Page 104 of Booked on You
“Mom loved making bowls and plates. These were all hers,” he tells me. I look at the dishes in the cabinet, amazed by the different colors, shapes, and sizes.
“And the mugs?”
He smirks. “All me, babe.”
Ezra shaves parmesan on top of our pasta, and my mouth waters instantly.
We move to the table, where there are empty wineglasses, and Ezra fills them nearly to the brim.
“The only thing we’re missing is candlelight,” I say with a cheerful laugh.
Ezra walks away briefly, then returns with a vanilla cupcake candle. He lights it and places it in the middle of the table, then lowers the lights. “There you go, ma’am. Your wish is my command.”
I meet his eyes. “To answer your earlier question, I do think I can handle the shit you put up with, as long as you’re beside me. If we went public with this and things ended, our lives would be hell. That’s my only hang-up.”
“You’re right. It’s something I’ve thought about deeply,” he says, taking a drink of his wine. “That’s why I don’t ever plan on letting you go.”
“Please don’t,” I whisper.
He reaches his hand across the table and grabs my hand. “I’m falling for you, Scarlett.”
My heart pauses, suspended for just a beat. Those words settle deep inside me, spreading calm certainty through every nerve ending.
“I’m falling for you, too,” I say, feeling our connection solidify in that single, vulnerable moment.
Ezra smiles, and it’s genuine, the one he reserves for me. “What are we going to do about this?” he asks, his thumb brushing softly against my knuckles.
“I don’t know,” I admit.
“What would the heroine in your book do?” he asks.
I laugh. “Easy. They eloped.”
“Thanks for the spoiler warning,” Ezra says with a chuckle. “That’s a big step for them.”
“Yeah, but Helena and Jordan couldn’t take it any longer. They had a soul connection that they’ve never felt with anyone else in their lives. The amount of time they knew each other didn’t matter, either, because Helena had been waiting for a man like him all of her life. Jordan had been waiting to find a woman like Helena, too. When you know, you know,” I say, repeating the words back to him. “So Jordan proposed.”
“And Helena said yes?”
“Without a single doubt.”
CHAPTER 24
EZRA
Scarlett’s fingers brush against mine across the table, our wineglasses almost empty, the vanilla candle still flickering between us. I’m in awe of how comfortable it is to have her here with me, like she’s always belonged. I try to imagine what it will be like when she leaves, but I’m unable to. My brain can’t conceive it.
She takes the last bite of her carbonara and sits back, sighing with satisfaction.
“Okay,” she admits, setting her fork down. “This was incredible. Your famous carbonara wasn’t false advertising after all.”
“Wait a second, you doubted me? That’s just offensive.” I chuckle, taking the last drink of my wine.
“Apologies,” she says, shooting me a wink.
“Accepted. Seems like I’m full of all sorts of surprises.”
She raises an eyebrow, a teasing sparkle dancing in her green eyes. “Oh, trust me, I’ve noticed.”
