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“But your parents…” I couldn’t hide my grimace.
“Won’t care that their daughter is in a stable, safe relationship and would probably love to meet the guy their daughter has been talking about for months.” Her eyes widened like she’d said too much. “Forget that I said that.”
“Nope.” I chuckled, curling my fingers under her chin. “I’m afraid that’s not possible, Princess. Come on, you can just tell me you liked me.”
“Cam!” Ella’s cheeks flushed. “We’re dating. It shouldn’t be a secret.”
“Mmm. Maybe I just like hearing it. That you liked me.”
Her fingers fiddled with the open buttons of my shirt. “Well…” she trailed off, making me work for it. “Maybe a little.” Her voice dropped another octave, like she was shy—unsure. “Just stay, okay?”
A seductive smile tugged across my lips. I kissed her neck before standing up, offering her a hand. “Should we go back inside, then?”
Ella nodded. “I’m sure Audrey’s wondering where I am.”
I chuckled. Her twin had seen me head outside earlier, so Idoubted she wondered that at all. She knew exactly what we were up to.
“No funny business,” she said, poking at me in the chest before interlacing our hands. “Ready to go meet my parents?”
Nodding, I swallowed roughly as I kissed her knuckles.
Was I really doing this?
Apparently, the answer to that was yes.
“Don’t be nervous,” Ella whispered to me as we stood on the front porch of her house. They lived in a big house in a nice neighborhood, but it was nothing like mine.
I wondered what she would think if I brought her to my childhood home. Though home might have been an understatement. I’d practically grown up in a mansion. Though none of it was mine, not really. It was all family money, the family business—what I would one day take over and inherit, sure, but none of that was based on my skills or merit.
I hated that.
“I’m not nervous,” I lied as she squeezed my hand. Because of all the people in the world I wanted to impress, to make a good impression on, it was Ella’s parents.
She opened up the door, tugging me behind her.
“Mom?” she called out, weaving into the living room. The entire house was still decorated for Christmas, the tree in the living room still lit up despite the late hour. “Dad?”
“Ells?” Her mother padded into the room with a robe wrapped around her. “Are you guys just getting home?”
“Well…” Ella looked at me as her mom entered the room, and then back at her. “Audrey said she was going to stay for a little longer.”
Before we’d left the party, we’d caught up with her twin, andafter they’d talked for a moment, the twins sharing a hug, Audrey promised to text when she was on her way home.
“Oh. Hi.” Ella’s dad joined the room too, wearing a pair of plaid flannel pajama bottoms and an Ashford Carpentry t-shirt. I made a mental note of it, since Ella and I had never discussed what her parents did before. He slid in next to his wife, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
“This is Cam. He drove down to surprise me,” Ella said, not one hint of fear in her words.
I squeezed her hand this time, wanting her to know I was here.
“Cameron Edwards,” I offered, throat dry.
“Leah Ashford,” Ella’s mom said, introducing herself to me, “and this is my husband, Stephen.”
Ella’s dad stuck out his hand for me to shake, eyeing me skeptically. I couldn’t blame him, not when I was with one of his two precious daughters.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” I said, wincing slightly at the grip of his hand. “I was going to drive home tonight, but it’s late, and Ella didn’t want me on the roads…”
“Nonsense. Of course you should stay here,” her mom interjected. “There are a lot of drunk drivers out tonight. Dear, want to go get the guest room ready?”
