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He nodded, and I headed behind the counter to open the door to the back room. My stomach fluttered with excitement. I placed my palm over it to calm it to no avail. I took a deep breath. My brain screamed a warning that I was treading into dangerous territory, but my heart and body charged forward.
God, I felt alive in a way I hadn’t in a long, long time.
He sat at the table drumming his fingers on my pile of notes, his dark eyebrows drawn together. He smiled at me when I sat down across from him, and I pushed his drink across the table towards him.
He glanced at the pile and frowned. “I wish you’d let me help you with this.”
“I will,” I nodded. His face lit up, but I raised my palms and shook my head, realizing he thought I had decided to go with his company. “I don’t want to depend on you entirely. I’ve made an appointment, but I’d like to be able to bounce things off you.”
His eyes flickered with something akin to unease, and I rushed to reassure him. “If it’s awkward for you, I understand. I don’t want to put you in a position where you feel uncomfortable.”
He took my hands across the table and looked at me, his dark eyes intense, his face serious. “Ruby, I’d do anything for you. I will do anything for you. I’m all yours.”
I moved to pull my hands away, but he held fast. A memory struck me. It was at this very table where I pulled my hands away from Drew’s in much the same way. Some latent instinct warned me not to make the same mistake again.
I relaxed my hands in Vander’s grip and his expression softened.
I affected him.
My stomach dipped and my heart fluttered in my chest like a bird in a cage. I wrapped my fingers around his and his entire countenance warmed.
The flush of pleasure that washed over me warmed my chest and creeped up my neck to my face. I dipped my chin but couldn’t stop my smile.
He stroked my palm with his long fingers and brushed his thumb gently over the back of my hand. His touch felt both new and familiar.
I wondered how we would be together after so many years. I imagined his fingertips trailing across my throat, down between my breasts, over my tummy…my lips parted, and I drew in a quick breath.
He chuckled. “Oh, Ruby. You never could hide what you were thinking. I cannot wait to get you under me.”
My head snapped up, and I scanned his face nervously. His smile warmed me. He gave my hands a reassuring squeeze.
“Stay with me, here, baby. Don’t get scared,” he coached.
I nodded. “I’m trying.”
His lips split into a huge grin, his bearded cheeks creasing. “Ah, Ruby-mine, thank you.” He leaned in and pinned me beneath his dark gaze. “You’ll be okay. You’ll be more than okay. I promise you, koukla.”
I nodded hesitantly. Was I ready to take a chance? Was it as great a risk as I was making it out to be?
Yes. Yes, it was. Something might happen to George, and Vander would be off like a shot. His business might fail, and he could decide to move back to B.C. His parents might become ill, and he could leave to care for them.
There were so many reasons, good ones, for him to leave, and only one reason for him to stay. Me. I’d never been enough before, had anything really changed?
Protecting myself by walking away seemed like the more prudent choice, but there was risk in that as well. I would not survive seeing him with someone else. I knew he wouldn’t continue to live like a monk if I shut this down.
Trapped between Scylla’s rock and Charybdis, the beast and the storm, no way out but through, and no sure way to protect my heart… or my mental health.
He broke into my thoughts. “Will you go out with me tomorrow?”
Go out with him? I reined in my catastrophic thoughts and remembered the meeting tomorrow. I briefly considered telling him about it, but decided I wanted to do it on my own this time. Going to the meeting would be enough excitement for me for one day.
“I can’t tomorrow,” I said slowly, “but I could swing Wednesday or Thursday if you’re available.”
“I’m available, Ruby, anytime, any place, for anything, for you.”
I flushed with pleasure. A warning flashed in the background of my thoughts, but I tuned it out. Maybe, just maybe, this was our time. It wasn’t like I could avoid him forever. I’m sure I could send him away, but then I’d be risking running into him in town with someone else. If there’s one thing that would send me back into the house for good, it might be that.
Vander
