“So I know geography isn’t on our side,” Angus’s voice caressed her senses and she tried to lift her head, tried to look at him, but all she could do was look at the key, “but we can work it out, right?”
The metal was cool under her fingertips.
“I know the original plan was for you and your sister to head to Newcastle with Owen and Bria today. And you were both staying in Australia until after Owen and Bria’s engagement party, but I was wondering…hoping…you’d stay here instead. With me. And we can both head up to Newcastle the day of the party and then…maybe…you’d stay and have Christmas with me here.”
She swallowed, stare locked on the key. Christmas with Angus sounded perfect. And not just Christmas with Angus, but every day with Angus. All the days. From this day onward.
Her mom and dad were going to have a meltdown, of course. Two daughters lost to Australians on the other side of the world, but they’d be okay. Eventually. Especially if Angusdidopen a restaurant in LA. She could travel back with him, see them then. And Zeta. And Zeta would definitely visit her and Bria here. So would her parents; their frequent-flyer miles would sky-rocket.
She smiled, a soft warmth spreading through her.
“And you are one-hundredpercent allowed to tell me to pump the breaks,” he said, a huskiness to his voice. “One-hundred percent. If I do go ahead with a restaurant in the LA, I will date the hell out of you whenever I’m there.” He made a weird noise. “Okay, that sounds weird. What I mean is…crap, I’m not good with words. I’m better with food. I just…I just…really want us to be a thing. A real thing. Not just a…”
He trailed off as she looked up at him.
He stood on the other side of the table, a platter piled high with bacon and eggs and grilled tomatoes and haloumi and mushrooms in his hands, a string of red tinsel hanging over his eye, and oh god, she was never leaving this guy. Ever.
He gave her a smile; shy and nervous and hopeful all at once. “Ready?”
“Ready,” she said, her heart…actually, her heart wasn’t wild or racing. She felt calm. Wonderfully calm. “I’ve never been more ready.”
A grin replaced his smile and he placed the platter on the table. “In that case, dig—”
The doorbell rang.
Angus cocked an eyebrow at her. “What’s the bet that’s Owen?”
“I’m not sharing this, if it is.” She dropped into her seat with a defiant smirk. “Especially if Zeta and Bria are with him. Those two inhale food.”
Chuckling, he rounded the table, and dropped a kiss on her upturned face. “Be right back. Don’t wait for me.”
“I wasn’t going to,” she declared, impishly, as he hurried toward his bedroom.
He reemerged a few seconds later, faded jeans now hiding his gorgeous ass and legs. “Actually,” he said, head for the front door, “dowait. Watching you eat makes me horny, remember?”
She snagged a plump strawberry from the fruit platter and slipped its pointed bottom past her lips slowly.
He groaned. “Well, that’s not playing fair.”
She gave her eyebrows what she hoped was a sexy wriggle.
Laughing, he turned to the door and opened it.
“Now, Iknowthis is highly unethical,” an unseen female said from the other side. Afamiliarfemale voice. “But I wanted to give you one last chance.”
Elisa’s breath caught. She stared at Angus, unable to see who was on the other side but knowing who it was all the same.
Even if she hadn’t recognized the TV producer’s voice, the way Angus stood stiff, the way his knuckles whitened as he gripped the doorknob, the way the very air around him turned heavy, told her who it was.
Nora.
Elisa jolted to her feet. Her chest tightened. Dio, what was this woman’s problem?
“Before you say anything,” Nora went on, an edge to her voice. “Hear me out.”
Elisa hurried around the dining table, heading for Angus. What did she have to do to make the producer leave him alone? Actually marry him?
Sounds like a plan.