile, each step, each glance. And I, a simple potter, am spellbound.”
I floated to the bathroom.
Chapter Twelve
Manhattanwasasitalways is, bustling, mercurial, gritty, and unforgettable.
Elle and I had worked up a rough, short speech for me to deliver via my social media soon. Tomorrow probably. It would have to be polished and reviewed by Four Winds, but we were sure it would fly. They were desperate to unload me, I was sure.
Exiting the cab in front of a swanky little Persian eatery on Steinway Street, I stretched the kinks out as Elle paid the cabbie.
The smell of New York hit me in the nose. People, cars, and the rich scents of the varied ethnic restaurants. I tapped out a quick text to Gibson.
