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And even though she’d only known him a short time, the sight and sounds brought comfort and that…that made her groan and take another sip and remind herself of the pain she’d been through in the last several years.
Who was to say a relationship with Bryson would be any different?
Who was to say she was even ready to tread those waters at all?
But having been alone the last year—basically alone the last three years of her marriage due to Kyle’s interests being elsewhere—it wasn’t like she hadn’t spent an appropriate amount of time mourning the inevitable end.
After tucking Hershey safely inside the house, she carried her glass and descended the steps, slowly making her way through the hedges.The full moon lit the way as she left the bright lights of the boardwalk and street and moved into the shadows of the taller house.
The door was open and Bryson worked on laying flooring.He looked up when he saw her and smiled.
“Hey, you.Come in.”
“The, uh, owners probably don’t want strangers wandering around.”
“You’re fine.You can’t hurt anything.”
Hadley didn’t comment.She just stared at Bryson and watched his approach and wondered if the same could be said of himself.She certainly didn’t want to hurt him—nor did she want to get hurt.
But wouldn’t that be the case if she allowed her curiosity to get the best of her?
“Hadley?”His gaze narrowed on her.“You okay?What’s going on in that head of yours?”
She lifted her chin, flicked her tongue over her lips, and saw the way his gaze dropped, distracted by the movement.She told herself to stop, to not go where her thoughts were leading her, but then she thought of his advice and applied it this moment.“Kiss me.”
“What?”
“Are you really going to make me ask twice?”She wanted to blame the wine for her behavior but she’d only had a few sips.
Bryson closed the last two steps separating them and lifted his palms to her stroke her hair away from her face.His thumb brushed just under her lower lip, and she parted her mouth to drag in a much needed breath, her pulse racing so fast the rush of blood in her ears drowned out the sound of the waves crashing behind them.
Still, he didn’t kiss her.
Bryson looked as though he fought a silent battle with himself as he gazed down at her, but he didn’t take the next step.
So she did.
She placed her hand on his forearm and gripped the wineglass tight as she rose onto her tiptoes, gaze lowering as she nuzzled his mouth with hers.
“Hadley…” he growled.
“Bryson,” she murmured, the word a breath of sound.
Then she kissed him softly.Once.Again.
“What are you doing, sweetheart?”
“Ripping the Band-Aid off.”
