shutdown the pity party to focus on the here and now, and the one positive he could see in all of this: Kat’s guy never went up to her apartment; she’d waved him off in a taxi both nights. Tucker had pinned his hopes on her doing the same tonight. He’d convinced himself there was a chance this guy wasn’t anybody serious—yet.
Christ, he needed that to be true.
He scanned across the street. Then she rounded the corner. His nervous pacing halted as he slid into the shadows and onto a bench sitting under a burnt-out lamppost.
The pressure mounted in his throat about how this night would end.
The beautiful couple held hands, laughed, and cozied up to one another in the cool night air. Tucker’s stomach tightened and his lungs stopped midbreath from the sight of her, like the other times, and like the first time six months ago. His eyes roamed to her long, shapely legs, teasing and tormenting him with the memories of having been wrapped around his body. Then his attention traveled higher. Her hair longer, layers bouncing. The evening breeze kicked up, swept some strands across her face, and her date tucked the flyaways behind her ear. Tucker’s heart squeezed into a hard knot. He knew that guy was Kat’s type—not him—or at least that’s what she believed. He sighed, knowing he had his work cut out for him.
He hoped six months had been enough of a cooling-off period for her. Hoped she would at least hear him out now. He hated like hell what had happened between them. Well, only hated what had happened the next day. He wasn’t expecting a warm reception tonight, just a chance, an opportunity to say his peace, and see if it made any difference, any at all.
He would man-up tonight. He would be the man he should’ve been the first time.
At forty-one, Tucker had been around the block a few times. A serious relationship or two, girlfriends here and there, but not one of those women had stood out like Kat James. Not one had left the impression on him she had, and he wanted to know why. The last time he’d left the Big Apple, he’d had his tail between his legs. This time it wouldn’t end that way.
However it ended.
Kat and her date wrapped themselves up in each other, kissing and hugging. Then the guy shuffled her back into the shadows for some privacy. Things had heated up. Tucker white-knuckled the bench seat. He closed his eyes and dropped his head. Don’t let him up, Kat. Don’t. Not tonight . After holding his breath for a bit, Tucker glanced up at the sound of her voice. The brake lights of a taxi flashed, then a door shut. Kat stood across the street by herself, watching the cab as it pulled away from the curb. She stayed rooted for a moment, her fingers brushing across her lips as if she questioned her decision, and then shook her head.
He pushed to his feet as she headed up the stairs to her third-floor walk-up.
With long, purposeful strides, Tucker made quick work of crossing the narrow street. His heart raced, but his mind cleared the closer he got to her. Keys rattled as she readied to unlock the door.
“Kathryn James.”
She stiffened, dropping the keys in a loud clatter on the concrete stoop.
Tentatively, he moved up a few steps. She knelt to retrieve her keys and then swung around to glare down at him. The sway of tree branches mixed with the dim streetlight painted animated shadows across Kat’s face, cloaked the mood harbored in her eyes but not in her self-assured posture. He climbed a few more steps toward her. She appeared calm, passing cool judgment.
She scrutinized him from head to toe.
“Is this a bad dream? Or a bad joke?”
He flinched at her harsh tone, knew he had it coming—and a lot more. Now he wondered if six months had been long enough. Maybe there was no such thing.
“I was hopin’ we could talk, Kat. Maybe you’d let me buy you a coffee or ...” He stopped short. Thought it best to hold his words based on her unfavorable expression.
“Why would I do
Christ, he needed that to be true.
He scanned across the street. Then she rounded the corner. His nervous pacing halted as he slid into the shadows and onto a bench sitting under a burnt-out lamppost.
The pressure mounted in his throat about how this night would end.
The beautiful couple held hands, laughed, and cozied up to one another in the cool night air. Tucker’s stomach tightened and his lungs stopped midbreath from the sight of her, like the other times, and like the first time six months ago. His eyes roamed to her long, shapely legs, teasing and tormenting him with the memories of having been wrapped around his body. Then his attention traveled higher. Her hair longer, layers bouncing. The evening breeze kicked up, swept some strands across her face, and her date tucked the flyaways behind her ear. Tucker’s heart squeezed into a hard knot. He knew that guy was Kat’s type—not him—or at least that’s what she believed. He sighed, knowing he had his work cut out for him.
He hoped six months had been enough of a cooling-off period for her. Hoped she would at least hear him out now. He hated like hell what had happened between them. Well, only hated what had happened the next day. He wasn’t expecting a warm reception tonight, just a chance, an opportunity to say his peace, and see if it made any difference, any at all.
He would man-up tonight. He would be the man he should’ve been the first time.
At forty-one, Tucker had been around the block a few times. A serious relationship or two, girlfriends here and there, but not one of those women had stood out like Kat James. Not one had left the impression on him she had, and he wanted to know why. The last time he’d left the Big Apple, he’d had his tail between his legs. This time it wouldn’t end that way.
However it ended.
Kat and her date wrapped themselves up in each other, kissing and hugging. Then the guy shuffled her back into the shadows for some privacy. Things had heated up. Tucker white-knuckled the bench seat. He closed his eyes and dropped his head. Don’t let him up, Kat. Don’t. Not tonight . After holding his breath for a bit, Tucker glanced up at the sound of her voice. The brake lights of a taxi flashed, then a door shut. Kat stood across the street by herself, watching the cab as it pulled away from the curb. She stayed rooted for a moment, her fingers brushing across her lips as if she questioned her decision, and then shook her head.
He pushed to his feet as she headed up the stairs to her third-floor walk-up.
With long, purposeful strides, Tucker made quick work of crossing the narrow street. His heart raced, but his mind cleared the closer he got to her. Keys rattled as she readied to unlock the door.
“Kathryn James.”
She stiffened, dropping the keys in a loud clatter on the concrete stoop.
Tentatively, he moved up a few steps. She knelt to retrieve her keys and then swung around to glare down at him. The sway of tree branches mixed with the dim streetlight painted animated shadows across Kat’s face, cloaked the mood harbored in her eyes but not in her self-assured posture. He climbed a few more steps toward her. She appeared calm, passing cool judgment.
She scrutinized him from head to toe.
“Is this a bad dream? Or a bad joke?”
He flinched at her harsh tone, knew he had it coming—and a lot more. Now he wondered if six months had been long enough. Maybe there was no such thing.
“I was hopin’ we could talk, Kat. Maybe you’d let me buy you a coffee or ...” He stopped short. Thought it best to hold his words based on her unfavorable expression.
“Why would I do
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