“Never this good. Never on this level. Trust me, it’s so much better with you. Honestly, I didn’t know it could be this good.”
Elle smiles, lifting her head and pressing her lips to mine. “You’re sweet. You’re probably also full of shit, but you’re sweet.”
My expression turns serious and I touch her cheek. “Never doubt this. Us. Fuck, I promise you I’ve never felt anything remotely this good.”
“Nic . . .”
I kiss her again, loving the feel of her smiling against my lips.
We lie there for what feels like hours, laughing and talking and cuddling. I’ve had a lot of sex, but I’ve never had this effortless intimacy afterward. I’ve never been this comfortable with a woman before, and it’s perfect. More perfect than I ever imagined it could be.
• • •
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
I stop at the corner outside the upscale diner, taking both of Elle’s hands in mine and looking into her eyes.
“For the forty-second time, yes, Nic. I’m sure I’m ready.”
“You don’t have to just say that, you know. I can call right now and cancel. I’m really good at coming up with last-minute excuses.”
Elle smiles, her eyes crinkling a little at the corners like they do when she’s being patient with me. “Are you sure you’re ready for this? You’ve given me every chance possible to get out of this breakfast since we scheduled it last week.”
“Of course I’m ready for this. I just don’t want you to feel pressured or uncomfortable or like I’m rushing you—”
Before I can finish, Elle cuts me off with a kiss, giving my hands a reassuring squeeze. When we part, she looks into my eyes, wiping the traces of her lip gloss from my mouth with her thumb.
“I’m exactly where I want to be.”
“Well, in that case, let’s do this.”
We walk hand in hand the few feet to the front door of the diner, and I hold the door open for her. Once we’re inside, I scan the room, my gaze landing on the familiar older couple sitting in one of the wooden booths. My parents are already here. Mom has chin-length gray hair and high cheekbones, and Dad has wire-framed glasses and a well-kept gray beard.
My mom sees me first, her eyes lighting up as a smile spreads across her face. I lead Elle toward them, my heart pounding harder than I thought it would.
Jesus.
When we reach the table, Mom stands and throws her arms around me, squeezing my neck and planting a kiss on my cheek. “Oh, my Nicco, it’s so good to see you!” she squeals.
Dad stands to greet us, pulling me in for a quick hug and patting my back.
When we part, I put my arm around Elle, stepping back a bit so they can see her better. “Mom, Dad, this is my girlfriend, Elle.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Evans, it’s so nice to meet you,” Elle says, politely extending a hand.
My father takes it, shaking it warmly. “Please, call me Andrew.”
“Sofia,” my mother says, pulling Elle in for a big hug.
My father and I exchange glances, and he shrugs. My mother has always been the touchy type. I should have known that today wouldn’t be any different.
When my mother finally lets Elle go, the four of us sit, my parents on one side of the booth and Elle and me on the other. Our waitress arrives with waters for the table, and my father orders four coffees and four orders of pancakes.
“I hope you like pancakes, Elle,” my father says as the waitress walks away.
“Family tradition,” I say, holding her hand underneath the table.
“Pancakes sound perfect,” Elle replies, smiling broadly at my parents.
My mother claps her hands together, then leans forward and rests her elbows on the table. “So, Elle, tell us everything. How did you and our Nicco meet?”
“Sofia, give the girl a second to settle in,” my father says, but my mother only waves him off.
“Nicco hasn’t brought a girl home in years, Andrew. Obviously, this one is special to him.”
“Mom . . .”
Elle chuckles and squeezes my hand. “Well, Sofia, I’m flattered to hear you say that. Nic and I met at my brother’s wedding, actually. He married my best friend, and Christine is the one who introduced us.” She turns and smiles at me, and I smile back at her.
I guess that’s all true, right? How the hell did I get so lucky?
“Oh, weddings are so romantic! Nicco, how did you introduce yourself to her? You’ve always had a way with the ladies. Was she immediately taken with you, or did you have to fight to woo her?”
“Sofia, come on.”
“What? I have a lot of questions. I’m sure they have a great story.”
Elle and I exchange a look. If only my mother knew the truth.
But before we can come up with a more parent-friendly version of our story, the waitress returns with our coffee and pancakes, and I deftly turn the conversation to other topics. Soon, Elle and my father are deep in conversation discussing law school and legal matters, while my mother grills me on how well I’m protecting our secret family recipes.
Seeing Elle hit it off so well with my parents totally calms my nerves, and I quickly realize how silly it was of me to be nervous. I wouldn’t have wanted to introduce her to them if I didn’t think they’d get along. Or if I wasn’t serious about her.
Even if they hadn’t liked her, for whatever stupid reason, I know deep in my heart that that couldn’t keep me from her. Being with Elle has totally altered the course of my life, and I couldn’t be happier about it.
By the end of brunch, my mother has Elle cornered, fawning over her hair and eyes, and asking her all kinds of questions about whether I’m treating her well.
“If Nicco is ever anything but a gentleman to you, just give me a call. I’ll be sure to set him straight,” my mother says, taking Elle’s hands in hers.
“Thank you, Sofia, I really appreciate that. But I think we’ll be okay. You have raised an amazing son who is the perfect gentleman.”
My mother nods, smiling at me, but turns and gives Elle a serious look when she thinks I can’t see.
We stand to leave, my mother looping her arm through Elle’s. The two women exit the diner together, laughing and chatting about God knows what. Part of me wants to roll my eyes at my mother, but really, it warms my heart to see them getting along so well.
As we follow them out of the restaurant, my father claps his hand on my shoulder.
“You did good, Nic,” he says, watching Elle laugh with my mother.
“Thanks, Dad. I know.”
“I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time. It makes me happy to watch. You going to marry this one, son?”
I smile as I watch Elle, taking in the way her smile crinkles the corners of her eyes, and how her hair shines in the afternoon sun.
“That’s the plan.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Elle
I round the corner, following my GPS as I wind through an upscale neighborhood full of large homes. Eventually, I spot the right address and park my car in front of the two-story colonial. The door is partially open, so I let myself in.
My jaw drops as I walk inside and take in the interior. I wander around the house, amazed by the detail in the beautiful crown molding and wood paneling, before finding Nic in the kitchen.