Chapter Six
BLUE PARKED IN front of the Paintery, a restaurant that doubled as an art house, occasionally hosting comedians and musicians in addition to offering painting lessons while customers dined. The building was painted graffiti style, with colorful flowers paired with dark, haunting images of animals and greenery that looked like it belonged in a tropical rainforest, making the building feel alive.
“I never would have pegged you for a Paintery guy. What a fun surprise,” Lizzie said. “I’ve never been here.”
“Neither have I, but I figured that since this wasn’t supposed to be a date, we’d better go someplace that felt platonic.” Blue held the door open, and as she passed through, his hand found hers again.
Sometime between Blue telling her she could trust him and their last kiss, Lizzie had gone from needing to keep distance between them to wanting to be closer and wanting to enjoy the evening as a real date. Being with Blue, kissing him, opening up to him, had reminded her what it was like to feel, to allow herself to get close to someone. They’d crossed the platonic line into sensual and scintillating territory, and Lizzie felt herself wanting to explore all of it, which scared her and excited her at once.
She’d kept such thick walls around herself for the past few years that even accepting this evening as a date was a huge deal. And, as her mind skipped off track and reminded her that her webcast began in half an hour, she reminded herself that letting down those walls was also a huge risk.
They followed the hostess past a number of round tables with easels set up on them to a booth in the back, also sporting two easels and paints facing either side of the booth.
Blue turned an assessing gaze to the table. “Well, this isn’t right, is it?” He moved the easels so they were beside each other, then shifted the paints and paintbrushes to one side of the table and scooted the whole thing away from the edge, making room for them to eat and paint sitting side by side.
“Much better.” He motioned to the bench. “After you.”
“That doesn’t look very platonic to me,” she teased.
“You gave me the okay to call this a date, so I’m taking full advantage of wooing you until you take it back.” He slid into the seat beside her and leaned in close. “And by the time tonight is over, you won’t ever want to take it back.”
“You’re pretty confident.” As well he should be. Blue wasn’t just more handsome than any man alive, but he was also a gentleman and probably the world’s best kisser.
He stretched an arm over her shoulder, opened a menu, and moved it in front of her so they could both look it over. She loved that, too.
They ordered drinks and decided to share an entrée—another bonus point for Blue. Lizzie loved sharing meals. Everything tasted better when it belonged to someone else. A few minutes later the waiter brought their drinks and took their dinner order.
Blue held up his glass in a toast. “To our first date.”
They clinked glasses, and Lizzie sipped her drink, taking a moment to admire the incredibly sexy, confident man beside her. She’d worked so hard to fight her attraction to him that she’d succeeded in seeing him as Blue Ryder, friend. She’d put him securely in that category with a continuous mantra of all the reasons why they couldn’t be more, a list that started with their friendship and ended with the Naked Baker. Now, as she looked at him, all she could think about was how many kisses she’d missed over the past year, how many chances to hold his hand, to see that smile when it was meant just for her—and to get to know him even better.
“So, how does this work?” she asked, eyeing the paints.
“It’s a pretty hard concept. We pick up the brushes”—he handed her a paintbrush—“and then we paint.”
“It’s good to see that being on a date didn’t dampen your ability to be a smart-alec.” She smiled with the tease. “I’m a truly sucky painter.”
“I somehow doubt you’re a truly sucky anything.” He leaned in and kissed her, and she closed her eyes, willing him to kiss her longer.
She’d known it would be like this, that it would feel right, and good, and incredibly natural to fall under Blue’s spell. Just another reason she’d fought going out with him for so long. She’d known she’d never have a chance of resisting him once that door was opened. His lips lingered on hers, drawing out the kiss, so that by the time he pulled away, she was breathless for more.
He ran his fingertips through her hair and touched his forehead to hers. “I really like kissing you.”
Afraid if she tried to respond she’d say something like, Then don’t stop, she opted for silence instead.
“Do you want to join the others or do our own thing?”
Her mind was still spinning from their kiss. He must have sensed it in her silence, because he went on to explain. “When I called to make reservations, they said we could paint what the instructor is painting.” He pointed at a tall guy who was walking from table to table, looking over the paintings and commenting on each one. “Or we can go totally rogue and do our own thing.”
“That’s what I want to do,” she said, feeling silly for being so awestruck. “Our own thing.”
“A woman after my own heart.” He held her gaze, and when his phone vibrated with a call, it reminded her that she needed to check her webcast.
“Why don’t you take that call while I run to the ladies’ room, and then we can paint.”
Blue slid from the booth and reached for her hand, pulling her against him. “Is it cheesy to tell you that I’ll miss you while you’re gone?” He cracked a smile, but she was too lost in the feel of his arms around her and the press of his muscles against her chest to care if it was cheesy.
“I kind of like cheesy.”
His lips met hers in another sensual, sizzling kiss, and then he held her hand until she’d taken too many steps to keep holding it, and that fraction of a second, with his eyes on her, his fingertips grazing the tips of hers, felt like a scene from a movie, and it made Lizzie even dizzier.
She walked in a daze to the ladies’ room, coming back to the present the moment the door clicked shut behind her. She pulled out her cell phone and tried to find a signal. Nearly all of the lower Cape had spotty Internet and cell service. She held the phone over her head. Still no signal. Darn it. She stepped from the ladies’ room and into the hall, holding her phone high above her head, glad the hallway turned a corner so Blue couldn’t see her. Her phone finally picked up a signal. She navigated to her Naked Baker site and clicked play on the newest show.
She paced the narrow hall, holding the phone over her head and praying no one came in from the dining room. Her heart hammered in her chest as she stared up at the video loading as slowly as molasses dripping from a jar, and suddenly her sexy voice filled the air.
Shootshootshoot. She pressed the volume button to mute as Blue came around the corner.
“Hey there. Everything okay?” He eyed her phone as she clicked off the video and shoved it into her back pocket.
“Yeah.” Thinkthinkthink! “Maddy called, but I lost the signal.” She hated lying at all, but lying to Blue felt like the biggest, most painful lie she’d ever told. Even worse than when she’d snuck out of her parents’ house to meet a boy in high school, and that was pretty darn bad.
“Do you want to call her back? We can step outside to get a signal.”
He was so thoughtful and considerate, and she was still keeping her secret. She couldn’t do this to him, not when everything he did was with her best interests at heart. It wasn’t fair to either of them. She’d make it through this date, and then she’d end it. She couldn’t play with his trust, and she couldn’t reveal the Naked Baker to a guy like Blue, either.
I hope you appreciate all that I do for you, Maddy.
She forced a smile, knowing Maddy appreciated everything she was ever given. Her younger sister wasn’t selfish like many teens. She was considerate to a fault, which was one of the reasons Lizzie was willing to put herself out there to give her a leg up in life. It wasn’t Maddy’s fault their parents couldn’t afford college for her, and Lizzie knew how school loans would strap her sister down after college. Thank goodness for Cooking with Coeds, and in turn, for the Naked Baker.
“No, it’s okay,” she answered as they walked back to the table. “Did I take that long?”
“Not that long. The waiter brought our dinner.”
She had taken a long time. At least she’d seen and heard the very start of the webcast, which meant it was probably playing properly.
They shared their meal and drank wine while they talked. It was nice being alone with Blue, just as she’d known it would be.
“I knew you and Maddy were close, but I never realized she called you about dates and stuff. That’s nice,” he said.
“It is nice. We talk about everything. But you seem just as close with your siblings.” He was so easy to talk to. He listened so intently to her while watching her with those piercing eyes of his, she was unable to resist falling right back into their intimacy. She speared a piece of steak with her fork and fed it to him.
“Mm. I like this arrangement.” He swallowed the steak and said, “We talk about everything, too. There are lots of us, though, so we tend to be close in pairs, and those pairings vary based on what’s going on in our lives.” He fed her a tomato from the salad and followed the fork with a quick kiss that made it taste a million times better.
“Pairs?”
“Yeah. Like when Jake visits, we’ll be close for a few weeks afterward. Then he’ll get busy with his own thing, and then Gage or Duke will have something to talk about, or an issue to work through. It sort of goes in cycles. Big family dynamics, you know.”
“And what about Trish? Where does she fit in?” Lizzie knew his sister was an actress and that she was close with her family, but she hadn’t met her, and she wondered what it was like growing up with so many brothers.
“Where doesn’t she fit in?” Blue laughed as they finished eating, then set the plates aside so they could paint. “She weasels her way into everyone’s business, like any sister would, I guess. Nosing around for details on our personal lives.”
Lizzie picked up a paintbrush and started to paint. “And do you guys do the same to her?”
“I don’t want to know the details of her personal life. I just want to know she’s safe and happy. When she was in high school, I’m sure we scared off a lot of her dates, but once she went away to college, she pretty much set us straight.” Blue dabbed his brush in blue paint and held it in front of the picture of flowers in a vase that Lizzie was painting. “May I?”
“Sure.”
He smoothed out the edges of the vase, then added shading that made the vase look like it was three-dimensional.
“Trish set us all straight except Duke. Duke is relentless when it comes to being protective. He watches over all of us like it’s his job. I think it’s an eldest thing.”
“I think I’d agree with that. I was pretty protective of Maddy when she was younger.” And even now, wasn’t she being protective by taking care of Maddy’s tuition so her sister wouldn’t have to? She tucked that thought away, not wanting to think about the webcast or the fact that she’d seen only thirty seconds of it and that there could still be technical issues.
She turned her attention back to the easel, painting flower petals falling from the flowers in the vase. Blue painted a window behind the vase that looked so real she could practically feel the sky beyond.
“Where did you learn to paint like that?”
“Just something I picked up in school. Who knew that architecture skills carried over to art?”
They painted together, teasing each other and laughing, while talking about families and friends and life on the Cape. Lizzie set her paintbrush down to watch Blue paint. His dark brows knitted together and his jaw clenched. He was usually so relaxed that seeing him so intent on the painting was almost like seeing a whole different person. She imagined it was what he must be like when he worked without anyone else around.
She stifled a yawn, her long day catching up to her.
“I kept you up too late last night.” Blue set down his paintbrush and pulled her in close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She loved the intensity of their wild kisses as much as the tenderness of his softer ones, and even though she knew they could only share this one date, she wanted to enjoy every second of it, of him.
“No. I’m okay.” She looked at the painting and realized he’d painted two string gardens beside the vase. They were drawn in perfect perspective and looked strikingly similar to two of her favorites.
“Are those mine?” she asked softly.
“Yes. You told me they were your favorites the day I came in to buy the aloe vera plant.”
“But that was months ago. You remembered?”
He rubbed the back of his neck, inhaling a deep breath before finally answering. “Lizzie.” He met her gaze with an intensity of heat and honesty that made her whole body warm up. “I don’t think there’s a thing you’ve told me that I haven’t remembered.”
Her heart ached with desire and longing. Blue was, without question, the most honest man alive, and no part of her wanted to put distance between them again. But she knew she had to. She reached for his hand, wanting to enjoy their closeness for the rest of the evening. Even if she couldn’t have him forever, she’d take one night. One night of tender kisses that made her head spin, and the most perfect date she’d ever been on. And then she’d go back to the way it was.
BLUE KNEW HE was in too deep the moment he’d first pressed his lips to Lizzie’s, and he had no desire to swim to the surface. When they left the restaurant, Lizzie climbed into the truck and moved beside him without his urging. Everything felt natural and right, just as he’d known it would. He felt closer to her than he’d ever felt to a woman, and as they drove away from the Paintery with their painting propped against the seat, he didn’t want the night to end.
“I had a great time tonight,” Lizzie said. “It’s been so long since I’ve been on a date. I had forgotten how much fun it can be to connect with someone.”
“Me too, and I knew we’d hit it off. No matter how many times you refused to go out with me, I always knew we’d end up together. I think that’s why I never told Sky that I’d asked you out and that you’d turned me down.”
“Oh gosh.” Lizzie gasped. “You didn’t tell her either?”
He laughed and shook his head. “You didn’t tell her? I thought girls talked about everything.”
“Usually we do, but I never told her that you asked me out. I didn’t want to feel pressured into accepting.”
“And I didn’t want her to pressure you.” He hugged her against him and kissed her again. He hadn’t worn his heart on his sleeve for years, but with Lizzie, there was simply no other way to wear it.
“See how alike we are?” he said. “I know it’s late, and you’re probably too tired, but I have something else planned if you’re—”
“Blue, I don’t want our date to end either, so whatever you had planned is great with me. Tomorrow’s Sunday, and I usually take the day off, so I can rest then.”
“Don’t you want to hear what I had planned?” he asked as he turned off the road toward his house.
“It doesn’t matter.” She rested her head on his shoulder like they’d been dating forever. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s going to be perfect.”
Blue lived about as simply as a person could while still having creature comforts to enjoy. His modest cabin was set down a narrow and winding road, deep in the woods of Wellfleet on the way to Cahoon Hollow Beach. He parked in front of the one-story, cedar-sided cabin and helped Lizzie from the truck, holding her close and soaking in the feel of her as he set her on her feet. She surprised him again by snaking her arm around his waist as they walked up to the front door. Again he had to wonder how he’d gotten so lucky to finally break down her defenses.
“I guess I should have warned you. My place is pretty small.”
He unlocked the front door and flicked on the lights, illuminating the cozy cabin. He watched her eyes roll to the right, past the kitchen and up to the vaulted ceiling, then travel to the loft above his bedroom. There were no interior walls in the cabin, other than the ones separating the bedroom and bathroom. Blue loved the open floor plan. As he watched Lizzie running her fingers along the marble bar that separated the living room from the kitchen, he wondered what she was thinking.
She smiled as she took it all in. “This feels very much like you. It’s rugged and gorgeously built, of course.” Her voice held a flicker of flirtation. “And it feels safe. Like you. You feel safe.”
He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck. “Just what a guy wants to be called. Safe.”
She craned her neck to the side, giving him better access to nibble her soft skin. He traced the shell of her ear with his tongue and felt her shiver against him.
“Okay, safe just went out the window,” she said, turning toward him. “You promised me just kisses, remember?”
“That was like a kiss.” He took a step back and made a sweeping gesture with his hand as he bowed. “Your wish is my command.”
She laughed. “My wish is definitely not to only kiss, but this is our first date…”
He walked around the counter to put some space between them before he was unable to stop touching her and selected a bottle of wine from the rack.
“I’m glad you like my place. I built this cabin when I first moved to the Cape.” He’d always loved his cabin, and although Sky had been there many times, he’d never brought a woman he was dating home with him.
“But you just bought that lighthouse property. Are you going to move there?”
“When I bought this land, I fell in love with it. It was one of those moments you never forget.” Like the first time I saw you. “I could smell the ocean coming over the ridge and the woods buffered me from the outside world. And when Duke and I went to see Bowers Bluff, I had that same feeling. I knew I wanted to be there.”
He poured them each a glass of wine, and they went into the living room, where she looked over family photographs on the mantel while he queued up a movie.
“So, you’ll move there?” she asked.
He shrugged as he came to her side. “I’m not really sure. When I’m out on the bluff, it stirs another part of me. The part that’s ready to start thinking about the future, having a family someday.”
“Aren’t most guys trying not to get tied down?” she asked.
“I’m not most guys.” He drew her in close again, and her eyes darkened as she met his gaze.
“No, you’re definitely not.”
He set their wineglasses on the mantel and lowered his lips to hers, gently covering her mouth and taking her in a slow, drugging kiss. Her lips parted instantly for him, and every stroke of their tongues brought a thrum of desire.
“I love your mouth,” he whispered against her lips before kissing her again. “I’ve dreamed of kissing you for way too long.” He didn’t want to stop kissing her, even as he sealed his lips over hers again, knowing he needed to pull back or he wasn’t going to be capable of honoring his promise. She kissed him hungrily, as if she couldn’t stop either. This was totally unfair. Why did he have to be the good guy? Being the good guy totally sucked.
Tearing his lips from hers, he managed, “I made you a promise.” Lust laced each syllable.
She pressed her hands to his cheeks, went up on her toes, and kissed him again. Her body fell against him, as if she’d lost her balance, and he wrapped her in his arms, holding her there, aching to feel every inch of her softness with nothing between them.
“Lizzie,” he warned.
“I know,” she said between kisses.
“Movie.” He forced himself to step back. They were both breathing hard, and he had no doubt that he could sweep her into his arms, carry her into the bedroom, and make sweet love to her all night long. But he’d promised her they’d only kiss, and if Blue was one thing, it was trustworthy.
He moved their wineglasses to the coffee table, and she settled in on the couch. How many times had he envisioned coming home with her, feeling her presence in his home? He slipped off his shoes, then helped her do the same, and as she tucked her feet beside her, he dimmed the lights. The movie started as he sat beside her and pulled her in close again, loving the feel of her against him.
“You have Love Actually?” She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him with curiosity in her eyes.
“Yeah, don’t tell any of my buddies or I’ll never hear the end of it.” She giggled, and he kissed her again. He knew that bringing her home to watch a movie wasn’t a big, exciting date, but he’d craved time alone with Lizzie for so long, and since he’d never brought a woman home before, it felt like a very big deal to him. And now that he knew how tired she was, he was glad he hadn’t planned a more exciting first date. “You’re dangerously addicting, Lizzie.”
“Don’t go there,” she said softly.
“Why? What’s so bad about my liking you?”
She gazed up at him again. This time her eyes held confusion, and unless he was reading her wrong, a tinge of sadness. “There’s nothing wrong with you liking me. Just don’t get addicted to me. Addictions aren’t safe.”
He kissed her again. “Well, as you said yourself, you’re safe with me. I made a promise, and even if it kills me, I’ll keep it.”
She stifled a yawn and snuggled against him again. “Sorry. I think the late night and the wine are hitting me after all.”
“You can lie down if you want to be more comfortable.” He knew she must be exhausted.
“Why are you so nice to me after I turned you down for so long?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” He smiled. “I’m a nice guy. Don’t you know that yet? Do you really think I’d change because you agreed to go out with me?” He pressed his lips to hers again. “I only want to make you happy, make your life better, and be closer to you.”
“That’s actually why I didn’t want to go out with you.” She dropped her eyes, and he lifted her chin so he could see her face.
“Because I’m nice? I’m not that nice. There’s a huge difference between being beta and nice, you know.”
She smiled at that. “You are so not beta. I didn’t go out with you because I knew how easily I could fall for you, and my life is complicated. I told you that.” She shifted her eyes away and asked quietly, “Will you lie down with me?”
As Hugh Grant played in the background, they stretched out on the couch. Blue spooned Lizzie, one arm draped over her waist, his knees tucked behind hers, and her sweet rear pressed firmly against him. Pure. Torture. The fact that she’d just told him that she knew she’d fall for him only made it more difficult to hold back his emotions. She was painfully honest, even when she gave away her hand, and that made her even more lovable.
She nuzzled in closer and whispered, “Thank you for being trustworthy.”
For once in his life he wished he could break a promise, take her in his arms and love her like he wanted to. Instead, he did the right thing.
“Always.”