once she was settled.
Daniel slid into the driver’s seat and they were off.
When they stopped at a light, she turned to him. “You never answered my question. Why are you and Marco always at each other’s throats?”
His attention never left the road. “Differing philosophies, I guess. It’s not that I hate him. He just doesn’t think things through sometimes.”
Where Daniel always planned everything out beforehand.
“So it’s a matter of experience.”
“It’s a matter of using his brain once in a while instead of just jumping in half cocked and screwing things up when it could have easily been avoided.” He deftly navigated the traffic, somehow making her heap of junk feel like a sports car.
When they pulled up, he turned to Chelsea.
Under his scrutiny, she felt bare. It was as if he could strip past all the layers of bullshit to get to the heart of her just by reading her face, her eyes. She was glad that holding the basket hid the way her hands trembled slightly.
Daniel didn’t say a thing until he opened the door. “Stay there. I’ll help you out.”
Did she have a choice? Chelsea wouldn’t have done anything to ruin the meal he’d prepared, especially with her shaking fingers. He opened the door, took the tray and basket with one hand and helped her out with the other.
“Keys?”
“I’ll get the door.” She opened it, walking in ahead of him to hold it. For a second, she forgot all about Daniel as she took in the finished product. It was perfect. Every detail was exactly right. In awe, Chelsea did a slow circle on the gleaming stone floor.
She felt Daniel at her side as she came to a stop. He kissed her shoulder and whispered, “You did a great job on this place.”
She craned her neck to look at him. “I just relayed Cara’s ideas to Jason’s contractors. They did all the work.”
His smile was full of…pride? “You were the one who put it all together. Without you, none of this would have happened.”
Wouldn’t it have? A small smile crept over her lips as something that felt like satisfaction seeped into her system. She had been the one to get it all sorted out and that wasn’t something to be discounted, given the time constraints.
He knocked his head lightly against hers. “Come on. We have a romantic dinner to set up.”
It didn’t take them long. Chelsea could have done it in her sleep. Daniel’s meal, however, was a masterpiece, as usual. The way he made such delectable food in such a short time would always be a mind-blowing mystery to her. She stood back to watch him plate the food with precise, decisive movements. It took moments to have two appetizers, entrées and desserts that looked like works of art.
To finish it off, she sent a text to Jason, letting him know that they were ready and what to expect, then she lit the candles. She stood back to admire their work and smiled. “It looks fantastic.”
Nodding, he grabbed the tray and the basket then took her hand. “Come on.”
On the way out, she locked up and followed him to the car, but was surprised when he kept walking. “Where are you going?”
He looked at her over his shoulder. “Just walk with me.”
Sure, why not? A few seconds later, the ground under her feet was covered in sand. The beach was surprisingly quiet. On a sunny day, it bustled with activity as it was a favorite place for surfers and other beach sports. Chelsea had seen people all over it from dawn until dusk and sometimes even late into the night. It was a chilly day, but the sky was bright blue and cloudless. Not a day most people would spend at the beach, but she liked it. The brisk air refreshed her. It seemed only a handful of people felt the same way she did about the weather.
He held out his hand to help her sit before he did the same and put the basket down on the sand. He balanced the tray on top of it using it as a makeshift table. “We didn’t eat last night and I’m guessing this morning was too much of a rush
Daniel slid into the driver’s seat and they were off.
When they stopped at a light, she turned to him. “You never answered my question. Why are you and Marco always at each other’s throats?”
His attention never left the road. “Differing philosophies, I guess. It’s not that I hate him. He just doesn’t think things through sometimes.”
Where Daniel always planned everything out beforehand.
“So it’s a matter of experience.”
“It’s a matter of using his brain once in a while instead of just jumping in half cocked and screwing things up when it could have easily been avoided.” He deftly navigated the traffic, somehow making her heap of junk feel like a sports car.
When they pulled up, he turned to Chelsea.
Under his scrutiny, she felt bare. It was as if he could strip past all the layers of bullshit to get to the heart of her just by reading her face, her eyes. She was glad that holding the basket hid the way her hands trembled slightly.
Daniel didn’t say a thing until he opened the door. “Stay there. I’ll help you out.”
Did she have a choice? Chelsea wouldn’t have done anything to ruin the meal he’d prepared, especially with her shaking fingers. He opened the door, took the tray and basket with one hand and helped her out with the other.
“Keys?”
“I’ll get the door.” She opened it, walking in ahead of him to hold it. For a second, she forgot all about Daniel as she took in the finished product. It was perfect. Every detail was exactly right. In awe, Chelsea did a slow circle on the gleaming stone floor.
She felt Daniel at her side as she came to a stop. He kissed her shoulder and whispered, “You did a great job on this place.”
She craned her neck to look at him. “I just relayed Cara’s ideas to Jason’s contractors. They did all the work.”
His smile was full of…pride? “You were the one who put it all together. Without you, none of this would have happened.”
Wouldn’t it have? A small smile crept over her lips as something that felt like satisfaction seeped into her system. She had been the one to get it all sorted out and that wasn’t something to be discounted, given the time constraints.
He knocked his head lightly against hers. “Come on. We have a romantic dinner to set up.”
It didn’t take them long. Chelsea could have done it in her sleep. Daniel’s meal, however, was a masterpiece, as usual. The way he made such delectable food in such a short time would always be a mind-blowing mystery to her. She stood back to watch him plate the food with precise, decisive movements. It took moments to have two appetizers, entrées and desserts that looked like works of art.
To finish it off, she sent a text to Jason, letting him know that they were ready and what to expect, then she lit the candles. She stood back to admire their work and smiled. “It looks fantastic.”
Nodding, he grabbed the tray and the basket then took her hand. “Come on.”
On the way out, she locked up and followed him to the car, but was surprised when he kept walking. “Where are you going?”
He looked at her over his shoulder. “Just walk with me.”
Sure, why not? A few seconds later, the ground under her feet was covered in sand. The beach was surprisingly quiet. On a sunny day, it bustled with activity as it was a favorite place for surfers and other beach sports. Chelsea had seen people all over it from dawn until dusk and sometimes even late into the night. It was a chilly day, but the sky was bright blue and cloudless. Not a day most people would spend at the beach, but she liked it. The brisk air refreshed her. It seemed only a handful of people felt the same way she did about the weather.
He held out his hand to help her sit before he did the same and put the basket down on the sand. He balanced the tray on top of it using it as a makeshift table. “We didn’t eat last night and I’m guessing this morning was too much of a rush
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