“Now, El…” I start, my voice trailing off for a moment. I start the engine and turn to look at her. “Didn’t I tell you that would ruin the surprise?”
She stares at me with an unreadable expression and I watch as a touch of worry washes over her eyes. “Well, yeah, I know, but since this isn’t technically a date, I don’t know if a surprise is really needed.” She stops and lets out a breath before she continues through her ramble. “I’m not really a big fan of surprises and not knowing what is going on or where we are going gives me a little bit of anxiety and?—”
“Sweets, stop,” I say, my voice soft and gentle as I reach for her hand. I didn’t mean to cut her off mid sentence, but hearing her spiraling into her panic has my heart breaking. “Take a deep breath. We’re just going to the marina. I thought we could go out on the water and stop to get dinner along the lake.”
Her expression softens, the panic immediately vanishing as her eyes return to their normal size. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin it, it’s just better for me knowing what’s going on.” Ella directs her gaze away from me, turning her head as she stares down at her lap.
“Hey,” I start, releasing her hand and reaching for the side of her face. I pull her back to look at me. “Don’t you dare apologize. I’m sorry for not knowing.” I pause, offering her a soft smile. “No surprises, okay?”
She smiles back at me, although it doesn’t come close to reaching her eyes. “Okay.”
I resist the urge to pull her into my lap. I want nothing more than to wrap my arms around her and tell her it’s okay, but I don’t feel like it’s my place. With her, I have to dip my toes in slowly. I can’t scare her away, especially when it’s clear that she’s on high alert.
And if there’s one thing I do, it will be to show her it’s okay to let her guard down.
It’s okay to let people in.
We fall into a comfortable, safe conversation on the way to the marina. Ella asks me about the ranch and minor details about my life, not diving in too deep, yet not keeping things too superficial. I give her what she wants, although I don’t do the same. I don’t want to poke and prod, especially after the way our evening started.
When she’s ready to let me in and open up, she will. And dear god, I don’t care how long it takes. I’ll wait a lifetime for this woman to share her life and her secrets with me.
Ella looks out the window as I drive through the gates to the marina. It’s tucked away along the shore near the base of the mountain and you need access to get inside. There aren’t many people here since it’s in the middle of the week so I find a parking spot easily. Ella reaches to undo her seatbelt and I turn off the engine before unbuckling my own. I move quickly, getting out of the truck to meet her at her door as she goes to open it.
She lets out a soft breath, her eyes flashing to mine. I pull it open and hold my hand out to her. “Cole…” she says quietly, almost as if she’s saying my name as a warning.
I tilt my head to the side, not moving my hand away. “It’s not a date, remember?”
“This feels like one.”
“Says who?” I question her, my eyebrows pulling together. “Is there a rulebook that says what does and doesn’t count as things you are supposed to do when you take someone out on a date?”
Her gaze drops down to my hand and she slowly slides her soft palm against mine as she lets me help her out of the truck.Electricity travels up my arm, erupting across my chest, but I release her as soon as she’s standing upright and shut the door behind her. “You’re right,” she agrees, a soft smile dancing across her perfect lips. “I forget that you’re such a gentleman.”
I can’t help myself.
I lean closer to her, my hand brushing her hair away from the side of her neck and my mouth dropping to her ear. “I am, but if there’s ever a time you don’t want me to keep bein’ a gentleman, all you have to do is say the words, darlin’,” I murmur, my lips brushing against her.
Ella inhales sharply, her chest rising abruptly as she holds her breath for a beat. I ease away from her, watching the hues of pink spreading across her cheeks as she stares at me wide eyed. Her nostrils flare and I don’t miss the flames burning in her gaze.
“Shall we?” I question her, holding my arm out for her to take again.
She swallows hard, her slender throat bobbing as she pulls her lips in between her teeth and nods. She doesn’t speak a single word and I can’t help but smile at the irony of her being rendered speechless right now. If only she knew the very things she does to me every time I’m in her presence.
Ella threads her arm through mine and I feel her soft skin warm against my flesh as I pull her with me, leading her towards the docks with boats. We walk past a row, taking the first right down another one with different boats in their slips. We get to the third to last one and I stop in front of it, Ella stopping beside me.
She looks at the boat and glances at me. “Is this Austin’s boat?”
I smile, shaking my head at her. “His boat is over there.” I point back in the direction we came from. “This one is mine.”
“He finally convinced you to get one?”
Not him—you did.
“Somethin’ like that,” I smirk, the corners of my lips lifting. She didn’t exactly convince me I needed to get one, but that one day when I was at the bar with Austin and we were discussing boats… He made a valid point and she was the one who pointed that out to me.
Honestly, it did make the most sense and it was time for me to finally get my own. Plus, now I can take Ella out whenever I want to.
“Did you name it?” she asks me as she cranes her neck, trying to see the side of it. “That’s what people do, right? You have to give it some kind of a name.”
