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She glanced at him. His gaze probed her as though he were searching for the answer. Did he know the truth? Did he know the few men she had dated just didn’t compare to the memory of him?
He reached out to her, stroking his thumb down her cheek. When he spoke, his voice was soft and coaxing. “Tell me.”
Her pulse raced as she stared deep into his eyes. “They… They weren’t you.”
He leaned forward, claiming her lips. Her heart pounded in her chest. It wasn’t until then that she realized how much she’d longed for his touch. As intimidating as he could be in his business world, he was just as gentle when he held her in his arms.
Andrew pulled back ever so slightly. “Clara, I have so many regrets, but losing you is my biggest regret of all.”
Her index finger traced the scar running down his jaw. “I’ve missed you.”
He captured her hand, lowering it. “But I have to warn you that the scar on my jaw is nothing compared to the rest of me. It isn’t pretty.”
She looked him in the eyes so he would know her sincerity. “Those scars made it possible for you to come back to me. When I see them, I won’t cringe. I’ll feel a sense of gratitude that we have another chance.”
Andrew blinked away the shininess in his eyes. “You are one of a kind. How did I get so lucky?”
Having talked enough, Clara pressed her lips to his. Any reservations she had about this date had nothing to do with Andrew’s scars, but rather with herself. Her emotions warred within her—logic versus love.
Was she in a place in her life to take the risk of gambling on love again?
Her career was at the point of taking off, if only there were no more hiccups with Tula’s wedding. But it had been so long since she let her guard down and enjoyed a relationship. And secretly, she’d missed Andrew. A lot.
But as he deepened their kiss, her thoughts scattered. The only thing that mattered now was him and her, together again after all of this time. Maybe it was time to live in the moment and let the future take care of itself.
As his lips moved over hers like a well-rehearsed dance, all she could think was this felt so good, but then Andrew pulled back. He rested his forehead against hers. “I should go.”
“Already?” She wasn’t ready to let him go when it felt like she’d just gotten him back.
“It’s getting late.” He kissed her forehead. “Thank you for the most amazing evening. I’ll never forget it.”
When he pulled back, her gaze met his. “You shouldn’t thank me, you’re the one that planned it.”
“But you’re the one who made it special.” He moved to the door. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Don’t go.”
“Is that truly what you want?”
“Of course, it is. We have so much to catch up on.” So much had happened since they’d parted, and she wanted to know everything she’d missed. The good and the bad.
His gaze searched hers. “Are you saying you want to give us a second chance?”
Her mouth opened. The answer teetered at the tip of her tongue. As the gravity of what he was asking her settled in, she pressed her lips together.
They were having a good time—two old friends reconnecting—why did he have to go and complicate matters with questions about the future?
She didn’t have the answer he wanted to hear. She hadn’t slowed down to consider truly letting him back in her life. Oh, who was she kidding? In the dark of the night, alone in the shower and on her drive to work, she’d toyed with the idea of what it might be like if they were to give their relationship another chance.
And in all of those daydreams, she hadn’t come up with an answer. Her head said one thing, while her heart longed for the other answer. All she knew was that she couldn’t put herself out there, only to be hurt again.
“That’s what I thought.” Andrew’s voice drew her from her thoughts.
“What?”
“You aren’t sure about giving us a do-over. And that’s okay because I believe in us enough for both of us. But I understand that you need more time.”
“You do?” When he smiled and nodded, she asked, “Is that why you came to San Francisco? Did you have this all planned out?”
