“You say the sweetest stuff to me.” I turn my face up to his and he cradles my cheek in a large hand.
“You bring that stuff out in me.” He softly caresses along my cheek with his thumb. “I’m glad you’re here with me, and meeting my family. It means everything to me, just like you do.”
I kiss his palm, then nuzzle into his neck, enjoying his familiar scent. “I love it here. I love that I can sit outside without having to go and find a park or persuade Blake to borrow his friend’s car so he could drive me out into the country.”
“You don’t like New York, or Cleveland?”
“Cleveland has been home for a while now. Our apartment was a ten minute walk from a park. It was safe and I spent a lot of time there. Just for the peace and quiet. New York is a park of skyscrapers, and as long as I’m there with you then I’ll manage.”
His arms tighten around me. “I’ve been there a long time, and I still can’t say I love it. It’s just a place that I work is how I look at it. I’ve always spent my free time here rather than there. It wasn’t all that bad when Diego was there as well, but now he’s moved and it’s just me. Or it was.”
I place open, wet kisses along his neck and hear him growl. “Wait until later,” he begs. “Felicity.”
“I was trying to distract you from talking about New York.”
He smiles, cups my face and drops his forehead to mine. “I’m locked into a contract for now, but we don’t need to stay at that apartment. As long as I can get to the rink within an hour, then we can move to somewhere a bit quieter. You’d like that, right?”
“I would, but I don’t want you rearranging your life for me. I’ll be okay as long as I’m with you. The where doesn’t really matter.”
“It matters to me that you’re happy.” He kisses me. “So we’ll talk about it more in depth once we’re back in the city, okay?”
“Hmm,” I mumble, starting to feel tired. “I think we need a nap.”
“I wish.” He nods toward the drive up to the house. “We’re about to have company. I don’t recognize the car though.”
“Before I came out here your mom mentioned that the physical therapist was going to stop by to say hello.” I shrug.
We watch as she comes to a stop and climbs out of the silver SUV. “She looks young,” I whisper to Kasey. “Blake isn’t going to be impressed.”
My brother usually goes for blonds, but something tells me that when he gets a look at Violet Flowers with her silky auburn hair, he’ll have his head turned. It’s light and shiny as it floats around her shoulders, and her sun-kissed skin shimmers under the sun.
“Why won’t Blake like her?” Kasey asks, bringing my attention to him.
I smile. “Oh, he’ll like her.” Grinning, I jump up from Kasey’s lap and hold my hand out.
“You must be Violet Flowers.”
“I am, and you must be Felicity Kelly.” Violet smiles and turns to Kasey. We head inside after the introductions.
To my delight, my brother is sitting in the kitchen with a coffee, and I grin so wide when he catches sight of Violet.
I lean in to Kasey and whisper, “This is going to be fun.” He glances at me with amusement in his gaze. “Watch Blake.”
Padding over to Blake, I wrap my arms around him from behind and kiss his cheek. “She’s your physical therapist,” I whisper, and delight in watching his eyes widen, and then narrow. “Behave yourself,” I remind him.
“Violet, come and meet my brother.” I squeeze Blake’s arm. “This is Violet Flowers. Violet this is my brother, Blake Kelly.”
They size each other up and Violet is the first to react by offering her hand to Blake. My brother, the idiot, just stares at her until I nudge him.
He clears his throat and mumbles to the woman. I happen to glance at Kasey as he turns away to hide his laughter.
I’m so glad that I’m going to be around as his therapy starts, because I have a feeling it’s going to be entertaining.
Violet looks around my age, but I know she can’t be because of her qualifications. Blake isn’t only going to be exhausted with the therapy but frustrated as hell with the woman. He’s always gone for the bimbos and ice bunnies, but something tells me the sweet and innocent looking woman is going to be something else entirely.
23
Kasey