Love, Lies, and Deception(10)

Reining in my excitement, I handed Alec the pan of brownies and he moved aside with a flourish, inviting me in.

“You’re right on time,” he said to me.

“I usually am for most things,” I replied, surveying the room. “It just all depends.”

He smiled. “Depends on what exactly?”

Nonchalantly, I turned away from him and shrugged my shoulders. “On if I want to be where I’m going.”

“Well, then I’ll consider myself lucky. I hope you’re hungry; I made a ton of food.”

“I’m starving,” I mumbled, placing my hand on my stomach. “The food smells wonderful.”

It smelled amazing and it didn’t take long to realize from the aroma of garlic and Italian seasonings that he probably made what Emily would’ve told him was my favorite … lasagna. My stomach grumbled and my mouth watered just thinking about it.

The apartment was very neat and everything was in order; definitely not what I was expecting from Alec. I wondered if he cleaned up because I was coming over, or if he was always that tidy. The carpet was just like all the other apartments, off white and fluffy with stains in various places from recent tenants. His furniture, however, was top of the line leather. The couch, loveseat, and recliner were all made of sleek black leather—all in immaculate shape—and surrounding what had to be a sixty inch flat screen television.

My interest was definitely piqued. I glanced at Alec briefly, and he watched me with an amused expression on his face as I made my way around his living room. Framed pictures adorned the walls with various photos taken of surfers riding enormous swells. I couldn’t tell if they were of him or of other people, but whoever it was had guts. There was no way I would ever have the balls to get out in that water with those huge waves.

“You look beautiful tonight,” Alec said softly, coming up behind me. His breath grazed across my neck, making me shiver in response.

“Thank you,” I whispered, sounding breathless. I pointed to the pictures on the wall. “Are these all of you?”

His eyes landed on the pictures and I could see joy spark behind his gaze, but also longing and pain reflected in them as well. “Yes, it’s me, but they were taken a long time ago, or so it feels like it. Surfing was my one passion, and I miss it every day.”

“You never got to tell me why you moved here from California. If you miss it so much, why don’t you move back?”

He regarded me intently and let out a regretful breath. “I wish I could, but it’s a long story. I might tell you someday, but for now it’s time to eat. Come,” he commanded lightly.

Gently grasping my elbow, Alec steered me toward the kitchen. Two glasses of white wine were poured and he had two salads already made up. There was also an assortment of dressings lined up on the counter, which happened to be in bowls instead of bottles.

I furrowed my brows and eyed him curiously. He handed me a salad and pointed to each of the dressings. “That one is Ranch, the one beside it is Italian, and the other is balsamic vinaigrette. I didn’t know what you liked, so I did all three. They’re homemade by the way, and before you ask, my mother made me go to all of her cooking classes growing up. I wouldn’t ever tell her this, but I actually kind of liked them.”

My mouth dropped open in disbelief and he chuckled at my stunned expression. “Wow,” I murmured in awe. “I never would’ve thought you could do that. I guess you can’t judge someone by appearances.”

“Hey,” he scolded halfheartedly, nudging me in the side with his fork. “I’m starting to think I should be offended. Elaborate please?”

Snickering lightly, I spooned the homemade ranch dressing onto my salad, took a glass of wine, and left him to take a seat at his kitchen table. Once Alec joined me, he placed his salad on the table and steepled his hands under his chin.

“I’m waiting for your explanation,” he added. “When you look at me, what do you see?”

What did I see? Taking a bite of my salad, I narrowed my eyes and pretended to study him. Alec lifted his glass of wine and brought it to his lips, swallowing slowly. His tongue glided across the rim of his glass, and my breath hitched, flustering me.

Shaking my head, I regained my composure while Alec smirked in amusement. Let’s see if he likes this, I uttered to myself. “Honestly, when I first saw you and noticed the way you carried yourself I figured you’d be arrogant, self-centered, and quite frankly a douche.”

He sputtered into his wine glass and laughed loudly. “So honest,” he pointed out humorously. “Do you still see me like that now? Surely, you wouldn’t be here if you did.”

Slowly, I smiled and shook my head. “No, I don’t. I know I’ve never talked to you before, but your eyes don’t look as jaded as they did a couple of years ago. You’re still a mystery, of course, but also kind of haunted, like you’re running away from something. I find it intriguing.”

He stiffened for a moment, but quickly relaxed. “I guess I can take that as a compliment?” he asked uncertainly.

Smiling, I murmured softly, “Yes, for now.”

My stomach growled, demanding that I eat, so I finished my salad and wiped my mouth on the napkin Alec had set out for me on the table. “Are you done?” he asked, pointing to my bowl.

I nodded. “Yes, it was amazing. You might need to give me some pointers on cooking some day.”