“How could I have? Believe me, I was just as surprised to see you as you were to see me.” His dark eyes are somber and his gaze is direct. He’s right, how could he have known?
“Look at me sounding like you,” I quip and he’s gracious enough to smile.
“But this is a lot of coincidence. What are the chances?”
He slips his hands into his pockets and rocks back on his heels a little, still smiling. “They’re slim. But hey, I’m not complaining. I’m glad to see you. Knew I would somehow.”
“No you didn’t.” I roll my eyes.
He scoffs and reaches into the back pocket of his jeans and pulls out his wallet. “I’ve been carrying this in my wallet so thatwhenit happened, I could return it to you.”
He fishes out the small gold earring I lost that night and holds it out to me. My eyes mist and I take it out of his palm and put it on. I reach into my small purse and pull out its partner. “Wow. I’d resigned myself to it being lost forever. Thank you so much.”
“Sure. I’m glad I got to give it back. But more than that—we’ve got some unfinished business.” His voice is gruff, and the air between us is instantly charged. I want to close the distance between us.
“Do we?” I ask, my voice just above a whisper. He cocks an eyebrow, leans forward at the waist so his face is close to mine.
“Yes.” His dark eyes are so hot my good sense starts to evaporate. Just like it had the night we met. “I want to see that woman whose body purred when I touched her again.”
Heat and lust make me clench my thighs. I take a step back and bump into one of the tall boxwood hedges that line the walkway. “I wasn’t myself. I didn’t think I would see you again, so I just...”
“Let loose?” he finishes for me.
I snap my fingers. “Exactly. That wasn’t the real me.”
He frowns and raises an eyebrow. “Sure seemed andtastedlike you.”
I flush and thank God he can’t tell. “As if you know me.”
“Don’t I?”
“This may be a good tactic in the courtroom but asking me questions I’ve already answered isn’t going to get you a different answer,” I inform him in my best no nonsense voice.
“It’s not a tactic. I’m just trying to understand what you mean. Maybe you should speak plainly, Sin,” he says with a note of challenge in his voice.
I’ve never had a problem with confrontation, but I could have done without this one. I clear my throat and choose my words carefully. “I find you very, very attractive, and you seem nice. But I’m not ready to date again yet and even if I were, my focus would still be on getting my career off the ground. Maybe in another life, we could pick up where we left off, but in this timeline, it’s a nonstarter. I’m sorry,” I add when his expression falls.
He sucks in a breath, and for a split-second, looks like he’s about to push back. But then his expression relaxes and he nods with a deprecating smile.
“Hey, if that’s what you want, that’s what it’ll be. I’ve got a lot going on, too.” He gives in so easily I can’t help but feel a little offended.
I give him a stiff smile. “Yes, it’s what I want. Thank you for understanding.” I turn and continue down the path to the driveway. “Come on, let’s go. You’re driving,” I announce.
“No can do,” he says when he catches up to me.
“Why not?” I cross my arms and scan the street for his car.
“I’ve only got two wheels.” He jerks a thumb toward the garage. A bicycle that looks like it was built before the turn of the last century is propped up against the door.
I look up at him, perplexed. “What did you say you do?”
“I’m a lawyer.”
I look back at him with a puzzled expression. “You need to ask for a raise so you can buy a car.” Or a bike that was built this century.
“Why do I need a car when this baby does the job?”
“Rain, snow, late nights, bad drivers,” I tick them off my fingers.
