breasts. “All right.”
He knew he needed to go—get out of there, but his feet refused to move.
“Paul?”
“Yes?”
She laid her cup down on the counter, and stalked toward him. Okay, maybe stalked was too strong a word, but that was how he felt at the moment. His feet were glued to the floor by some unknown force, and she was walking toward him. His brain was telling him to run as fast as he could in the opposite direction, but his limbs weren’t cooperating.
Megan came to a stop in front of him. Without pause, she placed her right hand in the center of his chest, and met his gaze. “Why are you running away from me?”
He swallowed. “I’m not.”
By the look in her eyes, she knew he was lying. “Yes, you are.”
“Megan . . .”
“Paul.”
Wrapping his fingers around her wrist, he removed her hand from his chest, and took a step back. “I told you last night that this couldn’t happen, and I meant it.”
“I’m not agreeing to that.” He could hear the stubborn determination in her voice.
“You’re going to have to.”
“Why? Give me one good reason why this can’t happen.”
Her eyes were fierce. He could see the fight in her. “I’m still in love with my wife. I can’t . . . I can’t give you anything.”
Megan’s eyes softened a little. “I know you still love Melissa.”
“Good. Then you understand why nothing can happen between us.”
She stepped closer, eating up the space he’d put between them. “No. I don’t. Why does that mean you can’t give me anything?”
Megan leaned forward, brushing her breasts against his chest, causing him to suck in a breath. “What are you doing?”
“Proving a point.”
“Which is?”
She looked up at him. “You want me, Paul Daniels, whether you want to admit it or not.”
Before he could respond, Megan leaned back, gave him a coy smile, and slid around him. She disappeared up the stairs, leaving him dumbfounded. He didn’t want another relationship. Not with Megan. Not with any woman.
He did want her, though. She was right about that. Or at least, his body did. The evidence was visible if anyone happened to walk into the kitchen at that moment.
But it didn’t change anything.
Leaning his head back against the wall, Paul took several deep breaths until he felt his body was back under control. Work. That was what he needed to take his mind off Megan and whatever was happening between them. There was a serial killer out there, and he knew from experience that whoever it was wouldn’t stop until they were caught.
Before his thoughts were invaded once again by Megan, Paul raced up the stairs to get ready for work. Megan was young. She probably just had a crush on him or something. It would pass.
He repeated that mantra all the way to the station, trying to convince himself that it was true. Paul didn’t want to think about what it would mean if it wasn’t. Megan lived in his house, and he hadn’t been with a woman in nearly five years. He didn’t know how long he’d be able to resist her temptations. Paul didn’t want to hurt her. He cared about Megan, but he also knew he could never give her anything more than his body, and she deserved so much more than that.
Chapter 6
Paul breathed a sigh of relief when he entered the station. People were milling around, going about their tasks even at the early hour. It was familiar. Safe.
He bristled. Safe. Since when had that become what was most important to him? He used to be willing to take risks. Used to do it all the time for his job. How many people had told him and Melissa that they would never last, yet they’d been married for more than ten years when that drunk driver ran her off the road. More than that, they’d been happily married. With a newborn baby.
Chloe had changed things for them, but not in a bad way. They’d cherished the little girl who had blessed their lives. Melissa had difficulties getting pregnant, but after five
He knew he needed to go—get out of there, but his feet refused to move.
“Paul?”
“Yes?”
She laid her cup down on the counter, and stalked toward him. Okay, maybe stalked was too strong a word, but that was how he felt at the moment. His feet were glued to the floor by some unknown force, and she was walking toward him. His brain was telling him to run as fast as he could in the opposite direction, but his limbs weren’t cooperating.
Megan came to a stop in front of him. Without pause, she placed her right hand in the center of his chest, and met his gaze. “Why are you running away from me?”
He swallowed. “I’m not.”
By the look in her eyes, she knew he was lying. “Yes, you are.”
“Megan . . .”
“Paul.”
Wrapping his fingers around her wrist, he removed her hand from his chest, and took a step back. “I told you last night that this couldn’t happen, and I meant it.”
“I’m not agreeing to that.” He could hear the stubborn determination in her voice.
“You’re going to have to.”
“Why? Give me one good reason why this can’t happen.”
Her eyes were fierce. He could see the fight in her. “I’m still in love with my wife. I can’t . . . I can’t give you anything.”
Megan’s eyes softened a little. “I know you still love Melissa.”
“Good. Then you understand why nothing can happen between us.”
She stepped closer, eating up the space he’d put between them. “No. I don’t. Why does that mean you can’t give me anything?”
Megan leaned forward, brushing her breasts against his chest, causing him to suck in a breath. “What are you doing?”
“Proving a point.”
“Which is?”
She looked up at him. “You want me, Paul Daniels, whether you want to admit it or not.”
Before he could respond, Megan leaned back, gave him a coy smile, and slid around him. She disappeared up the stairs, leaving him dumbfounded. He didn’t want another relationship. Not with Megan. Not with any woman.
He did want her, though. She was right about that. Or at least, his body did. The evidence was visible if anyone happened to walk into the kitchen at that moment.
But it didn’t change anything.
Leaning his head back against the wall, Paul took several deep breaths until he felt his body was back under control. Work. That was what he needed to take his mind off Megan and whatever was happening between them. There was a serial killer out there, and he knew from experience that whoever it was wouldn’t stop until they were caught.
Before his thoughts were invaded once again by Megan, Paul raced up the stairs to get ready for work. Megan was young. She probably just had a crush on him or something. It would pass.
He repeated that mantra all the way to the station, trying to convince himself that it was true. Paul didn’t want to think about what it would mean if it wasn’t. Megan lived in his house, and he hadn’t been with a woman in nearly five years. He didn’t know how long he’d be able to resist her temptations. Paul didn’t want to hurt her. He cared about Megan, but he also knew he could never give her anything more than his body, and she deserved so much more than that.
Chapter 6
Paul breathed a sigh of relief when he entered the station. People were milling around, going about their tasks even at the early hour. It was familiar. Safe.
He bristled. Safe. Since when had that become what was most important to him? He used to be willing to take risks. Used to do it all the time for his job. How many people had told him and Melissa that they would never last, yet they’d been married for more than ten years when that drunk driver ran her off the road. More than that, they’d been happily married. With a newborn baby.
Chloe had changed things for them, but not in a bad way. They’d cherished the little girl who had blessed their lives. Melissa had difficulties getting pregnant, but after five
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