them apart, whether it was her family or his.
But this Bane was difficult to deal with. Didn’t he understand it was not in his best interest to go anywhere with her?
Without saying anything else she walked away, leaving him standing in the middle of her living room while she went into the kitchen to check the locks on the back door. She needed time alone. Time away from him. His unexpected arrival had torpedoed her world.
As soon as she was out of his view, she leaned against the kitchen counter and released a sigh as blood pounded through her body. The man she’d loved was back after five years. One moment she’d been rushing around, trying to disappear, and the next she was opening the door for Bane. They had been separated for so long she’d thought... What?
That he wasn’t going to come for her. But if she’d really thought that then why hadn’t she gotten on with her life?
There were a lot of other whys she needed answered. Why had he decided to become a SEAL? Placing his life at risk with each mission? Better yet, why had he wanted to be involved in something that would keep him from her longer? And why had he shown up today of all days, when her normal life was turned upside down?
On top of everything else, he wanted to take over, as if he’d been here all the time. As if she didn’t know what she was doing. As if she hadn’t taken care of her own business for the past five years without him.
“Need help in there?” he called out.
Crystal gritted her teeth. “No, I’ve got this.” She crossed the kitchen floor to check the locks on the back door.
What did he expect of her? Of them?
And of all things, within ten minutes of being inside her house they had kissed. A kiss she’d initiated. He might have made the first move by lowering his head, but she had been the one to make the connection. The memory of their mouths locking and tongues tasting had her feeling all hot inside. It had definitely proved they were still attracted to each other. That kiss had snatched all her senses and made her weak in the knees. She was certain she could still taste him on her lips.
She pushed a strand of hair back from her face and walked out of the kitchen and stopped in the living room. Bane’s back was to her as he stood in front of her fireplace, staring at the framed photographs on her mantel. Except for one picture of her parents, all the rest were of him or of her and him. Most had been taken when they’d dated and the others when they’d eloped.
He turned around and their gazes met. She almost forgot to breathe. Was that heat in her stomach? And why was her heart beating a mile a minute? She drew in a deep breath wondering what he was thinking. Had he remembered each and every moment in those pictures? Did he remember how in love they’d been? Did he realize, married or not, they were different people now and needed to get to know each other all over again?
Should they?
Could they?
She broke eye contact to look at where her luggage had been. Then she glanced back at him. “You’ve taken my bags out already?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t hear anything. Not even the door open.”
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “That’s the way a SEAL operates.”
Oh, God. That smile was turning her insides to mush.
A part of her wanted to race across the room and throw herself in his arms like she used to do. But she couldn’t. As far as she was concerned, too much stood in the way, keeping them apart.
Five
“I was sorry to hear about your dad, Crystal,” Bane said, after easing the car onto the interstate. “Although the two of us never got along, he was still your father.”
He felt her gaze on him, and he wanted to take his eyes off the road and look at her but decided not to. She was gorgeous and every time he gazed at her he felt desire seep into his bones. He needed to keep his self-control so he could convince her that he was coming with her when she left town.
“Thanks.
But this Bane was difficult to deal with. Didn’t he understand it was not in his best interest to go anywhere with her?
Without saying anything else she walked away, leaving him standing in the middle of her living room while she went into the kitchen to check the locks on the back door. She needed time alone. Time away from him. His unexpected arrival had torpedoed her world.
As soon as she was out of his view, she leaned against the kitchen counter and released a sigh as blood pounded through her body. The man she’d loved was back after five years. One moment she’d been rushing around, trying to disappear, and the next she was opening the door for Bane. They had been separated for so long she’d thought... What?
That he wasn’t going to come for her. But if she’d really thought that then why hadn’t she gotten on with her life?
There were a lot of other whys she needed answered. Why had he decided to become a SEAL? Placing his life at risk with each mission? Better yet, why had he wanted to be involved in something that would keep him from her longer? And why had he shown up today of all days, when her normal life was turned upside down?
On top of everything else, he wanted to take over, as if he’d been here all the time. As if she didn’t know what she was doing. As if she hadn’t taken care of her own business for the past five years without him.
“Need help in there?” he called out.
Crystal gritted her teeth. “No, I’ve got this.” She crossed the kitchen floor to check the locks on the back door.
What did he expect of her? Of them?
And of all things, within ten minutes of being inside her house they had kissed. A kiss she’d initiated. He might have made the first move by lowering his head, but she had been the one to make the connection. The memory of their mouths locking and tongues tasting had her feeling all hot inside. It had definitely proved they were still attracted to each other. That kiss had snatched all her senses and made her weak in the knees. She was certain she could still taste him on her lips.
She pushed a strand of hair back from her face and walked out of the kitchen and stopped in the living room. Bane’s back was to her as he stood in front of her fireplace, staring at the framed photographs on her mantel. Except for one picture of her parents, all the rest were of him or of her and him. Most had been taken when they’d dated and the others when they’d eloped.
He turned around and their gazes met. She almost forgot to breathe. Was that heat in her stomach? And why was her heart beating a mile a minute? She drew in a deep breath wondering what he was thinking. Had he remembered each and every moment in those pictures? Did he remember how in love they’d been? Did he realize, married or not, they were different people now and needed to get to know each other all over again?
Should they?
Could they?
She broke eye contact to look at where her luggage had been. Then she glanced back at him. “You’ve taken my bags out already?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t hear anything. Not even the door open.”
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “That’s the way a SEAL operates.”
Oh, God. That smile was turning her insides to mush.
A part of her wanted to race across the room and throw herself in his arms like she used to do. But she couldn’t. As far as she was concerned, too much stood in the way, keeping them apart.
Five
“I was sorry to hear about your dad, Crystal,” Bane said, after easing the car onto the interstate. “Although the two of us never got along, he was still your father.”
He felt her gaze on him, and he wanted to take his eyes off the road and look at her but decided not to. She was gorgeous and every time he gazed at her he felt desire seep into his bones. He needed to keep his self-control so he could convince her that he was coming with her when she left town.
“Thanks.
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