Elyse sighed and put the dishes away. “You asked, and from your tone, dating isn’t for you. I really do get it.” Cole was the same.
He could almost hear that last part, though she didn’t say it out loud. He felt bear-slapped, so instead of saying something intelligent like, “Sure I’ll take you on a date. We’re engaged anyway, so what’s the big deal?” he stood there like a lump on a log and watched her disappear into her room. The sound of rustling fabric sounded a minute later, as though she was getting dressed, so Ian headed into his own room and cleaned up. He could seduce a woman, and he could make one happy in bed, but outside of the bedroom, he felt like an off-balance bull driven through quicksand. Words had never been his gig, and he messed up a lot with Elyse. She seemed frustrated, but if she knew the animal she’d managed to tame in no time flat, she would probably be easier on him.
Cole had laid out a long path of disappointment for this woman. But unlike Cole, Ian would keep trying, because Elyse—his Elyse—deserved the effort.
Chapter Ten
Elyse slathered on a layer of lip gloss and shoved the make-up she’d used into the tackle box she stored it in. Ian might not be taking her out on an actual date, but she had dolled herself up anyway, because dangit, she didn’t get to go to town very often, and especially not with a man. Cole’s idea of date night had been coming home drunk, boozing it up even bigger in the living room, and trying to convince her to play strip poker for his pleasure, not hers.
Her chin was tender and chapped, so she put a small dollop of lotion on to hurry the healing process, then grabbed her purse and checked herself once more in the floor-length mirror. She wore her nicest dark jeans, her cleanest hiking boots, and her most flattering red shirt clung to her curves. At least it would cling if she didn’t look like a friggin’ skeleton. She was going to do better. She was going to be better. The way Ian was around this place said he knew a lot about living off the land, and he would make a great asset as a teacher around here. She was bound and determined to be a good student so that she could be strong again. So she could be the good Alaskan wife Ian deserved.
She stepped into the living room, but Ian had his back to her and said, “Close your eyes.”
“Why?”
“Because, woman, I have a surprise for you. Just do it. No peeking.”
Elyse stifled a smile and squeezed her eyes closed. “Okay, they’re closed.”
The sound of his boot prints echoed over the old floors, louder and louder as he came closer. A zing of anticipation sent a tremble up her spine as he came so close she could feel his warmth. He radiated heat like her own personal sun encased in a man’s body.
“Listen, I’m not always going to say the right things,” he said on a breath as he slid his hand over hers. “I’m not good with words, and I’m not good with anticipating a woman’s needs. Not yet. I’ll ask you to be patient with me and to know I’ll never mean to hurt you, but sometimes I will, because I’m a bullheaded man with no experience making someone else happy.”
“Oh, Ian.” She squeezed her eyes more tightly closed and clutched onto his hand harder. “I’m sorry for making you feel like you’re always saying the wrong thing. You’re doing so well around here. Around me. I suspect we’ll both poke at each other’s nerves while we get to know our way around one another. And you don’t have to apologize about not being good with words. I can tell you don’t talk much. You’re a quiet man, and I like that about you. When you say something, I know you mean it, and that you’re only talking because it’s important to you. I’ll be more patient, okay? And Ian?”
“Yeah?”
“You do make me happy.”
Ian inhaled sharply, then let his breath out slow, as if he was releasing all his tension with it. Then he lifted her hand slowly to his cheek.