“The woman he met this afternoon is a publisher,” Willow said.Although she was smiling, there was another message in her eyes.“Told you not to jump to conclusions.”
“A publisher,” Ellie repeated, not quite grasping what she was hearing.
“Tell her, Becket,” Willow said as she took a seat.
With Ellie’s hand still in his, Becket motioned for her to sit down as he took the chair next to her.“As I said, we—the dogs and I—were on our way to talk to you.I should’ve told you about June, but I still had things to figure out.Anyway, as Willow mentioned, she’s a publisher.”
“Gorgeous publisher, I’ve heard,” Cooper added drily as he stroked Marmalade.So, he’d taken her.
Becket sighed.“Not helping here, Coop.”
Cooper just grinned.
“She… the publisher she works for, has offered me a deal.”
As he explained to Ellie what their offer entailed, she stared at him.She saw his mouth moving, but she wasn’t really listening to what he was saying anymore.This was a different Becket than the suave one who’d swaggered into her shop with his killer smile and a box of condoms in his hands.Gone were the studied pose and smooth lines, this was the real Becket, the one she’d lost her heart to, the one for whom she’d happily throw away all her plans to stay in her lane and live a boring life.
“…talk to the family because it will affect all of them as well,” Becket was saying.“Like Willow here, I’ll pitch in during our busy times, but otherwise I can focus on my art.”
“I’m so happy for you,” Ellie got out.“You have so much talent.I’ve been following your page for ages, not knowing who ET Beck really was.I should’ve recognized the dogs.”
All three dogs barked.
“Okay, let’s finish dinner,” Arlene said.“I’m sure you two have a lot more to talk about.”
*
By the timethey’d finally finished dinner, there were three empty bottles of bubbly.It was late, but nobody was in a hurry.Luke had fallen asleep next to Jessie on the couch with the other dogs snuggled up next to them.Marmalade was still happily cuddling against Cooper.
“If you’ll excuse us,” Becket finally said as he got up, “I’m taking Ellie to my house.”His dogs jumped up immediately and moved to the door.
“You probably have to be at your shop tomorrow morning early, Ellie.Let me keep Marmalade until then,” Cooper said.“Duke will be very happy to see his friend again.You can pick her up when you’re back.”
“Would it be okay if I take Duke as well?”Ellie asked.“Becket has already put him in some of his sketches.”
Cooper nodded.“He’d be one very happy dog.”
As Becket drove toward his house, he kept Ellie’s hand in his.They had so much to still discuss, but for now he was content to just be with her.It had been a chaotic day.He’d experienced so many different emotions, he was drained.
As he stopped in front of his house, Ellie turned to him.“Let’s talk tomorrow?For now, I just want to be with you.”
“A woman after my own heart.”He smiled as he bent down and kissed her.He only wanted to tease her, but the moment their lips met, desire exploded inside him.Lifting his head, he gulped in some much-needed oxygen.“I’ll get the dogs, you open the house,” he got out as he pushed the key into her hands.
By the time he closed the front door behind him, Ellie wasn’t anywhere to be seen.Soft sounds from the direction of his bedroom told him where she was.
“Okay, guys, you behave,” he said to the dogs as he left his hat on the table and walked toward his room.
Before he opened the door, he turned to check whether the dogs had listened to him.They were sitting side by side, their tongues hanging out, big smiles on their faces.Laughing, he showed them a thumbs-up before he entered the room.Three barks followed him.
As he closed the door, Ellie stepped into the room from the bathroom.She was wearing a pair of cute pajama shorts with a loose top that showed glimpses of her golden skin every time she turned.
She pointed toward the bathroom.“The soap, body cream, shampoo, perfume…?”
Pulling his shirt from his jeans, he pulled it over his head and tossed it aside.“For you.I bought it this afternoon.In the pharmacy.Where Aurelia Hill also happened to be.”By the time he’d finished speaking, he was standing right in front of her.
Her eyes twinkling, she spread her hands out over his chest.“Aurelia Hill?”
“Yeah,” was all he got out as warm lips met his skin.
