“What did your father say to you?” he asked.
She slowly met his eyes, wanting so much to be wrapped in the comfort she knew he would give. “He said I’m becoming a useless shrew just like my mother. He said I’m spoiled and willful and if I don’t do everything in my power to convince you to marry me, he will make me live to regret it.”
Robert’s free hand balled into a fist. If he heard much more, he didn’t doubt that he would throw Charlotte over his shoulder and take her away from this place forever, consequences be damned. “Tell me what I can do to help you. Tell me how to make this right and I will.”
“I want to forget things for a while,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Can I do that? Just for one night?”
She didn’t wait for an answer. Charlotte turned to Robert and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to crash her lips to his. Robert was surprised but more than willing as his arms instantly locked around her waist. She had finally come to him on her own and he had no intention of letting her go.
The kiss escalated as the two finally crossed some kind of invisible line. Charlotte opened her mouth to him, demanding more and kissing him with an innocent abandon that nearly brought Robert to his knees. He answered her passion with a growl and fitted her even more tightly against him.
Time slid away until Charlotte pulled back, gasping for air. The look in Robert’s eyes sent delicious shivers through every inch of her.
“Come to my room tonight,” he pleaded, bending forward to kiss the side of her throat. “Once the house is asleep, I’ll send my valet to bring you to me. Say yes. Be mine, even if only for tonight.”
Charlotte tilted her head back, giving Robert full access to the sensitive skin along her neck. “Yes,” she whispered. “Yours, tonight...”
I stop typing with a naughty smirk. Things are about to get real in Greenspeak Park! My oven timer sounds a second later, forcing me away from my characters, who are completely ready to go for the gold.
To be continued.
I close my laptop and rush from my desk to the kitchenette.
I ignore the persistent ache in my shoulder as I put the finishing touches on my fettuccini alfredo, pushing through the pain and stirring another handful of cheese into the thickening sauce. Once I’m satisfied, I turn off the burner and cover the pot with a glass lid. The clock on the stove reads 6:34 p.m. Ryan said he’d be back around this time.
I untie the bib apron that I still have from when I was a barista at a bookshop in college and toss it onto the counter, revealing a pale blue T-shirt with a gray sweater and navy yoga pants. I originally wore jeans, but they felt too fancy and I’m attempting to come off as cute yet casual while also giving off the impression that maybe I do yoga.
Deciding to partake in some liquid courage, I take a half-full bottle of Riesling out of the fridge and pour myself a glass before I head into the living room. It’s not like I need liquid courage, though. All I’m doing is cooking a meal for an attractive man who I have tons of emotional ties to while trying to live out a romance novel outline in the hopes of finishing my book and sparking a physical relationship that could possibly lead to something more, but probably not because I would be dishonoring my father and going straight to hell.
Yeah, I take a big ol’ sip of my wine.
I’m sitting down on the couch next to Duke when I hear the lock turning in the door over the Van Morrison I have playing. I take another sip of wine and roll my neck.
It’s go time.
“Hey,” Ryan says as he enters the apartment. He’s holding a large black garment bag in one hand and smaller bag with a shoebox inside in the other. Duke flings himself off the couch to jump and claw at Ryan’s legs, his butt shaking in excitement in a painfully adorable way.
Ryan hooks the bags on the hanging coatrack that’s mounted beside my bike and leans down to give Duke a good scratching. “Hey, buddy. What’s going on?” He stands back up after a few seconds and looks over at me with a smile. “Hi.”
“Hey. How’d everything go?”
“It was good,” he says. “Wedding attire is hereby done and for the record, I did get the lady to lower the price, so if you wanted to submit your apology to me in writing, I’ll give you some time to do that.” I roll my eyes and Ryan goes on, “How were things around here?”
“Everything went fine. Me and Duke hung out and I got some writing done.”
“That sounds nice. I’m a little jealous.”
“Yeah, we’re quite the dynamic duo. I don’t want to rub it in your face, but he straight-up told me he likes me better than you.”
“I bet. Well, despite his turncoat love for you, I’m glad you guys had a good day.”
“Thank you. You want some wine?” I get up from the couch and walk over to the kitchen area before he answers.
Ryan meets me there, seeming unsure as he watches me pour him a glass of Riesling. It’s probably not his drink of choice but he’ll have to make do since I don’t like beer. I wish I did. I always wanted to be a cool, beer-drinking girl, but the scent of the stuff is just so off-putting. If I had to imagine what a bottle of
