She walked to him where he sat on the edge of the desk in the corner of the room. “I’m ready to go,” she said.
He reached out his hand to her and pulled her to him between his legs then kissed her softly. Pulling back to look at her, he almost decided not to ask but he had to.
“The day Grayson showed up here and you jumped in his car and left with him, Hector said you’d told Drew you were considering going out with Grayson again.” She stared at him blankly. “And you confirmed that was true but that you wouldn’t after the stunt he pulled. Why?”
“Why what?” she asked.
“Why were you considering going out with him again? Is it because you still had feelings for him?”
Felix saw the clarity wash over her slowly. She reached out and touched his face. Her touch alone was enough to calm the tension he’d begun to feel about what her answer might be.
“No, I don’t. I told you he can be persistent. He’d been asking if we could do dinner or a movie just as friends sometime. I kept telling him I didn’t think it was a good idea, but he wouldn’t let up. I hadn’t even mentioned to him that I might be considering doing so. I just told Drew about it when she asked more about him. She did offer to do a double-date thing, but that’s not what I was considering—dating him again. So I’d told her that was out of the question.” She smiled sweetly, tilting her head. “If I still had feelings for him, I wouldn’t be here with you. I promise you.”
He squeezed her with a groan. “How do you do that?” he asked, kissing the side of her head.
He had to be mindful that she was so tiny in his arms he might break her but damn. It wasn’t just her words; it was the way she looked at him and said them so firmly and with such earnestness that made all the unease dissipate.
“Do what?” she asked with a giggle against his neck.
“Make everything better just like that?”
She pulled back and lifted that sweet little brow. “I didn’t realize there was something wrong.”
“There wasn’t,” he said quickly then changed his mind. “Actually there is.” The concern was immediate on her face, so he leaned over and kissed her softly. “Not with you but I need to make up for last night.”
“Will you stop—?”
“No, I’m serious, Ella. That was some bullshit on my part. Tonight I wanna explain to you about the photos, but I want to do something special in the coming days.” He frowned about having to tell her the next part. “I leave next week.”
The disappointment in her eyes was instant and exactly how he felt. They were just getting started and already he’d be gone for days. “I start the hard-core training next week up in Big Bear, but I’ve already told Noah I want most of the training done here. I won’t be gone too long.” He squeezed her again. “So in the next couple of days I’d like to take you somewhere. Anywhere your heart desires. Sky’s the limit.”
Her eyes went wide. “But I work and I still have some classes going on.”
“You can’t take a day or two off?”
She looked away, chewing her bottom lip. “Maybe a day, but I’d hate to leave more than that now that my dad is still recovering from his head injury.”
“Okay, I’ll take a day.”
He’d take whatever she’d give him. His mind was already working fast. That left the further more exotic places out, but if they left early enough, they could still do say Aspen for the day. Maybe wine country or an entire day out on yacht, giving her the royal treatment. He could bring a masseuse and gourmet chef and crew on board and—
“Disneyland,” she suddenly said with a big smile.
“What?”
“I’ve never been.”
That was more surprising than her suggesting Disneyland in the first place. “You’ve never been to Disneyland?”
She shook her head. “Nope. It just wasn’t doable growing up. While it wasn’t a huge letdown since most of my friends had never been either, I’ve still always wanted to go. I can admit it now, but when I was a lot younger, I was so jealous of the two sisters who still live up the street from me. One year they went as soon as school let out and then wore their pink Disney ear hats the rest of the summer. Every day,” she said with a playful little glare, “they rode their bikes up and down in front of my house, wearing those hats with the little veil flying behind them. I hated them.” She laughed. “Oh but . . .” The smile disappeared instantly and that disappointed look showed up on her face again. The one he already knew was a look he was going to do everything in his power to never have to see. “Never mind.”
“What?” he asked confused.
“How can you take me? You’ll get mobbed.”
Well, she wasn’t going without him. And he sure as hell was making sure she got one of those damn hats. Yeah, he’d had something a bit more romantic and private in mind, but if this is what she wanted . . . “I’ll figure it out. What day works best for you? I leave Sunday, so it’ll have to be before then.”
“Is Friday too soon? It’s my last day off this week, but I could switch—”
“Friday works,” he said quickly. “That’ll give me tomorrow to figure this out.”
She smiled big again, and that was a look he’d never get tired of seeing. He squeezed her again, kissing her softly, but then he remembered. They’d soon be back to the subject that ended last night so abruptly. He wasn’t looking forward to it, but he’d have to tell her sooner or later. He may as well get this over with now.