‘I don’t hate him.’
Connor put a hand across hers. ‘I know you don’t.’
They stayed that way for a while, their hands together, him rubbing the back of hers with a thumb in a comforting way until Lydia turned so their faces were so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face.
Lydia moved closer still, until her lips met his. And it was exactly like it had been before, the night he’d kissed her outside the bar.
‘Lydia…’ He pulled away.
‘What, you’re not attracted to me?’
He harrumphed, shook his head. ‘I’m a man, aren’t I? And you’re gorgeous. But we’re friends.’
She kissed him again and she could tell he was finding it hard to stop. ‘We can be friends with benefits.’
He laughed then. ‘Do you think that ever really works?’
She pulled away and looked up at the ceiling, her eyes glistening. It was the effect of the alcohol, the recounting of the night in the hotel, the last eleven months. It was everything accumulating into one giant ball of emotion.
Connor reached a hand to her cheek and his thumb wiped away her tears.
She looked at him now, her face against his palm as he looked deep into her eyes. ‘Please, Connor. I’m so lonely I can barely breathe, I just want to forget. I want to forget everything.’
He only hesitated a moment more and then his lips were against hers and he gave in to temptation and for the rest of the night Lydia did what she hadn’t been able to do in almost a year. She left behind everything that was bad in her life and only thought about the good.
