Her words strike me as odd, and I sense they aren't telling me something. We move on to easy conversation that distracts me from obsessing about meeting Ian. The moment the girls perk up as if they’ve heard something, my heart begins to beat faster. I stand when Annie goes to open the door.
Ian's familiar deep voice carries toward me from the great room as he makes small talk with Annie. When he enters the kitchen, the first thing I notice is his size. While all three women in this room are at least six feet tall, Ian is even bigger. Just like the version in my dreams.
He's wearing a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. A bunch of daisies tied with a blue ribbon is thrust at me as his rich baritone voice says, “Hi, Lily.”
How sweet. I take two slow steps toward him and take the flowers as I notice the broadest shoulders I've ever seen. I take in wavy hair that falls just below his shoulders before I see the kind smile.
“Hi.”
He says, “You're more beautiful than in my dreams.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks as my skin tingles. I drop my gaze as my face reddens even more. Annie is quick to try to put me at ease. She says, “Ian, I need you and Lily to do me a favor.” A drawer rattles when she opens it, and she hands me a pair of scissors. “Go cut me some chives from the garden.”
The plastic handle is cool in my hand, and I nod. Ian opens the door for me, and I mumble thanks as I go past him. I stop to let him lead the way, and we walk side by side toward a stone path.
Scanning the area, I hope to find what looks like an herb garden and spy a green section as Ian asks, “Do you know what we're looking for?”
I shake my head, and a deep laugh rumbles from him. It's contagious, and I join in. When he finishes, he says, “Me either. Let's go see if we can sniff it out.”
We both squat down in what we think are herbs, and he breaks off a leaf. He holds it to his nose and then hands it to me as he asks, “What do you think of Maine? Is it much like Colorado?”
“It's greener here.” I sniff and say, “Mint. I think chives look like green onions, sticklike.”
I spot a plant that looks like grass and snip a piece off with my fingernails. Green moisture stains my skin, and the familiar scent floats to my nose. “This is it.” I hold it up for Ian to sniff.
Heat radiates from his face as he leans close. My breath catches in my throat, making me think he might kiss me.
“I feel it too, Lily. I want to touch you, but my head is telling me that's insane, we just met.”
I whisper, “I know.” The memory of his kiss in my dreams plays in my mind.
His voice is low as if he's talking to a frightened animal. “I won't rush this. Please don't be scared.”
I reach out slowly and stroke his cheek. A hint of stubble is rough on my finger. “I'm not afraid of you.”
The corners of his mouth turn up slowly, and he lets me trace the outline of his face. When I get to his mouth, his lips part slightly, and he licks the tip of my finger. The warm moisture matches the way I'm melting, and I take a deep breath, exhaling shakily.
“I—” I drop my gaze in embarrassment.
Ian grasps my hand gently. “I like your hair. Did it used to be blonder?”
I recall the tattoos that cover his arms. We know a lot about each other’s physical appearance. “Yeah. I’ve been making a lot of changes lately.”
“Was it hard to leave home?”
I shake my head, and the stench of my mother’s perpetual alcohol breath makes me frown. “No. It was a good thing for me to leave.”
Ian squeezes my hand. “When you’re ready, you can tell me anything.” He winks at me. “I even know a few guys that could take care of business if you wanted.”
I smile at him and tease, “Those tattoos are gang related?”
“Naw, I’m actually pretty wimpy when it comes to violence. But this connection we have makes me want to protect you.” He flexes his arms. “Just say the word, and I’ll call the cops.”
I chuckle as his brown eyes crinkle at the corners with his grin.
He says, “We should get back inside.”
Without letting go, we stand, and our fingers interlock as we return to the house. While my trip started days ago, I think my journey has just begun.
35
Chapter 5
Carly
Annie loves to cook, and she also seems to love matchmaking. Over a dinner of lasagna, salad, and garlic bread, she directed the conversation to enlighten Lily on Ian’s childhood while keeping it away from werebear. When we finished, she suggested Ian take Lily out for ice cream before returning her to us.
Excitement danced in Lily's eyes when he asked if she liked motorcycles, and it made me imagine the roar of the engine under me with Brady between my legs as I wrap my arms around him. Sex has been something the two of us haven't been able to get enough of since the day we met. And now that I'm pregnant, my supersensitive body has taken my heightened awareness to a level I never knew existed.