But now, as she stood for a few perfect seconds in the circle of his arms on his parents’ driveway on the cool, damp Seattle evening, Tatiana felt more warmth, and more arousal, from one accidental touch and the intensity of his gaze, than she ever had with another man.
Is this the real reason you don’t want me to shadow you? she silently asked him.
When his eyes darkened even further—and his grip tightened on her waist as if he wanted to draw her closer right before he abruptly released her—she was almost positive he’d just given her his answer.
* * *
The next few minutes were full of happy greetings and laughter that helped settle Tatiana down from the emotional and physical whirl that Ian’s arms around her had set off. Claudia and Max Sullivan were, just as he had predicted, thrilled to see her. She felt so welcomed by them that she could almost pretend she was a Sullivan herself.
The bouquet of flowers, thankfully, wasn’t too badly off for her falling into it. And when Ian gave them to his mother, then folded her into a hug that had Claudia’s eyes tearing up from pure happiness at having her eldest back home, Tatiana’s eyes threatened to well up, too. After hugging his father, even the old family dog who looked to be losing his sight got a friendly pat from Ian and his toy rope thrown across the room for an impromptu game of fetch.
Yes, Ian was clearly a tough-minded businessman who was more than a little cynical about love and romance. But at the same time, he obviously had a very soft spot for his family, just as she did. And ever since her sister, Valentina, had become engaged to Smith, the Sullivans had felt like her family, too.
A few minutes later, though it was clear that Claudia and Max wanted her to relax with a glass of wine while they finished dinner preparations, Tatiana said, “Please, I’d really like to help in some way.” Claudia had pans on every burner on her stove and dough for homemade pasta sitting on the counter, so Tatiana tucked her hair up into a quick ponytail, washed her hands, and said, “When Valentina and I were kids, we used to have bake-offs all the time. One day I surprised her with pasta I made myself, which is my way of saying I promise I won’t screw up your hard work if you’ll let me help roll out the spaghetti.”
“The first time I met Mary Sullivan—although she was Mary Ferrer at the time and such a famous model I was more than a little bit nervous around her—she made us all fresh pasta that tasted like it came straight from Italy.” Claudia smiled, thinking back. “Max’s brother Jack was still trying to convince Mary to officially date him at the time, but it was clear to me that Mary and Jack were already head over heels in love with each other. Ian was a toddler way back then and you won’t be surprised to hear that he fell in love with Mary that night, too, when she read him his favorite book. Ever since, the two of them have had an extra close relationship.” Claudia laughed at herself, as she added, “All of which is my very long-winded way of saying that I’ve had a heck of a time eating store-bought pasta ever since, and I’d love your help.”
“Hey Mom, Dad,” a deep male voice called from the back door, “I picked up the cream you asked for.”
Dylan Sullivan was the youngest male in the family, and Tatiana had often thought that he was also the biggest charmer of the bunch. Where Ian was the serious and responsible eldest sibling, Dylan had a carefree ease about him that was instantly appealing. It didn’t hurt that the boat-builder and sailor was also an extremely good-looking man.
It wasn’t until Dylan came around the counter to put the cream in the refrigerator that he saw Tatiana. “Why didn’t someone tell me the prettiest girl in the world was going to be here?” He swept her up into his arms, and she laughed as he spun her around in the small space.
But a few seconds later, when her body started to heat again, it wasn’t because she was in Dylan’s arms. She didn’t need to see or hear Ian to know that he must have walked into the kitchen. Though he was still halfway across the room, she was intensely aware of every breath she took, the brush of her eyelashes over her cheekbones, the swift beat of her heart.
Dylan put her back down on her feet, and when she glanced over at Ian, she saw that his eyes had darkened again. Was it because his brother had been touching her? Was it because she’d laughed with Dylan?
Or was it simply because sparks flew like crazy whenever she and Ian were in the same room?
With carefully steady hands, she continued rolling out pasta. Sliding onto a kitchen stool across from her as he uncapped a beer, Dylan said, “I already thought you were the perfect woman, but if it turns out you can cook, I just might have to propose to you right now.”
“You’ll have to fight me for her,” Adam said as he suddenly appeared in the kitchen and pulled her toward him in an easy and affectionate manner to give her a kiss on the cheek.
“Adam, Dylan,” Ian said, “Dad needs our help moving the cord of firewood into the shed before dinner.”
“Duty calls,” Adam said with a grin. He gave her another kiss on the top of her head before removing his hand from around her waist. “But don’t worry, I’ll be back to flirt some more with you soon.”
Claudia was laughing even as she shook her head at their antics. “How will you ever manage to choose between my sons?”
When Tatiana was on set in front of the cameras, she was a master at controlling her expressions so that they suited the character she had been hired to play. But she’d always promised herself that in real life she would never act, would never hide what she really felt from the people she cared about. She’d seen too many actors whose entire lives were lived as though they were always onstage in front of cameras. For Tatiana, make-believe was so much fun because she lived in a fantasy world only part of the time.
So instead of forcing a joking response to roll off her tongue, when the kitchen door had closed behind the men, Tatiana lifted her gaze to meet Claudia’s. “They’re all great, and I love spending time with your family. But—” Was it crazy for her to even think of speaking about her budding feelings to Ian’s mother? Especially when she was still working out, moment to moment, exactly how far those feelings reached?
“You’ve already chosen, haven’t you?” Claudia’s eyes held hers. “Ian.”
Tatiana blew out the breath she’d been holding as she nodded. She hadn’t spoken to anyone about her crush on Ian yet, not even her sister. Especially not her sister, who would likely freak out about Tatiana possibly setting herself up to get hurt.
“I know it might sound crazy.” And crazier still that Ian’s mother was the person she suddenly found herself spilling everything to. But the truth that Tatiana hadn’t been able to shake for months was that it had felt like love at first sight when she’d met Ian at the wedding. “We hardly know each other.”
“Feelings don’t work on a timetable,” Claudia said gently. “Sometimes it takes five years for a couple to figure things out, like it did with Mia and Ford. Sometimes it takes fifteen or twenty years, like it did for Rafe and Brooke. And sometimes, it only takes a few seconds to fall at first glance...and to feel deep inside your heart that you’ve found something special that will last forever.”
Ian had never flirted with her. He had never touched or kissed her with careless affection. And yet, from the first moment she’d spoken to him, she’d felt as if she belonged to him. Now, as she spoke with his mother, she had to wonder, was what she was feeling more than just a crush? Was it something that could turn into the kind of forever that Mia and Ford and Rafe and Brooke had? And even if it was, would it make any difference to Ian, when she could still remember every word they’d said to each other at Marcus’s wedding?
* * *
“It was such a beautiful wedding, wasn’t it?” were her first dreamy words to him after the ceremony. She’d been so overwhelmed by the love all around her, not just between the bride and groom, but among all of the Sullivans who had found their true loves. They were so free with their smiles for one another, their gentle touches, their kisses. Falling in love with Smith had made Valentina more relaxed and happy than Tatiana had ever known her sister could be.
But Ian had only said, “Marcus and Nicola are both good people.”