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“You have a lot on your mind?” she asked, whirling around to glare at him. “We all have things weighing on us, Reynolds, but it doesn’t mean we can’t be civil to each other. Especially after— Never mind. Forget I said anything. See you tomorrow.” Before he could respond, she was out and slamming the door shut and racing up to the front of her building.
He clenched his jaw and stared ahead for a moment. It would probably be better for them both if he just pulled away, let things stay as they were, before they got into something that would only complicate things.
But…hell.
He hated to think that he might be causing her harm. He owed it at least to explain himself. He opened the door and got out, ignoring the water that was soaking his hair and shoulders and running down his face.
“Waverley,” he called out to her, but either she didn’t hear him through the pounding rain or she was purposely ignoring him as she opened the main door and disappeared inside the building.
He slammed his door and took off after her, her footsteps on the stairwell overhead telling him she was rushing up them with great urgency that only had him following just as fast.
She was at her door when he reached the landing. “Waverley,” he tried again.
“Just go, Reynolds. I’m tired.” She didn’t look up at him, her attention on the lock that, after a few more twists and an unusually hard kick on the door, clicked.
“We need to talk,” he said before she could open the door and disappear inside.
She whirled around to face him, and he could see the trail of water that dripped down her face, water that he knew wasn’t caused by the rain.
He’d done that. He’d caused those tears, and immediately he was filled with gut-wrenching regret.
“Now you want to talk?” she asked angrily as she slapped her tears away. “You’ve had all the time in the world to talk to me over the past few days, but instead you pushed me away. And now that I’m asking for some time to myself, you want to talk? Why is it that you think you can call the shots whenever you want without considering me or my feelings?”
He swallowed. “That’s fair. And if we go inside, maybe I can find a way to explain it.”
“Here is just fine,” she said stubbornly even as she trembled from the chill.
Tension was returning to his jawline as he gritted his teeth. “You’re soaked through and your lips are turning blue. You should at least dry off.”
“Last I checked I’m a fully grown woman who can make decisions for herself, thank you very much. Now, if you don’t mind,” she said, wiping away another tear.
“I’m sorry,” he said sharply then ran his hand through his wet hair. “You’re right. I have been pushing you away, and I am sorry if that has hurt you. It wasn’t my intention. But I was afraid that if I didn’t keep some distance, we’d lose…I’d lose control. I already took advantage of your vulnerability once, and I can’t risk that again.”
“Excuse me? You took advantage of my vulnerability? What are you saying? That you felt sorry for me and that’s why you slept with me?”
Holy hell, how was he making such a mess of this?
“No,” he said more forcibly, his voice carrying down the hall. “Pity was far from what I was feeling then or what I’m feeling now. All I have thought about since that night is how much I want to do it again, how much I want you in my arms, your lips pressed against mine, to hold you and show you how much you’ve come to mean to me.”
He was breathing hard now as he stared into those wide brown eyes that no longer stared back at him with hurt or anger or frustration but rather something more like hope. She opened her mouth to say something then stopped.
Oh, to hell with it.
He took the last step toward her just as she raised her head to meet his mouth as it came down, her arms around him, holding his waist as she clung to him like she didn’t want to let him go. The door was at her back, and he leaned her against it as he continued to kiss her, and his hands roamed the soft curves of her waist, her hips, and then up to the softness of her breasts as she sighed and moaned and clutched him closer.
This was all he wanted. Waverley in his arms. Now and maybe forever.
A door creaked open down the hall and they both froze. Suddenly, Waverley giggled and reached behind her to open the door and pull him inside. She looked up at him again, still smiling, but at seeing the intensity in his face as he stared at how beautiful she was, the smile disappeared.
Then she was back in his arms and he was kissing her again.
“You’re sure about this, Waverley?” he asked in between kisses.
“You can’t run again,” she said as he kissed her sweet mouth, then the crevice of her neck. “If we do this, we’re going to really do this. And we’re going to talk about it. About what it means when—” She sucked in her breath as his mouth dropped lower. “Tomorrow. We’re going to talk tomorrow.”
He nodded and looked into her eyes. “Tomorrow.”
Then through her protest, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to her bedroom, the aching need for her too much to carry on conversation.
