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His heart sped up when he heard Kiera’s laugh float from an office on the left. He followed the melodic sound at the same time fighting that ugly monster in his gut that held all his hurt. Stepping through the doorway of her office, he saw that she sat at a drafting table against the wall, concentrating on a building design she was working on. Her office partner, an architect he knew as Seth, sat at his desk looking at his computer and reciting a joke he was reading, presumably from a social media site.
Kiera glanced over at him; the surprise evident on her face was quickly replaced with the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen on her. “David, it’s so nice to see you here.” She stood from her drafting table and turned to Seth. “Seth, this is my … um, David. David, Seth.”
David moved forward to shake Seth’s hand. “We’re acquainted, Kiera. My offices are upstairs.”
“Good morning, David. Did you see the new equipment in the gym? I can’t wait to get up there later and test it out.”
Chuckling, he replied, “I did see it and tried it out this morning. You’re going to enjoy it.”
The sun streaming in through the windows created a glow on Kiera’s cheeks that made her more stunning than he’d remembered. “Kiera, I wondered if you had lunch plans for today?”
“Oops, okay, this is my cue to grab another cup of coffee. Nice seeing you, David.” Seth grabbed his empty cup from his desk and scooted out the door.
Kiera blushed and folded her hands together in front of her. “He’s very sweet and a nice office mate to have here. He keeps me laughing and doesn’t pry.”
“He’s always been nice when I’ve spoken to him.” He watched her twist her fingers together and bite her bottom lip, which was absolutely adorable.
“Lunch?”
“I’d like that. Thanks.”
The silence stretched on as they stared into each other’s eyes. She blinked and smiled. “I’ve met a new friend. I think she’s a friend, anyway. But she invited me to her house on Wednesday for a Stitch and Bitch.”
He cocked his head to the side and raised his brows. What on earth was this all about? “And that is?”
She laughed, and the things that did to his stomach were indescribable. “I guess we each bring something to drink and a craft project or something and we work on that while we chat.”
“I’m not sure if I should be horrified or happy for you. It sounds like maybe the bitching part is about men. Makes me shudder.”
She laughed again, and her hands flew to cover her mouth as her eyes grew big. “Oh, my God, I know. But … it’s nice to have friends. A friend.”
He stepped forward and touched her hair. The silky strands filtered through his fingers as his eyes sought hers. “Didn’t you have friends where you were living?”
She shook her head and swallowed. “Why not?” His thumb grazed her jaw.
He watched her swallow the lump in her throat. “I wasn’t … allowed.”
“Allowed?” He felt sucker-punched. Just what was this situation she’d been in? He beat her. Didn’t allow her to work or have friends. This asshole had to pay for all he’d done to her.
She titled her head down to the floor so he couldn’t see her face, but he felt a tear hit his hand and he sadly watched it slide down his palm to the floor. He tilted her face up to his with a soft urging under her chin.
“I think at lunch today we’ll keep it light, but I think at dinner tonight we need to have a serious conversation, yeah?”
8
Nervous. Excited. Queasy. And scared shitless is how she’d describe her feelings right now. Not scared like she’d always been with Nicholas but scared as in, this would be the biggest test of all. She needed to make David understand that she’d left him to protect him, not because of her father or because of any feelings for Nicholas. The only feelings she’d ever had for him were fear and loathing. Even when he’d gotten her pregnant. She loved Vanessa with her whole heart, from the day she’d found out she was pregnant.
It’s about time you got pregnant. I don’t fuck you because I enjoy your crying and fucking a corpse. Since you’re my wife, you owe me certain things. Children is one of them, and it’s taken you a long fucking time to get knocked up. Make damned sure you don’t fuck anything up and lose this baby. You’ll pay dearly for it, Kiera.
Shaking the thoughts away, she shook her head and walked into her closet to look at her outfit in the full-length mirror. She’d remained thin as she aged. Mostly because Nicholas forbade her gaining any weight. She usually didn’t have much of an appetite around him, anyway. These past five years on her own, she simply fell into her usual routine and didn’t overeat or indulge in much. Her morning macchiato was her only splurge.
She smoothed the fabric of her ivory pencil dress with black lace insets at the sides. It was the most daring dress she’d ever owned. Sleeveless with a V neck, it didn’t show cleavage. Nicholas had called her a whore, pulled her hair and dragged her to the closet the first time she’d purchased a dress for a business dinner that showed a hint of cleavage. So, this was a “fuck you” to him and his control.
Her doorbell rang, and she let out a deep breath, switched off the light in the closet and practiced her walk, masking her limp, to greet David. The only man she’d ever loved in her life. She still loved him, though she wondered if it was the lingering untested feelings of the past or if she was capable of maintaining the love of decades ago. All she knew was that her heartbeat sped up when he was near. When he spoke, his voice felt like cuddling the warmest woolen blanket, and she felt safe in his presence. What she worried most about was being able to convey how much he still meant to her.
She huffed out a deep breath and opened the door. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in his silver and black hair gleaming in the overhead light in the hallway of her condo. He stood tall, his shoulders broad in the dark blue dress shirt he wore. Black jeans and boots finished off his look, and, man oh man, he looked delicious. He smelled of fresh shower and aftershave that reminded her of the great wide open—fresh and clean.
“David, you look fantastic.” Her voice was breathy. “Please, come in.” Stepping back, she allowed him the space to step inside. As he walked past her, she admired his strong back, lean torso, and his hands. His hands had always been sexy to her—strong, thick fingers and wrists. The power he held in his hands had always impressed her. And yet, he’d treated her heart as though he were cradling the tiniest baby.
