Page 19 of Lost Love Found

She reaches out with the plate and when I take it from her, my fingers very intentionally brush over hers. I also don’t miss how both Maeve and Rafael perk up at my use of a nickname. Maeve's mouth curls up slightly as Raf's gaze fixates on Lainey, searching her face for a response. He doesn’t get one and passes me the ice cream because apple crumble without ice cream is a crime. My best friend might be a little pissed off at me, but he wouldn’t withhold ice cream.

The apple crumble is the best thing I’ve ever tasted and I half groan, half moan when I take the first bite. “Lainey, oh my god. This is–” I'm mid-way through a bite of apple crumble when I happen to look up at her. Her thumb is dripping with ice cream and she licks it clean, her eyes meeting mine just as her tongue flicks over the tip and her lips close around it. I lose the ability to swallow. I'm so startled by the sight that I inhale sharply and start to choke. The spoon clatters against my plate and I desperately grab for my glass of water, spilling half of it onto the table in my haste.

“River are you alright?” She’s reaching her hand across the table, touching my wrist, eyes filled with concern. She has no idea. This woman has no idea of the power her simple actions hold, and my body feels like it's alive again. I've been in this dark place for far too long, and I'm not sure if I'm ready to make theleap into the light.But here she is, stirring something inside me that begs me to jump.

I make a point not to look at her for the rest of the time we’re at the table and am the first to stand and start cleaning up once everyone is done. I can’t get the image of her tongue out of my mind.

When Lainey gathers dishes, everyone protests and demands she go sit down. She huffs and sends everyone a glare that holds no actual menace, then promptly says thank you as Charlie hands her a cup of tea and sends her on her way to the living room.

I’m the next one to be kicked out. Maeve pulls me away from the kitchen. “Tonight, you’re a guest. Next time you’re family. Take a load off and go keep my girl company. You can clean up next time.” We all say goodbye to George and his family, who need to get their baby to bed, and I make my way to the living room.

I walk over to the couch and sink into the cushions next to L. Her eyes widen in surprise at first, then soften with a welcoming smile. I take a moment to take in her tired appearance; her previously vibrant green eyes are now slightly glazed over and her shoulders slump with weariness.

“You alright?” I turn so I’m facing her as she’s sitting with her legs under her, much like a few weeks ago, on the night we met.

She tilts her head, and her plump lips curl into a genuine grin. Her deep emerald eyes sparkle as they move back and forth across my face, scrutinizing each detail as if trying to commit my features to memory. Although I'm initially taken aback by her intense stare, I soon feel strangely comforted by the warmth emanating from her gaze. “I can’t believe you’re really here.”

I nod, smiling back at her. “Me too.”

Her eyes widen and she brings a hand up to her mouth. “I said that out loud?” She slowly brings her trembling hand up to cover her face, feeling the warm blush creeping up her neck and staining her cheeks pink. Her embarrassment is palpable, yet her honesty is endearing. Looking more serious, she asks, “Did you know we’d be seeing each other today? I mean, did you know I was here?”

My hands are in fists on my lap. I wish I’d told her sooner. I wish I knew she’d be here today. I wish everything didn’t have to change. “No. No, I had no idea. I wasn’t expecting to see you for a few more days. Please believe me. I–”

She stops me with a hand on my arm. “I do. I believe you, Adam. Ah, fuck, shit! River. Sorry. I’ll work on it.” She lets out a huff and shakes her head. I inwardly smile at the contradiction that is her blushing cheeks and her love of profanities. “I’m not mad. I was just curious.” She sips her tea and when she sets it down on the table, her posture is a little straighter. “Now I know what you do for work! It’s not a big secret anymore. That feels kind of nice. You’re an actor. And Maeve's co-star. Ugh, sorry. Is that weird? That I already know these things about you?” She moves her eyes and lips in an exaggerated frown, and I chuckle at her monologue. She’s a one-woman show, and I’m fascinated. I would buy a ticket if I had any money on me.

“It’s not weird, but now I want to know about you. What’s this job of yours that you’re taking a break from? Are you an astrophysicist? Brain surgeon? Kindergarten teacher?”

“OK, stop, stop!” She puts her hands up, palms facing me, and I have the insane urge to kiss her hands, her fingers, her wrist. Yeah, that is insane, so you can stop now. “Those jobs are all far more stressful than my actual job and I’m going to start feeling really bad about taking a break if you say anything else! I’m a production designer. There.”

“What, like for movies?” And I immediately feel like an asshole for my incredulous tone.

She laughs. “Just movies lately, yes, but I’ve worked on TV shows and Broadway, too.” She doesn’t seem to want to go into detail about it, nor is she phased at the tone of my question. “I don’t have any new projects until later this year, so I’m taking this break now because I haven’t really had a chance to do that since my first… uh… since one of the shows I worked on did unexpectedly well.” She clears her throat and looks up behind me.

Maeve is walking in, one eyebrow up high on her forehead. “Uh oh, Bonnie’s got her I-don’t-want-to-talk-about-how-brilliant-I-am look on her face. What did you do, River? Ask Ms. James about all the awards she’s won?” Awards? How have I never heard of her before?

Lainey shoots her friend a serious look, but it softens when Raf squeezes her shoulder and places a kiss on her head. “Baby girl is all kinds of brilliant, but far too humble about it.” She rolls her eyes but smiles at both of her friends.

I’ve never seen Raf kiss a woman on the head who wasn't his relative. These people kiss a lot! What the hell is going on here?

“Don’t listen to them. They love to embellish.” She smiles over at me, waving her hand in the air to dismiss her friends’ comments.

“Wait. Raf called you Elaina earlier. Is Lainey a nickname for Elaina?” She nods quickly. “You’re Elaina James. You’re… holy shit! How did I not know this? You’re insanely talented. Your show completely shattered records in viewership and awards…I’ve watched the series like three times.” I could keep going and completely fanboy over how she’s the youngest showrunner to ever win so many awards, but I can tell this makes her uncomfortable. She hides behind her tea as she mumbles a thank you. Far too humble, indeed.

Maeve and Raf are laughing at her reaction when Charlie walks in, looking over at Raf, who is seated on a sofa by himself. She spins her body, silently asking Lainey to move over. She has some sort of aversion to Raf, that much is crystal clear. L scoots in a bit and gestures to the spot on the couch where she had just been sitting for Charlie. Our legs are almost touching now, and I can feel the warmth of her skin radiating towards me.

The conversation moves to what’s planned for the week ahead before shooting starts, and I notice Lainey is quiet. When I look over at her, her eyes are hazy, and she nearly spills her now lukewarm tea. I reach over and grasp the teacup in my hand. She leans back into me, and I can feel her body relax against mine. Her body is like a warm embrace and the scent of coconut and honey fills the air around me. Suppressing a deep breath, I shift as her head comes to rest gently on my shoulder.

“Hey, you must be so tired. Why don’t you go to bed?” I whisper this to her while everyone is still debating whether we should go to the London Eye tomorrow. Raf really seems to want to go.

Lainey shifts her head, so she’s looking up at me. “No, I like this. A full house, the chatter, it makes me happy… plus, you’re so warm.” She snuggles closer and I’m about to lift my arm to put around her when I catch Rafael’s stern look again. What the hell is his problem? I decide against it and just let her be.

She wraps both hands around my bicep and mumbles something I can’t make out.

The warmth of her breath slowly spreads through me, and I feel her body further relax into mine. Even though I've only known her for a few weeks, I feel comforted by her presence. I can't help but get lost in the details of her face, taking in the beauty of her thick eyelashes resting on her cheeks and the way her lips, slightly parted, are fuller on the bottom than the top. When I look up, I see Raf is walking straight towards us.

“I’m gonna take her to her room. Baby girl’s exhausted.” I open my mouth to say I can do it, but he shoots me another deadly look. He looks over at Maeve now. “Wait for me before you talk about this. Adam here’s got a story he needs to tell us.”

Fuck. But he’s right. They should know what’s going on, especially since we’re apparently going to be spending a lot of time together.

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