that?”
“Well, I’m sure there’re things you’d like to say to me. And I deserve every one of them.” He slid his hands into his back pockets. He stood strong against her unrelenting stare, determined not to break away from it or cower underneath it. “I owe you at least that. I’m not in the habit of hurting women. It’s never been my style. There’s nothin’ good to be gained from it.”
“Right, Tucker. Nothing to be gained—except maybe a sweeter deal for you. Is that what you were after? A higher return on your investment? A bigger piece of my company? What?”
“I didn’t even think that far ahead, Kat. I knew you’d be pissed when you saw me that morning, and rightly so. But I was going to leave it up to you that day whether we moved forward with a deal. I’d done my homework. I already knew your company was a sound investment before the meeting. But I was more interested in you at that point than your business.”
She remained silent, the wheels in her head clearly grinding. Then her eyes softened, unless it was just wishful thinking on his part.
“What’re you doing here, Tucker? Really? Are you here on business?”
Before he could answer, a tenant shoved through the door, sidestepping them and bounding down the steps as a chatty group pushed by to enter the building. Her eyes continued to bore down into his. He decided to move up the last couple steps so they were level. Equals.
“Before you knew who I was, before I earned your contempt, weren’t you the least bit curious about me? Didn’t you want to know more about me?” Her features tightened in reflection. He chose to take her silence as progress. He knew damn well if she disagreed, she wouldn’t hold back.
“It doesn’t matter now, Tucker. There’s nowhere to go from where we started. We both know that.”
She was curious. He could hear it in her voice, see it in her eyes. His heart raced. He leaned closer and now he could smell her clean, sweet scent.
“Who says? We get to decide that, Kat. Nobody else.”
Her face remained placid, impenetrable.
“You never answered me. Are you here on business?”
He wanted to touch her, kiss her. Make her believe him.
Make her see him.
“No. I’m here for you.”
****
The moment his low rumble and distinct cadence rolled through her like thunder, her body had remembered, had unleashed the memories of him. Kat’s knees had almost buckled from the initial impact. Now, staring into his eyes, breathing in his masculine scent, feeling the heat from his body, she made a silent vow to remain focused and not act like a fool. Her head had a firm grip on the reins this time, not her hormones. She’d spent the last month getting to know a terrific man. A man for whom she had not once felt the hot spark of electricity, the sizzle of chemistry licking at her skin at this moment, and from the moment he’d said her name.
Her full name.
No one called her Kathryn, except her mother. For some reason, when he’d said it, she liked it. Wanted to hear it again. It’d all left her feeling angry and confused.
Why was life playing this joke on her?
“Why?” The one-word query asked as much to herself as to Tucker.
“Because I can’t forget you. I know I probably should, but I can’t. I’m tired of fightin’ it, Kat. I want to know why I can’t forget that night and everything leadin’ up to it.” Hope flickered in his eyes. “Can we go somewhere? A coffee shop, a diner? Hell, I don’t care, a park bench. I just want to talk to you. I want you to know who I am, and I want to know you. Please ?” His whisper held a hint of desperation.
The truth in his words was evident in the emotion crisscrossing the rugged planes of his face. He’d laid his cards on the table. There’d be no harm in hearing him out, right? She could speak her peace too. Maybe then she could move forward with Grant.
She looked away, cleared her throat, and nodded. “There’s an all-night diner
“Well, I’m sure there’re things you’d like to say to me. And I deserve every one of them.” He slid his hands into his back pockets. He stood strong against her unrelenting stare, determined not to break away from it or cower underneath it. “I owe you at least that. I’m not in the habit of hurting women. It’s never been my style. There’s nothin’ good to be gained from it.”
“Right, Tucker. Nothing to be gained—except maybe a sweeter deal for you. Is that what you were after? A higher return on your investment? A bigger piece of my company? What?”
“I didn’t even think that far ahead, Kat. I knew you’d be pissed when you saw me that morning, and rightly so. But I was going to leave it up to you that day whether we moved forward with a deal. I’d done my homework. I already knew your company was a sound investment before the meeting. But I was more interested in you at that point than your business.”
She remained silent, the wheels in her head clearly grinding. Then her eyes softened, unless it was just wishful thinking on his part.
“What’re you doing here, Tucker? Really? Are you here on business?”
Before he could answer, a tenant shoved through the door, sidestepping them and bounding down the steps as a chatty group pushed by to enter the building. Her eyes continued to bore down into his. He decided to move up the last couple steps so they were level. Equals.
“Before you knew who I was, before I earned your contempt, weren’t you the least bit curious about me? Didn’t you want to know more about me?” Her features tightened in reflection. He chose to take her silence as progress. He knew damn well if she disagreed, she wouldn’t hold back.
“It doesn’t matter now, Tucker. There’s nowhere to go from where we started. We both know that.”
She was curious. He could hear it in her voice, see it in her eyes. His heart raced. He leaned closer and now he could smell her clean, sweet scent.
“Who says? We get to decide that, Kat. Nobody else.”
Her face remained placid, impenetrable.
“You never answered me. Are you here on business?”
He wanted to touch her, kiss her. Make her believe him.
Make her see him.
“No. I’m here for you.”
****
The moment his low rumble and distinct cadence rolled through her like thunder, her body had remembered, had unleashed the memories of him. Kat’s knees had almost buckled from the initial impact. Now, staring into his eyes, breathing in his masculine scent, feeling the heat from his body, she made a silent vow to remain focused and not act like a fool. Her head had a firm grip on the reins this time, not her hormones. She’d spent the last month getting to know a terrific man. A man for whom she had not once felt the hot spark of electricity, the sizzle of chemistry licking at her skin at this moment, and from the moment he’d said her name.
Her full name.
No one called her Kathryn, except her mother. For some reason, when he’d said it, she liked it. Wanted to hear it again. It’d all left her feeling angry and confused.
Why was life playing this joke on her?
“Why?” The one-word query asked as much to herself as to Tucker.
“Because I can’t forget you. I know I probably should, but I can’t. I’m tired of fightin’ it, Kat. I want to know why I can’t forget that night and everything leadin’ up to it.” Hope flickered in his eyes. “Can we go somewhere? A coffee shop, a diner? Hell, I don’t care, a park bench. I just want to talk to you. I want you to know who I am, and I want to know you. Please ?” His whisper held a hint of desperation.
The truth in his words was evident in the emotion crisscrossing the rugged planes of his face. He’d laid his cards on the table. There’d be no harm in hearing him out, right? She could speak her peace too. Maybe then she could move forward with Grant.
She looked away, cleared her throat, and nodded. “There’s an all-night diner
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