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“Not until it’s done.”
* * *
Roseand I worked the rest of the day on tearing the house apart while Shane walked around taking measurements. At one point, he pulled her aside and started asking her questions about what she envisioned. I listened in, just to hear how she described everything. I found myself stopping to listen a few times and had to force myself back to work. Eventually, Shane got into it also, adding in a few ideas that she readily agreed to.
But I could see how tired she was by the end of the day. We’d done a lot on the house today, and there was only more to come. I handed Rose a bottle of water as we leaned against the mostly torn out counter.
“Are you ready to call it quits for the day?”
She heaved a tired sigh. “I’d love to keep working with you guys, but I’m exhausted.
“That’s fine. How about I walk you home?”
Taking the Jeep would be faster, but that was exactly the opposite of what I wanted.
“Sure.”
We headed for the door just as Shane was walking in. “I’m gonna walk Rose home.”
His eyes rested on mine for a moment. I could see the warning in them, but he must have seen something completely different in mine, because he just nodded. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Rose.”
She smiled at him and headed outside. Shane grabbed my arm, leaning in close. “Just remember you’re playing with fire.”
“Trust me, I know exactly what I’m doing.”
He gave a firm nod and released me. I walked over to Rose, strolling down to the beach with her. Before we got too far from the house, I kicked my shoes off and left them in the sand.
“I’ll get them on the way back.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” she sighed, kicking off her shoes. She groaned, the sound sending shocks through my body. “God, that feels good. I really do need to get better shoes.”
“We’ll do that tomorrow.”
I slid my hand down her arm, taking the shoes from her loose grip. I didn’t miss the way her body tightened at my touch, or the way she sucked in a breath. It took all my control to keep from pulling her against me and kissing her as we stood here.
“If only I wasn’t married,” I said in a hushed voice.
“Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” she murmured as we stood just inches from each other. “I thought…I hoped I could do this every day.”
“But?”
Her eyes found mine, but instead of lust, I saw sadness. She sucked in a breath, her throat working the longer she stared at me. “I can’t keep coming here. I thought I could do it. I thought I could push my feelings aside. But I’m afraid…”
I raised my hand slowly, brushing the few strands of hair that slipped free from her ponytail behind her ear. “What are you afraid of?”
She took a stuttering breath. “That I already feel too much for you. That if I go to your house again, I won’t want to leave.”
I understood all too well. I never wanted her to leave. It was crazy. We’d known each other a few days, but in that time, I felt so alive. Everything about being in her company was right. And I didn’t want to let that go. Not even for my wife.
“Then don’t,” I whispered.
Her eyes dropped to my lips and I moved in, hovering just centimeters from hers. I waited, needing her to tell me this was okay. Then I felt her hot breath fan my face before she pressed her lips to mine. Everything I wanted and desired shot through me like lightning. I gripped the back of her neck and pulled her closer to me. Her sandals fell through my fingers. I wrapped my arm around her back, pulling her closer to me. I would never get enough of her, and as I kissed her, I knew there was no way I could say goodbye to her until I absolutely had to. Whatever this was, I needed it more than my father’s business, more than my mother’s happiness. Maybe that was wrong, but I couldn’t shove those feelings down.
As the water brushed against our legs, I finally stepped back from her. My hands framed her face as I stared at her the way I imagined I would look at my wife—not the woman I was married to, but the woman I desired more than anything in the world.
“I don’t know why we were shoved together like this. Fate is cruel to put you in front of me when I can’t have you. But we have until you leave. Tell me I can spend it with you.”
“Won’t that just hurt us more?”
