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“So?” He sounded defensive even to his own ears.
Laney shook her head slowly, looking at him as if he just didn’t get it. “Did you know that in one of the early James Bond movies he gets married?”
“No. But to be fair, I’m more of a sci-fi nerd when it comes to movies. What’s your point?”
“In the movie I’m talking about, Bond meets a girl, falls in love during the course of the movie, and then with the poor woman still in her wedding dress, Bond witnesses her shot to death by the bad guys.”
He raised an eyebrow. “If that’s your movie review, I think I’ll pass.”
“Written by a man. So nobody is happy.”
Brit chuckled. “Are you saying I shouldn’t be doing this movie?”
She made a face. “I was hoping one day to see you in a Hugh Grant rom-com kind of picture.”
“It could still happen.”
“No.” Her expression was glum. “You’re too much of a bad boy for that. I’ll have to settle for watching you get your heart broken again and again.”
“My heart is just fine at the moment, Laney.” As the words left his mouth, he realized this was probably his last chance. “Although that brings up something I want to talk to you about. Real life. Not movies.”
Five
Real life?Laney eyed Brit with suspicion. Breakfast was going fine. If she could hang on until later this afternoon, he would be gone in no time. Then she could nurseherbroken heart in privacy.
“I need to clean up the kitchen,” she said. “We can talk in a little while. Why don’t you check your email? Or pack your suitcase.”
His scowl made mincemeat of her paltry attempts to sidetrack him. “I’ll help you with the dishes later. This is important, Laney.” He pulled out her chair and waited for her to stand. “Come on. Let’s get comfortable in the living room.”
When Laney heard the wordsget comfortable, her brain immediately translated them asget naked. Last night, she had been restless in her lonely bed. The decision not to sleep with Brit had been the right one, but it hadn’t been fun.
Reluctantly, she preceded him into the living room. Quickly, she chose a chair before he could suggest she sit on the sofa.
Brit frowned but didn’t comment. His posture wasn’t exactly relaxed. Instead of sprawling backward against the comfortable cushions, he sat up straight, his hands loosely fisted on his thighs. One of his knees jumped nervously.
What did Britain Sheffield have to be nervous about?
Sixty seconds passed. Then another thirty. She shifted in her chair. “What do you want to say, Brit?”
He inhaled and exhaled, his expression impossible to read. “Have you ever wondered why neither of us has been in any kind of long-term relationship?”
Her jaw dropped for a second before she snapped it shut. She hadn’t expected a question like that. “Well,” she said slowly, choosing her words, “you’ve been chasing your dreams, and I suppose I’m picky.”
Brit chuckled. “Fair enough. But don’t you think it might be more than that?”
Her heart pounded, and her palms grew damp. “What do you mean?”
Brit was silent for the longest time. His laser stare seemed to dig into her darkest secrets. “Maybe neither of us has found anything close to what you and I had.”
His words shocked her. Surely, he wasn’t saying what she thought he was saying. “We were kids, Brit. Immature. Horny. Selfish.”
He laughed. “Sure. I can’t argue with your list, Laney. But despite all that, we fell in love. You and I both knew it was something special. Yet I was too dumb to realize feelings like that were rare. I left without you.”
She swallowed. The lump of uncertainty in her throat didn’t budge. “You didn’t really have a choice. You wouldn’t be where you are today if you’d always second-guessed your priorities. I would have complicated your life.”
“And yet, here we are. Knowing that we missed out on something.”
Inside, she was shaking, torn between foolish hope and a dogged determination not to be stupid. Where was this going? “I don’t think it’s healthy to look back.”
