a right,” Josie said. The trail was 3.7 miles, and we finished it an hour and a half later. Sophie fussed for twenty minutes before she got downright upset, crying in her mom’s arms.
“I think that’s my cue to go,” Josie said. To my astonishment, Ian leaned over, smiling at Sophie and tickling her under her chin. Sophie calmed down a little and eventually smiled big at Ian. I had no clue that a grown man making faces at a baby could be considered hot, but damn.
“Wow. Since when are you a baby whisperer?” Josie asked. I liked the cute banter between the three of them and that they were a team, obviously supportive and caring of one another.
Isabelle clapped her hands. “Excellent. Pretty please, practice that skill more until my little one comes along.”
Sophie started wailing again, more uncontrollably, and Josie grimaced.
“I have to go. It was great meeting you, Ellie.”
“Likewise.”
Isabelle left with Josie and Sophie, leaving me alone with Ian. I instantly became hyperaware of him. Something about him just demanded my attention. I was certain that he turned heads in any room he walked into. His presence was magnetic. I felt the heat of his body and knew he was watching me. I carefully looked up out of the corner of my eye. My stomach cartwheeled when our gazes crossed.
“What do you want to do now?” I asked.
“Actually, I have to go too. I have an appointment with a client.”
“On Sunday?” Disappointment rolled through me, making me realize just how much I enjoyed being with him this afternoon.
“Yep. The perils of running your own business.”
“Thanks for today. I like your sisters."
"And they like you too.”
"So they meant it when they said I could touch base and we could go out whenever I want to?" I asked as we walked lazily to the coffee cart. The park looked less like a forest here and more like a smattering of trees against the urban landscape of glass and steel towers I remembered from photos.
"Yes. My sisters never say anything they don't mean.”
I ordered a cappuccino, and Ian a black coffee. I felt his gaze on me the entire time the barista prepared our drinks. After we took our cups, we sat on a wooden bench with chipped brown paint just a few feet away. I could hear the traffic in the distance.
“This is very tasty,” I said, still feeling this unexplainable tension between us.
“It’s my favorite coffee cart in the park.”
“Cool! Do you have other recs?”
“Yes. Between the two of us... I’m a much better tour guide than Isabelle."
"Is that so?" I said, acutely aware of how close to each other we were sitting.
"Oh yeah."
"And why is that?"
“You'll see.” He pinned me with that molten gaze of his. My breath caught. My heart rate sped up. How could my body react like this to him? I searched my brain for a topic of conversation before I risked turning into a tongue-tied twelve-year-old again.
“I can see why you and Henry are friends, by the way. Your protective streak is just as strong as his.”
“Talking about Henry... now that we’re alone, how about we negotiate that deal?” he asked, making me laugh.
“Henry didn’t bad-mouth you, Ian. He just said that you’re a great friend... but warned me off dating you. Said you’ve never had a serious girlfriend.”
Ian flashed me a half smile. “He’s right. And he’s warned me off too.”
I turned toward him so fast that I nearly spilled my cappuccino. “What? My own brother bad-mouthed me?”
“Fuck, you’re cute. No. He said that given my reputation, I shouldn’t even dare cross a line, flirt, check you out, nothing.”
“And what did you tell him?”
“I promised to keep myself in check. I thought it was going to be easy, just as I did when we went to Tahoe.”
“What about Tahoe?” Was that my voice? It sounded strangled. My breath caught.
“It was the first time I realized how damn gorgeous you are. And you’re even sexier now. Might have checked you out a couple of times.” He wiggled his eyebrows. I felt my face heat up. Clearing my throat, I licked my lips and straightened my shoulders.
“It’ll be our secret,” I said, hoping he couldn’t tell how much his compliment pleased me. My brother’s warning rang in my ears, but somehow, the image of Ian, the player, didn’t match the one of Ian, the baby whisperer.
I mentally shook myself. None of this mattered. He was my brother’s best friend, and I wasn’t going to