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Hungry for more, I deepened the kiss. Memories and desire swirled inside of me until I lost all logic. “Jillian,” I moaned as I dug my fingers into her naked thighs. Wanting to feel her wetness, I inched my fingers up and under until I could brush them along the soaking wet fabric of her panties.
“Wait! We can’t do this.” Shivering, she grabbed my hands and pulled them up. There was raw fear in her eyes, and I stepped back and gently eased her down the wall. Without breaking eye contact, I tugged her dress down.
“I shouldn’t have done that, Jillian, and I’m sorry. There’s a time and a place, and this obviously isn’t it, but we’re not done, and I think that proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt.”
She ran her hands through her hair and finished straightening her dress. “I can’t do this.”
“You don’t belong with someone like Don, Jillian. You can’t use him to hide, and we both know it. You can fight me if you want, but I’m not going to make this easy. If you’re really so sure that you’re ready to put all of this behind you, then prove it. Spend the next few months with me, and when it’s over, you’ll never have to see me again.”
Her hands were shaking, and she shook her head. “I have to go. I’ll make Don late for his reservations. I’ll see you tomorrow at the coffee shop.” She ignored my gaze as she hurried away. The dying echoes of her heels clicking on the floor followed her all the way to the office, but I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes.
“You’re the guy who’s been following me around campus for a month.” She pursed those sultry lips as she lowered her sunglasses. “See something you want?”
“Most definitely.” Without any hesitation, I reached out and cupped her chin. “I want your name.”
“Jillian Quinn, but if you call me Jill, I’ll make sure you walk funny for a week.”
“Strange, I was going to promise you the very same thing if you have dinner with me. But I don’t think that we were talking about the same thing.”
Those beautiful chocolate brown eyes widened, and she smiled. “How many times a day do you say that to a girl?”
“I’m hoping that you’ll be the last, Jillian Quinn. So, what do you say? Want to have a little fun with me?”
But that had been the old Jillian.
This new Jillian didn’t look like she had fun anymore.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jillian
“Don! What a surprise running into you.”
This was the seventh upright asshole in a row to stop by the table. I hadn’t even begun to dig into my dinner. Don had already chastised me for trying to eat while he was holding a conversation, but he never bothered to introduce me to any of them, and while they gazed openly at me, they never asked.
I would have felt humiliated, but my mind was elsewhere. I could still feel the phantom lingering of Brendan’s touch. I tingled and ached in places that I hadn’t tingled and ached in a long time. I was bothered on a physical and mental level.
And, if I were being honest with myself, a spiritual level as well.
Gripping the fork in my hand, I tried not to glare at the board member. All their conversations were the same. Fake smiles. Talk about change. Empty promises to call. They were leading Don on, hinting at a seat that might be emptying soon, and Don was eating it up.
“Excellent. We’ll be in touch,” the board member said as he pumped Don’s hand and walked away.
Not wasting any time, I jabbed at my chicken and shoved it in my mouth. Now, I was angry eating. The more I saw Brendan, the more my old self shined through. I didn’t even know who I was angry at.
“Slow down,” Don commanded. “You look positively feral. What has gotten into you? We’re supposed to be enjoying a nice dinner together.”
The slow burn fired into a hot flame. “What has gotten into me? We were served our food fifteen minutes ago. My chicken is cold. Every time I try to eat—”
As if right on cue, someone else appeared at the table. “Don! Jimmy told me that you were here. How long has it been?” The old man clapped Don on the back, and I pushed my chair back and stood.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to go powder my nose,” I growled. Stabbing the chicken with my fork, I grabbed it and my glass of wine and headed for the patio. I could feel both men staring at me as I bumped the door with my hip and stepped out.
The restaurant was situated on a small lake. It was crowded, and there was a line of people outside waiting to be seated. I’d asked Don if we could eat outside, but he wouldn’t have been seen, so we were in the very center of the damn restaurant instead.
