fully let go."
He leans back on the stool across from where I'm still standing beside the counter. "What if I don't want to let go of Coral?"
The words fall into the space between us and linger there. "I think you have to at some point, Clive."
"If I do that…" his voice trails as it cracks. He closes his eyes as he pulls in a heavy breath. "If I let go of her, no one will ever remember who she was."
I nod as I try to ward off the inevitable tears I feel flooding through me. "You'll always remember. It's impossible to forget."
Chapter 15
His hands cradle my face as he brushes a stray tear from my cheek with his thumb. "You understand what I feel, Lilly. No one ever has before."
"I know," I say out of a need to express something. He'd pulled me close to him after I started to cry. He didn't say a word. Instead he'd held me against his strong chest while I sobbed for what felt like endless moments. It couldn't have been longer than two or three minutes but the closeness is enough to remind me that I want more than I'm ever going to be able to have with him.
"I really want to kiss you." His eyes lock on my lips. "I've wanted to kiss you for days."
My body is craving the very same thing but if I give in to the want, I'll risk exposing more of myself to a man I'm not sure I can trust. "I can't kiss you."
His lips brush softly over my forehead. "I know that you can't."
I feel bereft at the words wishing in some way that he'd have pushed the issue more. My resistance is waning after listening to him talk about his family. I feel a connection to him that transcends the common denominator of the losses we've both suffered. "I'm tired. I think you should go."
I see his chest heave as he absorbs my words. I doubt that he thought that our deeply emotional conversation would lead to anything intimate. I feel as though I've been put through the paces of a triathlon race. I'm bruised and battered and in need of the comfort and solace of my lumpy new bed. I crave sleep and the escape it's always offered to me.
"Will you have dinner with me tomorrow?" He runs his thumb over my bottom lip. "Let me show you that I respect you, Lilly. Please give me another chance."
My better judgment wants me to tell him that there's no chance that anything will ever happen between us again. I know that it's the safe and logical thing for me to say to him but something has shifted. It may be because of his confession about not wanting another man to touch me. It's likely that it has more to do with our shared moment of grief. Regardless, I know that I'll regret it if I don't at least have dinner with him. "Dinner will work."
The corners of his lush lips pull up into a small grin. "I won't blow it this time."
"It's only dinner." I pull back from his touch. "I just want it to be dinner."
"Dinner is a start." He leans forward to kiss me gently on my cheek. "I'll pick you up at eight."
***
"Do you wear those at your new job?"
"Wear what?" I pull my gaze from the passing view outside the car window to look at him. My breath had caught when I'd walked about the front door of my apartment building to see him waiting in a navy blue suit. I doubt that I'll ever meet a man as devastatingly handsome as him again in my life.
"These." His hand brushes over my right leg, skimming the lace edge of the black thigh high stocking.
I push back into the car seat. I feel my cheeks flush at the knowledge that the driver sitting just a few feet in front of us could have easily gotten a glimpse of the top of my stockings when I slid into the car. I need to start looking down at my lap more.
"Do you dress like that when you go to work?" He can't contain his wide grin.
I twist slightly on my ass, giving me enough room to pull the hem of the dress back down to a decent level. "I wear them there, yes."
"Jesus." He shakes his head. "Thank Christ Hughes is getting married."
I can't help but laugh. I'd met the woman Alec Hughes was crazy about just
He leans back on the stool across from where I'm still standing beside the counter. "What if I don't want to let go of Coral?"
The words fall into the space between us and linger there. "I think you have to at some point, Clive."
"If I do that…" his voice trails as it cracks. He closes his eyes as he pulls in a heavy breath. "If I let go of her, no one will ever remember who she was."
I nod as I try to ward off the inevitable tears I feel flooding through me. "You'll always remember. It's impossible to forget."
Chapter 15
His hands cradle my face as he brushes a stray tear from my cheek with his thumb. "You understand what I feel, Lilly. No one ever has before."
"I know," I say out of a need to express something. He'd pulled me close to him after I started to cry. He didn't say a word. Instead he'd held me against his strong chest while I sobbed for what felt like endless moments. It couldn't have been longer than two or three minutes but the closeness is enough to remind me that I want more than I'm ever going to be able to have with him.
"I really want to kiss you." His eyes lock on my lips. "I've wanted to kiss you for days."
My body is craving the very same thing but if I give in to the want, I'll risk exposing more of myself to a man I'm not sure I can trust. "I can't kiss you."
His lips brush softly over my forehead. "I know that you can't."
I feel bereft at the words wishing in some way that he'd have pushed the issue more. My resistance is waning after listening to him talk about his family. I feel a connection to him that transcends the common denominator of the losses we've both suffered. "I'm tired. I think you should go."
I see his chest heave as he absorbs my words. I doubt that he thought that our deeply emotional conversation would lead to anything intimate. I feel as though I've been put through the paces of a triathlon race. I'm bruised and battered and in need of the comfort and solace of my lumpy new bed. I crave sleep and the escape it's always offered to me.
"Will you have dinner with me tomorrow?" He runs his thumb over my bottom lip. "Let me show you that I respect you, Lilly. Please give me another chance."
My better judgment wants me to tell him that there's no chance that anything will ever happen between us again. I know that it's the safe and logical thing for me to say to him but something has shifted. It may be because of his confession about not wanting another man to touch me. It's likely that it has more to do with our shared moment of grief. Regardless, I know that I'll regret it if I don't at least have dinner with him. "Dinner will work."
The corners of his lush lips pull up into a small grin. "I won't blow it this time."
"It's only dinner." I pull back from his touch. "I just want it to be dinner."
"Dinner is a start." He leans forward to kiss me gently on my cheek. "I'll pick you up at eight."
***
"Do you wear those at your new job?"
"Wear what?" I pull my gaze from the passing view outside the car window to look at him. My breath had caught when I'd walked about the front door of my apartment building to see him waiting in a navy blue suit. I doubt that I'll ever meet a man as devastatingly handsome as him again in my life.
"These." His hand brushes over my right leg, skimming the lace edge of the black thigh high stocking.
I push back into the car seat. I feel my cheeks flush at the knowledge that the driver sitting just a few feet in front of us could have easily gotten a glimpse of the top of my stockings when I slid into the car. I need to start looking down at my lap more.
"Do you dress like that when you go to work?" He can't contain his wide grin.
I twist slightly on my ass, giving me enough room to pull the hem of the dress back down to a decent level. "I wear them there, yes."
"Jesus." He shakes his head. "Thank Christ Hughes is getting married."
I can't help but laugh. I'd met the woman Alec Hughes was crazy about just
Similar Books
