The thought of this opportunity slipping through my fingers—of losing her again, this time before I even really had her—short-circuits my brain. Steals every bit of sense I have ever possessed right out of my head, leaving nothing but panic, fear, and desire to govern my next act.
Which is not a great development given my original intention to offer Brooke time and space.
Because in the blink of an eye, there is no space between us. My hands cradle her face as I revel in the sensation of her lips against mine for the first time in years.
I thought I’d committed them to memory, but I was wrong. They're softer. Warmer. Sweeter.
But maybe that’s just because I know what it’s like to live without them.
The air against my cheek cools as she sucks in a sharp breath through her nose, surprise stiffening her frame. But only for a second.
Before I can pull away—like I should—her fingers wrap around my wrists, holding tight, her soft body leaning into mine as she melts against me.
It’s everything I could’ve ever hoped for, and the worst thing to happen.
I have to stop this now. While I can.
It takes everything I have to drag my lips from hers. Her hands stay wrapped around mine as they fall between us. And just that tiny chaste kiss leaves me fighting for air as I back toward the door, missing the feel of her hands the instant she lets me go.
Forgetting I closed us in, I bump against the wood surface,fumbling behind me for the knob, because even now I can’t stop looking at her. The flush of her cheeks. The way her fingertips brush the lips I just claimed.
“I need to get back to work.” It’s the lamest thing to claim, but I have to put space between us.
I fucked everything up with Brooke once, and I’m not going to do it again. I need to show her I’m better. That I learned. That I’m good enough to be what she deserves.
And what she deserves is a man who will give her everything she needs, even if it’s the last thing he wants.
I manage to get the door open and nearly fall on my ass trying to get out the gap. When I finally clear the frame, I pull the door closed because God knows I need a barrier between us.
Except it’s not locked, so I could easily…
No.
No.
No.
Space. Brooke needs space.
And space is a good thing. It will give me time to get my shit all the way together.
And time to kick Titus’s ass. Not for hiring Brooke, but for not telling me. I feel like that’s something I deserved to know.
Back in my office, I drop in my seat, determined to find myself enough to keep me busy so I’m not tempted to push Brooke into something she’s not ready for.
After making a few phone calls that should do the trick, I head out on the floor and throw myself into helping my teams. We have a lot to get done, and hopefully being sweaty and covered in grease and adhesives will discourage any ideas I might have about finding my way to Brooke’soffice again.
I do manage to sneak in a quick break, placing a lunch order for delivery before getting back into shit. Before I know it, it’s late as hell and everyone has gone home except me.
A great development as far as my determination to leave Brooke alone goes, but poor Copper’s probably ready to piss herself.
Or inside my boots.
After packing up, I load my shit into the pickup truck I drove today, and head home. I’m relieved when Copper is frantically dancing around as I walk through the door. Hopefully it means she hasn’t already taken her aggravation at my absence out on a pair of my shoes. I don’t even know how in the hell she manages to pee inside them, but it’s a skill set the miniature poodle acquired not long after Brooke left her in my care.
Probably because she was just as disappointed in me as I was for letting Brooke leave.
“Come on, baby girl. Let’s get you outside.” I head to the back door, grabbing a flashlight before following her out onto the deck, making sure to scan the surrounding area for any wildlife that might consider my pet easy pickings.
