Hold Me Forever: a feel-good romance (The Maxwell Brothers)

‘Where are you taking me?’ I asked him as we walked along Columbus, stopping for a few minutes in front of the Buckingham Fountain. He’d parked nearby so I assumed the location for our date wasn’t far away.

‘To the best steak restaurant Chicago has to offer.’

‘Ooooh, I can’t wait. I love steak.’

‘I know. You told me at the cabin. That’s why I made reservations there.’

I warmed up in all the places where we were touching. He still had an arm possessively around my waist as if he wanted to make sure anyone passing us knew exactly what was going on here. This was surreal. Ever since I met him, I sort of felt like I was living in a parallel universe.

A gust of wind blew around us, chilling me completely. November was here. The air was brisk and a bit foggy. Thank God for the lampposts, because it was already pitch dark.

“How was your day?” he asked.

“It was great. I started it with a visit to my house. A moving company took my boxes there. I’m keeping them in the basement.”

“You’re really looking forward to moving, huh?”

“Yeah. I feel like I’m almost living there because at least I brought some stuff over.”

“You’re cute.”

We arrived at our destination a few minutes later. The restaurant was very cozy, giving off a cosmopolitan vibe with wood-paneled walls and brass chandeliers—it was an eclectic mix. Some seemed to be of oriental origin, while others were more industrial.

Tyler and I were seated at a corner table with a bench, so we sat on adjacent sides of the table. He had a particularly smug smile.

‘Why are you smiling?” I asked. I didn’t mind at all. I just wanted to be prepared for whatever he had in mind.

He didn’t say anything because the waitress appeared, bringing us the menus. After she left, he looked at me out of the corner of his eye.

I was acutely aware of him sitting very close to me. My eyes popped when I glanced at the prices, and my stomach sank. Holy fuck. Steak was usually expensive, but this was completely ridiculous. How could a steak cost as much as a dress?

They didn’t have too many options, so I glanced quickly to see what else I could order.

‘Um, I’m not that hungry. I’ll just take a Caesar salad.’ It was by far the cheapest thing on the menu.

Tyler’s brows knitted together. ‘What do you mean? You like steak, right? You were excited about it.’

‘Yeah, but I’m not feeling too hungry.’ I sounded ridiculous.

‘Kendra, what’s wrong, baby? If you don’t like it, we can go somewhere else.’

‘It’s just so expensive,’ I whispered, looking around.

‘Babe, this is a date. I’m taking you out. You don’t have to worry about anything, and you’re not paying for any of this.’

I shook my head. ‘That’s not the point. I feel guilty spending anyone’s money like this.’

‘If I want to splurge to treat my girlfriend, I will.”

Okay, wow. He just called me his girlfriend.

I looked back at the menu, biting the inside of my cheek. Splurging had never been part of my vocabulary. It couldn’t. The most splurging I ever did was treat myself to popcorn and nachos when going to see a movie.

‘Kendra, if you’re feeling uncomfortable, tell me, and we’ll go somewhere else. But if you want to stay here, if you’re curious to try this, just let me do this for you, okay?’

‘Okay,’ I said.

‘You promise you’ll enjoy it? We don’t have to stay because we came here. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.’

I sighed, looking up at him. ‘How can I not enjoy it? I’m here with the sexiest guy alive.’

He smirked. ‘The sexiest guy alive? I don’t think anyone’s ever called me that.’

It was my turn to cock a brow in disbelief. ‘Maybe not to your face. I’m—”

‘Are you ready to order?’ the waitress interrupted, appearing in front of us.

Tyler looked at me.

‘Yes,’ I said, ‘we’re ready.’

We both ordered the house specialty: steak with fries, fried green beans, and salad.

“And champagne,” he said.

I shimmied in my seat after the waitress left. ‘That’s right. We have something to celebrate.’

He covered my hand with his over the table, stroking my palm with his thumb. ‘Ever since I got the news, I wanted to celebrate with you.’

‘I’m so happy for you,’ I said honestly. ‘Especially because it happened so quickly.’

‘I was expecting them to keep punishing me for a while. I can’t wait to get back on the ice.”

“Hockey is important to you.’

He nodded. “It’s my life, to be honest.”

‘How did you get into it?’

‘We played after school, and I was hooked. Then I begged my parents to take me to lessons, and they did, and from there it was history. I only realized later how much of a toll it would take on them, especially Mom, to drive me to games or take me to train and then for her and Dad to spend all that time in the stands. I didn’t know it at the time, but it added a lot to their already busy day. But their efforts paid off. I’m the best goalie in the league.’

‘I’m sure they’re proud. But again, I think they would be proud no matter what.’

‘Yeah, I think so too. They’re great people.’

‘Did you ever think about going into the bookstore business back when they still owned the chain?’ I asked.

‘Honestly, no. I got the hockey bug early on, and by the time I was in college and playing, my parents had sold the company. They even set up trust funds for all of us kids. But I left all the money in the Maxwell trust. Maybe it’s going to help future generations. I don’t need the money anyway.’

My eyes bulged. ‘Wow. I can’t even wrap my mind around the idea of anyone working this hard when they don’t need it.’

‘I can’t say it’s hard work.’

I chuckled. ‘You train for hours a day, and you travel all the time. It is hard work. Your hotness score increased.’

He looked at me with genuine surprise in his eyes. ‘The things that are important to you fascinate me.’

Our food arrived a few minutes later.

‘That was quick,’ I said.

The steak was mouthwatering. When I tasted it, I couldn’t help but close my eyes and hum in pleasure. It truly was the best I’d ever had. It said on the menu that they cooked it with the sous vide method, so it was extra tender. And the flavor was to die for. I tried to block out the price, but it was dancing behind my eyelids, mocking me.

I opened my eyes, looking straight at Tyler, determined to enjoy this without even one ounce of guilt. Easier said than done.

‘And?’ he asked.

‘It’s amazing. Thank you for bringing me here.’

‘I’m glad you like it.’

We chatted a bit about his schedule and how training the kids would change while we ate. The fries and the beans were perfect too, of course. Honestly, I couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that food could taste like this. But I’d never been to a restaurant this fancy.

We both ate quickly. I only paused to breathe after my plate was clean, as Tyler finished his meal too.

“By the way, I asked Luke about contractors. He said he found someone, and he’ll have him contact you directly in a couple days. If you don’t like him, no problem.”

“Oh my gosh, that’s amazing. I’m sure I will, but it depends if he’s in my price range. I can’t wait to move in. When Emma and I were kids, we daydreamed about the house we’d live in together all the time. We wouldn’t have any nosy neighbors, and we’d each have a room. This one comes pretty close in the layout. However, I’ve yet to talk my sister into moving in with me. We’re a bit too old for that now, but I’d love it.”

“You’re a remarkable woman, Kendra.”

“Because I bought a house?” I asked, genuinely confused.

“Because you’ve been through a lot, and you’re such a fighter.”

“It wasn’t a big deal, and I got used to it pretty fast. Though it was a bit stressful to always walk on tiptoes and make sure the neighbors couldn’t tell we were home alone.”

“How was your relationship with your mom?”

“She was a very sweet person, always talked and reasoned with us and played a ton of games. She rarely yelled. After Dad passed away, she was mostly working. When she came home in the evening, she was too tired to do much. I used to heat up her dinner, and the three of us would sit on the couch, and she’d ask us to tell her about our day. She always listened. I miss her. I hope she’s looking down on me and is proud.”

He squeezed my hand. “I’m sure she is. You’re a great person. I admire that about you.”

“Oh yeah? What else?”

He shifted closer. “Everything. That you’re hardworking and caring.” He put a hand on my leg, moving it from midthigh to my knee and back up. “And so damn sexy when you follow my commands in the bedroom.”

I gasped, pressing my thighs together. “That escalated quickly.”

We’d only had a bit of champagne, not nearly enough to go to my head. I was just drunk on him. The fact that he brought me here and looked at me with that mix of possessiveness and admiration was more than I could have dreamed of.

“It’s going to escalate a whole lot more. You’re damn sexy in this skirt.”

Hmm… maybe he had more to drink, and I didn’t notice? Because I was still wearing my office attire: skirt and blouse.

“You’re looking at me like you’re already planning to take it off.”

“That’s exactly what I’m thinking about.”

He feathered his thumb on my thigh, pinning me with those soulful eyes. “Spend the night with me, Kendra.”

I sucked in a breath, leaning in slightly. “I thought you’d never ask.”

“Is that so?”

“Hell yes. I appreciate you being such a gentleman. But since last night, all I can think about is you knocking down my door.”

He groaned, pressing his fingers into my thigh. “You’re killing me, Kendra.”