Page 28 of Unspoken Love

“I liked kissing you,” she said as her eyes moved to his lips again.

“I liked you kissing me. Very much.”

“Why do I feel like there is a but coming?”

He nodded. “You work⁠—”

She stopped him, knowing he would use her working for him as an excuse. She had prepared for it.

“Your sister and my brother worked together,” she pointed out. “Lots of people work together and sleep together.”

He tilted his head, as if thinking for a moment. “Is that what you want?”

She shrugged as her eyes moved away from his. “One thing my health has taught me is to never hold back on what you want.” Her eyes moved back to his. “And right now, I want you.” She bit her lip, hoping he would say that he wanted her too. Instead, he glanced over her shoulder.

“I don’t want to want you,” he finally replied.

“What does that mean?” she asked after a heartbeat.

His eyes returned to hers. “I’m trying to be…” He glanced back at the house and motioned to it. “Different.”

She shook her head. Not understanding.

He threw up his hands and started pacing on the small deck again, avoiding boards that were broken or missing.

“Faye, you don’t know me. I mean, the person I was yesterday.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m not saying this right.” He fisted his hand and lightly tapped it on his thigh. “I’ve been with a lot of women.”

“Do you have an STD?” she asked, and he chuckled.

“No, and that’s not my point. I’m trying to turn over a new leaf in life. I’ve decided to stick around town, to officially take over the family business and make it my own. I’m buying out my family so that, one day, after I pay them off, the Brew-Ha-Ha will be all mine.”

“That’s great,” she said excitedly.

“It is.” He smiled. “I’ve purchased this place, and plan on making it a home. A real home.”

“So, what’s the problem then?”

He took a deep breath. “I don’t want just sex anymore.” She swayed back slightly, feeling the sting of his words. “I want more.”

Her heart was racing as fear crept into her body. The same fear that always came when someone wanted commitment from her, any type of commitment.

She’d seen what wanting “more” had done to her mother and her sister Ally. After what her father had done to her, her mother had never remarried. Or dated, for that matter.

Her older sister Ally was now a single parent fighting the system for full custody of her daughter since her ex-husband was a piece of shit. Faye hadn’t liked her sister’s ex, Aaron, from the moment she’d met him. The man was a controlling complainer and nothing more than a child who had married in hopes of never having to lift a finger for himself again.

The moment her niece, Charlotte, had been born, Aaron had taken to complaining about her sister’s figure and that all the attention was no longer on him.

Faye didn’t know if the relationship had ever gotten violent, but she had her suspicions. So did their mother. Which is why Ally and Charlotte were now living with her. Their mother watched her niece while Ally worked to pay off the lawyers as she battled Aaron for custody.

Faye had never really thought about long-term relationships before. Other than to think about how they scared her.

She didn’t know Nate well enough to dream about a happy-ever-after.

“I can see by the look in your eyes I’ve scared you.” He shook his head slightly. “I’ll walk you to your car.” He opened the back door and flipped on a light inside. While they’d been outside, the sun had disappeared.

“No, it’s just…” She stepped inside after him, her voice trailing off as she tried to find the right words. “Commitments are… complicated.”

She hugged her arms around her chest, suddenly cold despite the warmth still lingering in the room from the summer sun. The scent of wood, dust, and the faint tang of rain clung to the air, grounding her in the moment, even as her thoughts spun.