*
Letty had askedRiley to come in after he drove her home.So here he was sitting on her couch, and she didn’t know what to do with him.Contrary to what he probably thought, considering he’d found her at Grey’s ready to go off with a man she barely knew, that wasn’t her normal MO.
She’d had a one-night stand before.Only one, but it had been a number of years ago and maybe not so strangely, she’d almost had another on the anniversary of the same day.The day her parents died.It had turned out to be a disaster, so you’d have thought she’d learned her lesson.She should probably thank Riley for stopping her from making another mistake.
“I don’t know how to say this other than to just say it.I’m not going to sleep with you tonight.”
He smiled and reached out to flip her earring.“You didn’t need to tell me that.It’s kind of obvious.”
“I’m not as easy as you probably think considering what happened before Thanksgiving.”Not to mention the past few times he’d kissed her she hadn’t exactly protested.No, she’d kissed him back.Enthusiastically.
“You don’t owe me an explanation and I don’t think you’re easy.”
“I was upset and looking for a way to forget.”
“I know.But I’d been thinking about you for months and when I saw you with Davis I couldn’t stand it.”
“You probably saved me from a disaster.”
“I’m glad but why is that?You were sure mad that night.”
She shrugged.“I’d been drinking so I wasn’t at my most rational.Besides, you were a jerk about it.”
“Guilty.”
“Anyway, I had a one-night stand years ago on the same date, for the same reason.”
“Not a success, I take it.”
She snorted a laugh.“Epic disaster is more like it.Nothing even happened.I flipped out once we got to his apartment.I had a meltdown and couldn’t stop crying.It was just a few years after I lost my parents.He wasn’t happy with me, to say the least.”
“He didn’t—”
She shook her head.“No, nothing like that.He just took me home and never called me again.I felt like such a fool.I should have known I wasn’t ready.”
“Were you a virgin?”
“No, but I wasn’t very experienced.”
“I’m sorry.It sounds awful.Why did you think it would be different the next time?”
“For one thing, that happened years ago.I thought because they died a long time ago I’d be better able to handle it.I can’t forget obviously, which was why I was tempted to see if it helped.But I didn’t think I’d break down like I did that first time.”
“I don’t think you ever forget something as traumatic as losing your parents.You simply learn to deal with it.”He put his arm around her and hugged her.“Letty?”
She turned her head to look at him.Their mouths were inches apart.She wanted to kiss him.When they were somewhere they wouldn’t be interrupted.When she could relax and simply go with the flow.It would be a mistake though.She wasn’t ready.
You’d think she would be.Riley, the man she’d never forgotten even if she had moved on, wanted her.And she had to admit she wanted him.
“If and when we make love,” Riley said, “it won’t be because you want to forget.”
