Font Size:  

“But he was in a position to give you a child.” He tried, and failed, to keep judgement from his words. He took up a seat on the sofa. Melinda perched on the other edge, curling her legs beneath her. She looked very beautiful, very small, and very fragile, and a dangerous need to protect her swirled through him.

“Yes, well.” She bit down on her lower lip. “It takes two to tango,” she said simply.

He pushed thoughts of Melinda tangoing, in bed or otherwise, from his mind. That was a dangerous path he was better not following. “How old are you?”

She sipped her hot chocolate. “Didn’t we decide this makes me about eight?” She laughed, but it lacked the spontaneity of earlier. She was nervous. Tense.

“I’m making you uncomfortable?” He suggested, not beating about the bush.

She expelled a sigh and nodded. “I know what you must think. Young single mum, walking around dark alleys late in the evening, going to pubs with strange men … inviting said strange men into my home.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “I just don’t know why I care so much what you must think of me.”

It was an interesting confession; one that softened every single piece of him. He gave up on pretending that he didn’t want to get to know her better and moved further down the sofa, so that he could put a hand on her shoulder.

“You care because you’re attracted to me.”

The second he made the statement she jerked her head, her eyes clashing with his in a fierce battle of the wills.

“As I am to you,” he continued softly. “I have been watching you, thinking I am the worst kind of saviour because you have been through a trauma and yet all I want is to ask you out.”

Her breath snagged in her throat. She stared at him, her mind turning slowly to mush. “You do?”

“Yes.” He brought his face closer, his eyes skimming hers, studying them for a reflection of the tempest of emotions that was making him forget all of the reasons he had for staying away.

“I …” She swallowed, her lips pressing together as she attempted to bring moisture to her mouth and sanity to her mind. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“No.” His smile was lopsided. “Nor do I.” He dropped his head closer, so that his lips were only a whisper from hers. “But I want to do it anyway.”

“Do what?” She shifted a little in her seat. Closer, not further away.

His stomach churned. His gut felt as though he had a bag of cement pressing down on it. The air around them seemed to be sparkling not just with anticipation but with a kind of magic. “This.” It was hardly a kiss. A connection of their lips for the briefest of moments, but something cataclysmic shifted inside of Melinda. Everything seemed to zip into place; her body sung.

Her hands were pressed to his chest, her fingers tangled in his shirt. Her eyes were wide with wonderment and her heart was racing. He smelled like sweat and citrus. He was warm. She inhaled him, and wanted more. More. More.

“I can’t … It’s … my life is complicated,” she said with a shake of her head.

“Who’s isn’t?”

Her breath snagged in her mouth. She hadn’t expected such a sensible rejoinder. “I don’t do one night stands.” Her eyes scanned his face. “If you think I’m going to just invite you to stay or whatever…”

“I wouldn’t stay even if you did invite me.” He leaned forward so he could whisper in her ear. “I want you to respect me in the morning.” His grin, when he lifted back, was as devilish as it was disarming.

But Melinda couldn’t return his smile. This was dangerous, unchartered ground. It had been a long time since she’d been with a guy. She’d never been with anyone other than Brent, and that had been a total, unmitigated disaster. “Your cocoa’s getting cold.”

He fought the temptation to make a snappy remark. She was panicked, and he didn’t want to pressure her. He moved away just enough to reach for his hot chocolate, but he kept his knees pressed to hers.

“Are you free tomorrow night?”

She blinked, shaking her head slowly. “I have Jordan,” she said simply.

“I could come here.”

“No, that’s too confusing for him,” she said quietly. “He’s old enough now to want to know his dad. To be sad that his dad isn’t here.” She bit down on her lower lip. “And I don’t want him getting upset by the idea of his mother seeing someone else. Not that we would …I mean … I can’t … do you see why I don’t do this?”

Her sweetness took his breath away. “You don’t date?”

“Oh, no. Not really. I mean, I don’t really have much spare time, you know, and Jordan’s my focus.” She lifted her eyes to his face, her expression mutinous and loaded with a silent challenge. “And I get the impression you date rather a lot. I don’t think we’d really move at the same speed.”

He dipped his head, her words hitting a sore point. “I used to … date … a lot, yes.” It was probably the wrong word, but out of respect for Melinda he didn’t replace it with a cruder version that would be closer to the truth. “But I haven’t been like that for a couple of years now. I guess I’m all grown up.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like