Elly in Love (The Elly Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

by Keith’s wide grin, and by the aroma of buttermilk wafting up from the pancakes. “Keith. This is….”
    He held up his hand. “Eat first. Then we’ll talk. You’ve earned it.”
    Elly nodded. “Okay. Breakfast first.”
    Keith shook out a napkin and laid it gently on her lap. His hand lingered on her shoulder, and Elly had the sudden urge to brush her lips across it. She didn’t. Instead, she reached for the bacon.
    To say it was a feast would have been an understatement. The eggs were cooked to perfection, the pastries were handmade and delicious, and the fruit was so ripe she sighed as it exploded across her tongue. As she ate, Keith explained that this had been his plan all along.
    “I know that you said not to do anything on Valentine’s Day, and I even though I really wanted too, I didn’t.” He paused. “Elly, I thought of you all day.”
    Her heart released a shower of sparks as he continued, unaware of the effect he was having on her this morning.
    “I knew the best present I could give you was the sleep and focus for the day that you so desperately needed. And I hope you don’t mind the flowers.” He fidgeted nervously, and Elly focused on not tackling him. They just weren’t there yet. Right? Taking things slow. He is the most-amazing man , she thought, her mouth full of strawberries. Do I even deserve him? “I know you made the flowers for yourself, but I thought that out of everyone who deserved something beautiful, you deserved it the most. And I don’t know anyone who does the gorgeous work you do. It was hard to be sneaky, but Kim helped.”
    Elly smiled as she spooned more fruit onto her plate. “I’m going to kill her for this.”
    “Aw, don’t. She had a hard time organizing the flower thing so you wouldn’t have any suspicions. Although, I felt bad afterwards, like maybe I should have ordered something for her as well, just for helping me.”
    Elly rolled her eyes. “Uh, yeah, I think she’ll be okay. Sean got her a surprise trip to Paris for Valentine’s Day, and let her pick out whatever she wanted from the store. He’s always romancing her out of this world.”
    Keith looked a bit uncomfortable. “Wow. Sorry I didn’t think of that. She got Paris and you just have pancakes….” He looked sadly at the table.
    Oh my gosh, why did I say that? Elly snapped at herself . That was horrible! She reached across the table and took his hand. “Keith.” She leveled her gaze at him. “This is perfect. An afternoon at the Met does not compare to this.”
    Keith smiled, trying to contain his laughter. “Elly, the Met is in New York.”
    Elly ignored him. “It’s all the same. That’s what I’m saying. Can I have some pancakes now?”
    He pulled his hand away, and Elly was left with an outstretched arm. “Not yet. I have one more surprise for you. This is your real present.” He hesitated. “Now if you want jewelry, or something more, let me know. I want to do this right. It’s been a while since I spent Valentine’s Day with a striking woman by my side, and I want to make sure it’s everything you could want.”
    Elly felt up to her head of semigreasy hair. Striking. That was one word for it.
    “Now close your eyes and open your mouth.”
    Elly raised her eyebrow and gave Keith a skeptical look . Um, what?
    Keith gave a deep laugh. “Okay, that didn’t come out quite right. Just trust me. Elly,” he said softly. “Trust me.”
    Trust was not something that came easily to Elly, especially with men. But she closed her eyes and opened her mouth. She felt the spongy, hearty texture of the pancake first. And then a second taste danced across her tongue, a thick syrup on her palate. It was sweet, tart, and familiar. It tasted like home, it tasted like childhood. Suddenly memories of her mother were surrounding her, consuming her. Her eyes quivered with tears. Elly opened her mouth. “Uhh … muhh gussshh. Huh did you get this?”
    Keith gave her a handsome smile and