details. “He’s marrying their landlady, right?”
“Yeah.” Brody raised his hand above his head, drawing my attention to the script on the underside of his bulging bicep. Carpe Diem . That had always been Brody’s motto.
Trying to think of something other than how good it had felt to be wrapped in those strong arms, I said, “Um, Skylar said her uncle was having some health problems a while back. He’s doing better now?”
“Yeah, touch wood,” he said, grinning as he rapped his knuckles against his head. “That alternative treatment Seb helped Sky get for him seems to be working.”
“That’s nice,” I said, a small smile tilting my lips. “It’s nice when people get a second chance, isn’t it?”
“It sure is,” he said, his voice husky.
The room suddenly had a charge that hadn’t been there before, and I wondered if now would be a good time to claim I had some work to finish up in my room. Being with him, when we were obviously still tempted to act on our impulses, was a bad idea.
“About that kiss last night,” he said, his eyes lingering on my lips.
“Forget about it,” I said, hoping he couldn’t see my heart pounding through my thin silk shirt.
“That’s just it—I can’t forget about it.”
Damn it. I should have escaped when I had the chance. “We shouldn’t have let that happen.”
“Really?” He licked his lips. “’Cause I was just thinking how much I’d like for it to happen again. And again.”
I tried to breathe, but short of drawing a deep gasping breath that would let him know I was about to snap, I couldn’t. “That would be a bad idea.” The devil who resided on my shoulder whenever Brody and I were in the same room screamed at me to shut up, but I powered on. “We shouldn’t get involved again. I know you’re just talking about sex, but—”
“It’s never been just sex with you, Ri. You know that.” His eyes traveled over my body as the outline of his arousal became evident. “Every time we were together, I was making love to you. Every inch of you.”
Oh God, now I really couldn’t breathe.
“Reminding you, in case you thought you could forget, no other man will ever love you the way I do.”
I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. To remind him he’d had his chance and blew it, but the words got trapped in my throat.
He leaned forward, resting his weight on one elbow. “Making love to me made you feel alive. You can’t deny that.”
He was right—I couldn’t. Since we stopped making love, I’d felt as if I was just going through the motions. Surviving but not really living. Which I was ashamed to admit, since I’d had another boyfriend, another lover, since Brody. Stephan was a good man… just not the man for me.
I was looking at the man for me. Too bad we couldn’t reconcile our differences and find common ground. Or forget years of hurt as though they’d never happened.
But that was too much to expect of my battered heart. It remembered everything he’d said and done. Every excuse he’d ever made when he couldn’t be with me. Every lie he’d ever told when he blew me off to gamble instead. Every special occasion he forgot because he was too drunk to remember. Every man he’d ever accused me of being with while in a fit of jealous rage. My heart remembered it all and wouldn’t let me forget. Ever.
Chapter Five
Brody
After a chaste kiss on the cheek, Riley retired to her bedroom, claiming she had work to do. And I was left alone on her couch to contemplate all the mistakes I’d made in my life.
A few years ago, I wouldn’t have been out here alone. I would have been curled up next to her, kissing her neck while my hand roamed her body, trying to convince her that her work could wait but I couldn’t. But that selfishness had landed me on this couch in the first place.
I stared at the silent picture flashing across the TV. There was an accident, a little mangled bike lying in the middle of the
“Yeah.” Brody raised his hand above his head, drawing my attention to the script on the underside of his bulging bicep. Carpe Diem . That had always been Brody’s motto.
Trying to think of something other than how good it had felt to be wrapped in those strong arms, I said, “Um, Skylar said her uncle was having some health problems a while back. He’s doing better now?”
“Yeah, touch wood,” he said, grinning as he rapped his knuckles against his head. “That alternative treatment Seb helped Sky get for him seems to be working.”
“That’s nice,” I said, a small smile tilting my lips. “It’s nice when people get a second chance, isn’t it?”
“It sure is,” he said, his voice husky.
The room suddenly had a charge that hadn’t been there before, and I wondered if now would be a good time to claim I had some work to finish up in my room. Being with him, when we were obviously still tempted to act on our impulses, was a bad idea.
“About that kiss last night,” he said, his eyes lingering on my lips.
“Forget about it,” I said, hoping he couldn’t see my heart pounding through my thin silk shirt.
“That’s just it—I can’t forget about it.”
Damn it. I should have escaped when I had the chance. “We shouldn’t have let that happen.”
“Really?” He licked his lips. “’Cause I was just thinking how much I’d like for it to happen again. And again.”
I tried to breathe, but short of drawing a deep gasping breath that would let him know I was about to snap, I couldn’t. “That would be a bad idea.” The devil who resided on my shoulder whenever Brody and I were in the same room screamed at me to shut up, but I powered on. “We shouldn’t get involved again. I know you’re just talking about sex, but—”
“It’s never been just sex with you, Ri. You know that.” His eyes traveled over my body as the outline of his arousal became evident. “Every time we were together, I was making love to you. Every inch of you.”
Oh God, now I really couldn’t breathe.
“Reminding you, in case you thought you could forget, no other man will ever love you the way I do.”
I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. To remind him he’d had his chance and blew it, but the words got trapped in my throat.
He leaned forward, resting his weight on one elbow. “Making love to me made you feel alive. You can’t deny that.”
He was right—I couldn’t. Since we stopped making love, I’d felt as if I was just going through the motions. Surviving but not really living. Which I was ashamed to admit, since I’d had another boyfriend, another lover, since Brody. Stephan was a good man… just not the man for me.
I was looking at the man for me. Too bad we couldn’t reconcile our differences and find common ground. Or forget years of hurt as though they’d never happened.
But that was too much to expect of my battered heart. It remembered everything he’d said and done. Every excuse he’d ever made when he couldn’t be with me. Every lie he’d ever told when he blew me off to gamble instead. Every special occasion he forgot because he was too drunk to remember. Every man he’d ever accused me of being with while in a fit of jealous rage. My heart remembered it all and wouldn’t let me forget. Ever.
Chapter Five
Brody
After a chaste kiss on the cheek, Riley retired to her bedroom, claiming she had work to do. And I was left alone on her couch to contemplate all the mistakes I’d made in my life.
A few years ago, I wouldn’t have been out here alone. I would have been curled up next to her, kissing her neck while my hand roamed her body, trying to convince her that her work could wait but I couldn’t. But that selfishness had landed me on this couch in the first place.
I stared at the silent picture flashing across the TV. There was an accident, a little mangled bike lying in the middle of the
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