“The G’s? It’s called Eat, Pray, Love. I looked in the E’s,” she answered.
“It’s written by Elizabeth Gilbert, and books are shelved by author in biography. So try the G’s. But, heads up, we’re a used bookstore and that’s a popular title. Odds are we’ve had about fifty of them and sold that same fifty, unless you’re lucky.”
She nodded. “I’ll look in the G’s.”
“Do that now,” Ren ordered.
She gave him a look, rolled her eyes at me, and sauntered away.
Definitely a regular.
“Fuck me,” Ren muttered, and I looked at him to see he was staring at the space the woman used to occupy.
“Ren,” I called softly, and he immediately looked at me.
And thus I got his eyes.
Jeez, those eyes.
“Are you gonna kiss me, or what?” I asked.
That was when I got his smile.
A second later, I got his kiss.
“Uh… just to say…” We heard, and Ren growled into my mouth before he broke the kiss and we both looked to the side to see Indy standing there.
She looked to Ren then to me.
And she smiled huge.
“I approve,” she declared and disappeared.
She’d so totally been listening.
Before I could process this, Ren’s hand was again at my jaw. He turned my head back to him and then his mouth was again on mine, his tongue again in my mouth, and I wasn’t up for processing anything.
*
“You good?” Ren asked.
Oh yeah.
I was good.
So good.
My plethora of shopping bags were in Ren’s bedroom.
And I was in Ren’s arms in his bed after he gave me two orgasms.
So. Totally. Good.
“Yeah, honey,” I muttered sleepily.
“No, baby,” he replied, pulling my back deeper into his front and nuzzling his face in my neck where he went on, “Ava and Luke’s thing. You and me. That history. You seemed okay tonight at dinner. I just wanna make sure that’s where you are, not what you want people to see.”
I closed my eyes.
Seriously.
So.
Totally.
Loved this man.
Then I opened them and turned my head to look at him.
“That’s done, Ren. I don’t even think about it anymore.”
“Promise?”
“Yeah.”
“Nothing buried that will come out and bite either you or me?”
I bought this after burying what was between us for a year.
So I sought to pay up, and fast.
I turned a little in his arms and put my hand to his jaw. “That’s done. Now it’s just you and me. And honestly, cross my heart, I haven’t thought of it once since we had it out in a moderately priced motel in a small Colorado mountain town.”
I heard a deep, short chuckle before, “A moderately priced motel in a small Colorado mountain town?”
“AKA, my favorite place on earth.”
His body went still.
Then his mouth growled, “Ally.”
Right after, that mouth was on mine, I was on my back and Ren was on me.
I guessed we weren’t settling in to sleep.
Righteous.
Chapter Eighteen
Love Was in the Air
I sat on Ren’s kitchen counter, Ren standing between my legs, our happy places touching, my phone ringing in my ear, my eyes on my man.
Mom answered, “Hello?”
“Hey Mom. You got two seconds?” I asked.
“Yes, he’s invited to dinner tomorrow, Ally.”
I bit my lip and gave big eyes to Ren.
Her knowing Ren and I were back together wasn’t a surprise. I was thirty-two, but she’d been in my business since I was born, and as far as she could be, never got out. Even so, it wasn’t exactly a secret, what with Ren charging me at Fortnum’s and us being at the rehearsal dinner together. Her informants were in attendance at both of these events. And her informants were big on informing.
I let my lip go and asked quietly, “You sure?”
“You love him?” she asked back.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Then your father and I best get to know him.”
So totally told you my mom was the shit.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“See you in a few hours, honey.”
She disconnected. I did too.
I set my phone aside and addressed Ren.
“You’re invited to dinner tomorrow.”
He stared at me.
Then he asked, “How did that happen in the two seconds you were talking to her?”
“It’s Mom’s way.” I curled my arms around him and pressed closer from happy place to chest, and assured him, “It’s gonna be okay.”
His arms tightened. “I know, baby.” He then gave me a touch on the lips before he said, “You gotta get goin’.”
I did. I needed to be primped and trussed in preparation for two people I loved tying the knot.
Therefore, I smiled.
Ren smiled back at me.
*
“Oh God, honey.”
“Hurry.”
“God, Ren.”
“Hurry, Ally.”
We were in a cloakroom at Hotel Monaco where Luke and Ava were having their reception.
I had my back to the wall, my arms and legs curled around my man, and Ren was exploring the functionality of the deep slit up the front of my killer aqua column bridesmaid dress with a chiffon overlay that exposed a pure Ava rock ‘n’ roll stretch of midriff.
Ren and I were doing the business.