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Something flickered across her face. Something he couldn’t make out. With a muttered curse, she lurched to her feet and headed back toward the kitchen. “I’ll get you some Advil.”
“Thanks,” he called, but she was already gone.
Why was she retreating from him? Whenever he seemed to get too close, to become too much a part of her life, she pulled away. He’d thought she wanted this—wanted something more than a brief fling. Wanted someone who could be a partner, stable and steady, and worthy of being in her kids’ lives. He was trying to be that for the short time he would be here. Then they could try a long-distance relationship or something like that. Hell, maybe he would even accept the position out here if things went well. But to know that? She had to let him in.
Maybe she’d decided Thomas Jones, fucked-up marketing executive, wasn’t worthy.
He stilled. That thought hurt more than the throbbing in his skull, and that was saying a hell of a lot. How had this woman come to matter so much to him in so little time?
And if he was honest with himself, was he all of the things she wanted for her and her kids?
She returned with a tumbler of whiskey and two pills. Her mouth quirked wryly as she handed both over. “I figured this would work better than water.”
“You figured right.” He popped the pills and washed them down with the alcohol. The burning sensation slid down his throat and into his chest, easing the headache…if not the heartache. “Thanks.”
“So what did Zach say?”
Thomas nearly choked on the last sip of his drink. “What?”
Her mouth set. “You heard me. You told me you played through college. I doubt you’d miss an easy pass, so what did he say to make you miss it?”
No way. She didn’t need to know this one. “Don’t worry about it. It’s between the two of us.”
Her jaw tightened. “Thomas…”
“It’s fine. I’ll handle it.” He pressed the ice tighter to his eye and grimaced. “Don’t worry about him, either. Kid can kick.”
“I know he can. I’m just pissed you had to find out with your face. And don’t tell me—swear jar. I know.” She frowned. “I’ll put a whole damned twenty in there if you tell me what he said.”
“It’s between us,” he repeated. “If I’m going to be a part of your life, you have to trust me. If you don’t trust me enough to handle the situation, then maybe I shouldn’t be here.”
Fury ignited in her gaze, bright and snapping. “Oh? And how did your ma
rriage work out, again?”
He tensed. “That has nothing to do with this and you know it.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
“My marriage ended because she cheated on me with anything that moved and flaunted it in my face. Liked it, even.” He slammed his glass down on the table, angry at the impotence he’d felt creeping up on him without warning. “I think she got off on it. On seeing me suffer.”
She reached for his hand, her eyes soft. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pressed you. It’s just hard for me to let go in these situations. You’re asking me to trust you, but you won’t trust me enough to talk about this stuff openly. He’s my son and I’m used to disciplining him on my own.”
He paused. If she let him, he could be here for her. If she stopped pushing him so damn hard, he would be able to steady his course. He sighed and captured her hand, lifting it to his lips to press a kiss to the center of her palm. “We’re down to less than a week to try and see if we have something worth fighting for, Bree. After that time is up, we’ll have to evaluate things. See where we stand. But I’m here now. If you stop pushing me away for the rest of my time here, I’ll try to stop being a closed book.”
“O-oh. Then…I mean, if you definitely want to be here, I’ll try to…”
There she went, getting shy and flustered again. He lingered on the curve of her lashes as they swept to her cheeks; he wanted to kiss her, tumble her back to the couch and finish what they’d started days ago, but he needed to prove to her—and himself—that he wasn’t only thinking with the head between his legs.
He cupped her cheek and smiled. Trailing his hand over her shoulder, he traced a line over the swell of her breasts. “I’ll try, too. And while I’m trying, I’ll be doing my best to keep my hands to myself. Have I told you how sexy you look tonight?”
“No, but thank you. It’s hard for me, too. But I don’t want to rush and—”
He dropped a kiss on her lips, keeping it soft. Even the tame kiss sent shards of need piercing through him. He pulled back reluctantly. “I know.”
Her cheeks flushed a fetching pink, and her mouth twitched into a half smile. She pulled her hand from his and touched the outer edge of his eye gingerly. “I’m sorry you had to be a casualty of this particular war. Zach and I have been dueling for days.”
“Let me have a talk with him and let him know it’s not okay. We’ll never work this out if we don’t communicate. Don’t think about it anymore, all right?”
