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We did have things to say to each other. I couldn’t avoid him wherever I went. Not to mention if today was anything to go by, he had no plans to make this easy on me.
I opened my mouth to speak but he got there before me.
‘Tell me you didn’t know this was exactly where we’d end up after that first day at the office.’
Opening my eyes with a frown, I unlocked the door and slowly opened it, peeking through the little space I’d allowed myself first.
‘What gibberish are you talking? Of course I didn’t know we’d end up here.’
He was standing there, with his hands in his pant pockets, still wearing the same suit he wore that day, but he looked messier. A little undone and roughed up at the edges as if he was nervous. As if I made him nervous.
True or not, the idea thrilled me.
I met his eyes and he let out a long breath and smiled as if seeing me – well, a small part of me – had made his day and night all the better. As if he hadn’t just spent the entire day working beside me.
‘Hello, Charlie,’ he murmured, his shoulders relaxing.
‘Hello,’ I returned. ‘How can I help you?’
His lips stretched into a smile and he never moved his eyes from mine, forcing me to keep the eye contact.
‘You can help me by inviting me inside.’
I thought about it, but there wasn’t much to think about. He was at my door, and my heart was beating in my throat.
Before I could say something witty, Pepp took it out of my hands by nosing the door open wider and getting all excited around the newcomer.
I had to pull back so both of them could come inside unless I was willing to leave my dog out, and I wasn’t willing to leave either one of them out now that he was here. William kneeled down so Pepp could be at eye level and show his excitement at seeing a friend more enthusiastically. He barked twice.
‘Hello to you too, Pepperoni,’ he replied, giving him a full rub-down.
I hung onto the door and waited for them while I considered what he thought we needed to talk about. We had kissed. It had been a spectacular kiss, but I think I was afraid to believe it could go any further than that. Not because I didn’t want him, but because I was scared to have the talk he wanted to have. But did it make my heart ache? The fact that I had to move and the one that got away could finally be mine after all these years, yet I couldn’t just let go and fall? Did I have to make a decision? I knew I did, but my heart… I wasn’t sure how to handle anything.
Eyes heavy on me, William straightened. Pepp made circles around him and started chattering away with soft growls and soft barks as he literally led him into our home.
‘You don’t say,’ William responded to the growls, eyes on me the entire time as he walked inside. ‘I was thinking the same thing.’
Pepp ran ahead and grabbed his favourite rope toy and was already playing with it. Probably hoping the guy who was standing right next to me would come and play too.
William pushed the door closed for me. I turned around and pulled at the hem of my tee-shirt as I walked the few steps to the kitchen.
‘Can I get you anything?’ From my peripheral vision I saw him pet Pepp’s head when he offered him his toy and then come straight towards me. ‘Water?’ I reached for a glass and decided to get myself some. ‘Or I have soda? I was about to start cooking so I don’t have too much time to talk, so whatever it wa—’
I stopped moving towards the fridge to get the water when I felt his body heat right behind me and my elbow bumped his hard stomach.
He grunted, and mortified I’d hurt him, I turned around, only to be imprisoned against his hard body and the counter behind my back. How did I keep finding myself in this position with this guy? I tried to let out a calming breath and stand taller. I looked straight into William’s eyes because I couldn’t not do it.
‘Pepp? You want some water?’ I asked, eyes still on him, and my beloved dog, the little traitor, was too busy snacking on his favourite toy to notice my predicament.
William just waited.
And waited.
‘So, no water for you either, I take it?’
He tilted his head, his lips so inviting as he gave me a small smile. Then he took another step into me and I had to grab the edge of the counter so I wouldn’t touch any part of his body. Which was pointless, since he was close enough that our chests were already touching and I was dying for him to kiss me, touch me.
