Page 32 of Taking a King
We drive on in silence for a few minutes before a thought occurs to me. “You’ve talked to your family about me?” I ask.
“Yeah,” he says, still focused on the road. I sit there, digesting this information. I’m not sure why it feels like such a big deal. We’ve been carrying on this relationship, albeit a long distance one, for more than 4 months. Of course, he told his family about it. I was the only coward who couldn’t face her family.
Garrett turns into a restaurant parking lot and pulls to a stop. He puts the car in park and shifts to face me.
“Did I do something wrong?” he asks, looking truly uncomfortable for the first time tonight.
I quickly shake my head. “No, no, no,” I rush to assure him. “I was just thinking. I wish I’d talked to mine earlier. Things might have gone better.”
Garrett shakes his head. “Don’t worry about that. It’s over and done. Ronan might not be throwing us a party, but he’ll come around. And the rest of your family will be madly in love with me before you know it. You’ll see.”
My face must not convey a lot of confidence in his words, because he smiles and leans over to plant a quick kiss on my lips. “You’ll see,” he says. “I already got Finn on my side.”
“I’d love to know how that conversation went,” I say.
“I was sworn to secrecy,” he says, shutting off the car and climbing out.
Before I can figure out the meaning behind that statement, Garrett is there, opening the door for me. He holds out a hand for mine and I reach out to take it. He leads me toward the restaurant, never letting go of my hand. I feel a giddy thrill at his attention and all at once it feels exactly like a first date, despite how well we already know one another.
We make our way into the restaurant and Garrett speaks to the hostess. I look around at the interior of the building. It’s all white walls with dark wood accents. The lighting is low and romantic, and I can smell enticing aromas coming from the kitchen. The hostess escorts us to a table in a quiet corner and leaves us with our menus.
“This place is nice,” I say, looking around.
Garrett nods. “It is,” he agrees. “I know you like Italian food. Finn says this place has an amazing chicken carbonara.”
Our server comes over to greet us and offers us the wine list. Garrett listens with interest before ordering a bottle of pinot.
“Excellent choice, sir,” the server says before rushing off to get the wine.
Once he’s out of earshot, I lean across the table. “Excellent choice, sir,” I say, pulling a smile from Garrett.
“I don’t know much about wine,” he admits. “But the pinot seemed like a safe bet. I hope that’s okay?”
I smile to set him at ease. “Totally fine,” I say. “I only know about wine from Hannah and the twins. And that knowledge is pretty limited, honestly. I just drink what tastes good.” I shrug and take a sip from my water glass.
Dinner is amazing. Everything from the food to the service to the ambiance is perfect. Garrett and I stick to safe topics like our favorite foods, my paintings, and Hannah and Finn’s upcoming wedding. What we don’t discuss are his plans for when his leave ends or whether this relationship will continue beyond the month. It’s light and fun and feels just like a first date without the awkwardness. There’s none of the trouble of getting to know one another, because we already know so much about each other.
After dinner, we go for a walk along the pier. Garrett holds my hand and I lean against him. The wind off the water is a little cool, especially on my bare legs. But it’s not so bad that I want to end the night early. I’m enjoying this time with Garrett. We spent so long conducting our relationship through phone calls, video chats, texts and emails. Now that we’re finally together, I don’t want to take it for granted. I want to enjoy every moment.
The pier is deserted at this time of evening. It’s just the two of us. Even though it’s technically a public place, it feels almost secluded. The lights are spaced far enough apart to leave dark pools of shadow between them. Garrett releases my hand to put an arm around my shoulders and pull me against him as we walk. When we reach the end of the pier, we pause at the railing. We can’t see much of the water below, but we can hear it lapping against the pilings. I glance up at him and ask a question that’s been bugging me all night.
“What did you and Ronan really talk about the other night at dinner?”
“Oh, that,” he says. “He challenged me to a duel. If I win, I get your hand in marriage. If I lose, I have to leave you alone forever. Lucky for you, I’m a crack shot. Finn will deliver your dowry next week. It's all settled.” He pats the back of my hand. “Don't worry your pretty head over the details. This is man's work.”
His words have the effect I’m sure he intended. My mouth drops open in outrage and I smack him on the shoulder. Garrett just laughs and pulls me close. I pretend to be annoyed, but it’s not long before I melt against him. His hold around me gentles and I feel his hands smooth up my sides.
When he speaks again, his voice has taken on that husky quality that I love. "He didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. He said to make sure I knew what I was getting into. That you aren't the type of woman to rush into a relationship.” He reaches up to tuck a stray hair behind my ear, his hand lingering on my jaw. A hint of a smile curves his lips.
“He told me I was a lucky asshole that you even gave me the time of day. He told me not to fuck things up with you because it would be my biggest regret. I think he was talking about kicking my ass, but that's not what I was thinking."
"It wasn't?"
He shakes his head. "No. I was thinking that if I messed this up with you, I wouldn't care what your brothers would do to me. My only concern would be losing you."
I suck in a breath. "I don't know what to say."
Garrett grins. Shrugs. "You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know. Whatever you want this to be, Claire; however far you want it to go; whatever label you want to put on it, I'm in. I'm all in."