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Hailey was gathering her things together when Callum re-entered the lounge room. He stood in the doorway and watched her, not sure what to say now they were alone. One thing was certain, they sure couldn’t leave it like it was. ‘You’re leaving.’
Hailey looked at him. ‘I think that’s best.’
‘I’m sorry about earlier. I don’t know what happened. How it got so out of hand so…quickly.’
She shrugged. ‘Melancholy. We’ve been through the mill a bit, you and me. ‘
It hadn’t felt very melancholic to him. ‘Is that it? Is that all?’ It wasn’t wise, it wasn’t what he needed—but he wanted her anyway.
She sat on the lounge, staring at her lap. Of course it wasn’t. But what other explanation could there be as to how could things have got so serious in a week? OK, yes, she had known at the ball that he was something special. But that had been a reaction to his sheer physicality.
What she had felt tonight, when he’d been talking about Annie and Tom, and yesterday, when he’d helped her with Henry, was an entirely different kettle of fish. That had been much, much worse than a physical pull. There had to be a simple explanation for it.
‘What do you want from me, Callum? You want me to admit I’m attracted to you? Fine, I’m attracted to you.’ It seemed pointless to deny what they both knew.
He pushed away from the doorframe and made his way closer, only the coffee-table separating them. He sighed. ‘The feeling is entirely mutual.’
Hailey nodded. So why did he look as miserable as she felt? ‘It’s still not going to work.’
‘I know. My priority has to be Tom. I’m all he’s got.’ And the truth was he didn’t know how to be a dad to Tom and date at the same time when work and Tom took up all his time before he collapsed into bed in a tired heap at eight-thirty each night. He didn’t lead a very thrilling life. What could he offer her?
‘Of course he should be. I’d think less of you if he wasn’t. Tom still needs you—a lot. Anything we do is going to affect him. It wouldn’t be fair on him to start something, to get his hopes up, to have them dashed if it didn’t work out. We don’t have the freedom to make mistakes and fight and make up and feel our way and then decide it wasn’t right to start with. And I’ve just come through a relationship that, frankly, sucked the soul out of me. I’m a little damaged. Not good relationship material.’
‘I think we’re a both a little damaged in that department,’ Callum murmured, burying his hands in his pockets.
Hailey nodded. Right. She’d be especially foolish to get involved with another man who was still in love with his wife. His dead wife. Competing with an ex had been hard enough. Competing against a perfect memory?
She looked up at him. They both had issues that made an involvement problematic. And hadn’t they had enough of problematic? Didn’t they both deserve a stretch of easy? She stood. ‘I’d better go.’
Callum nodded. ‘Thank you for tonight. For filling in on such short notice.’
Hailey swallowed, hating the strained formality of his voice. Had it only been an hour ago it had been husky and rich with desire? She picked up her bag. ‘You’re welcome,’ she murmured.
Callum followed her as she limped out, and Hailey was excruciatingly aware of him, of his heat enveloping her in its seductive embrace. She reached for the doorhandle, her hand trembling. The door resisted being opened and she realised it was locked.
‘Let me.’ Callum reached around her and slowly flipped the lock.
Hailey stood very still while he did it, his body almost pressed against hers. He lifted his hand from the door and placed it on her shoulder, his thumb lightly caressing the skin of her nape. ‘I wasn’t expecting this, Hailey. I wasn’t on the lookout for someone.’
Hailey shut her eyes for a few seconds, almost leaning into his touch, almost resting back against him. She shrugged, looking at him. ‘Neither was I.’ She dragged in a ragged breath and opened the door. ‘Goodnight,’ she croaked, escaping into the corridor.
It was hard, going back to work after her days off. Hailey dreaded the moment she’d run into Callum again. She knew she was going to have to get used to it. That unless she left and went to work somewhere else, she was bound to run into him most days.
But she wasn’t going to let her impossible attraction to him dictate the course of her life. She wasn’t going to run like she’d run from London. Find another job where they’d never cross paths. Look for another apartment far away from his.
