faster, turning a corner to get her out of sight.
Damn her.
Damn everything about her.
He didn’t need this. He didn’t need her problems or her flippant, side-winding emotions. The ones that sucked him to her like a magnet then shot him apart like a grenade. He didn’t need her taunting his desire with those thin, lacy bras and hip curving sweaters, then shattering him with those off-handed comments and icy cold responses.
Rachel Foster was insane. Why hadn’t he seen it before? And why, even now, did the thought of walking away from her leave his gut sick with regret?
He stopped in his tracks, realizing that he’d just walked at least three blocks and had left Rachel alone in the car, in a strange neighborhood he knew nothing about.
But he wasn’t ready to go back. He had no idea how he was going to explain his sudden departure, or what he was going to do with Rachel.
He needed a moment to regroup, and walking farther away wasn’t going to do him any good. He noticed a small cafe a few paces up and stepped over, taking one of the chairs. He needed to calm down. It was an innocent comment, one that shouldn’t have sent him reeling like he had.
But it did.
He took several deep breaths, trying to calm the fury, confusion, and desire that mixed like poison in his blood. He tried to sort out his thoughts, knowing that, in moments, he needed to head back to the car before she took off, leaving him frantic to find her.
He couldn’t let her do that, and a side of him knew that’s exactly what she’d do if he didn’t get back soon. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get a grip on his state and sort out his thoughts, when he heard the voice above him.
“I’m sorry, Travis. Please don’t be angry with me.”
He looked up to see those sweet green eyes welled with tears. Her hair sparkled like spun gold in the afternoon sun, casting a halo around her head. The fresh scent of lavender circled around him, encasing him in a fog of desire that somehow managed to calm his anger and confusion. He glanced away, feeling suddenly drained by the storm of rage that had just swept through him.
“Look,” she said. “You got your answer from Layla. You know why Carrie broke up with you. It wasn’t anything you did. You don’t need to go any further with this.” He heard the words, but they didn’t register. Holding his gaze on the storefront across the street, he asked, “How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“How do you get over the anger when you know it wasn’t their fault?” He heard her sigh as she lowered to the seat next to him. Quietly, she began, “You acknowledge it.
Then you realize that the feelings are normal. You accept that it doesn’t make you a bad person. You accept that it doesn’t mean you don’t still love the person, or miss them any less.” She smiled wryly. “That’s what the therapists say, at least. When I get over my anger, I’ll let you know how I did it.” He looked back to those glassy sage eyes and allowed himself to smile. “I overreacted.”
“Shh,” she said, pressing a finger to his lips.
Through her tender touch, her understanding words, he was overcome with the urge to kiss her again, but he held the impulse at bay. The woman was like a skittish little squirrel, the slightest wrong move sending her scampering away. And right now, he really wanted her by his side.
“We’re two broken souls, aren’t we, Rachel?”
She grinned and blinked, causing a small crystal tear to drop from her eye and catch between those long, feathery lashes. He lifted a finger and brushed it away, then took her hand in his.
“Come on, let’s go come up with a new plan,” he said.
Chapter Five
The drive back to the city was a quiet one. A calming one. Rachel leaned against her seat and shot a sideways glance at Travis. His eyes were on the road, and his strong hands held the steering wheel with the utmost of ease. Her gaze drifted lower, to his wide mouth and firm lips. No, soft
Damn her.
Damn everything about her.
He didn’t need this. He didn’t need her problems or her flippant, side-winding emotions. The ones that sucked him to her like a magnet then shot him apart like a grenade. He didn’t need her taunting his desire with those thin, lacy bras and hip curving sweaters, then shattering him with those off-handed comments and icy cold responses.
Rachel Foster was insane. Why hadn’t he seen it before? And why, even now, did the thought of walking away from her leave his gut sick with regret?
He stopped in his tracks, realizing that he’d just walked at least three blocks and had left Rachel alone in the car, in a strange neighborhood he knew nothing about.
But he wasn’t ready to go back. He had no idea how he was going to explain his sudden departure, or what he was going to do with Rachel.
He needed a moment to regroup, and walking farther away wasn’t going to do him any good. He noticed a small cafe a few paces up and stepped over, taking one of the chairs. He needed to calm down. It was an innocent comment, one that shouldn’t have sent him reeling like he had.
But it did.
He took several deep breaths, trying to calm the fury, confusion, and desire that mixed like poison in his blood. He tried to sort out his thoughts, knowing that, in moments, he needed to head back to the car before she took off, leaving him frantic to find her.
He couldn’t let her do that, and a side of him knew that’s exactly what she’d do if he didn’t get back soon. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get a grip on his state and sort out his thoughts, when he heard the voice above him.
“I’m sorry, Travis. Please don’t be angry with me.”
He looked up to see those sweet green eyes welled with tears. Her hair sparkled like spun gold in the afternoon sun, casting a halo around her head. The fresh scent of lavender circled around him, encasing him in a fog of desire that somehow managed to calm his anger and confusion. He glanced away, feeling suddenly drained by the storm of rage that had just swept through him.
“Look,” she said. “You got your answer from Layla. You know why Carrie broke up with you. It wasn’t anything you did. You don’t need to go any further with this.” He heard the words, but they didn’t register. Holding his gaze on the storefront across the street, he asked, “How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“How do you get over the anger when you know it wasn’t their fault?” He heard her sigh as she lowered to the seat next to him. Quietly, she began, “You acknowledge it.
Then you realize that the feelings are normal. You accept that it doesn’t make you a bad person. You accept that it doesn’t mean you don’t still love the person, or miss them any less.” She smiled wryly. “That’s what the therapists say, at least. When I get over my anger, I’ll let you know how I did it.” He looked back to those glassy sage eyes and allowed himself to smile. “I overreacted.”
“Shh,” she said, pressing a finger to his lips.
Through her tender touch, her understanding words, he was overcome with the urge to kiss her again, but he held the impulse at bay. The woman was like a skittish little squirrel, the slightest wrong move sending her scampering away. And right now, he really wanted her by his side.
“We’re two broken souls, aren’t we, Rachel?”
She grinned and blinked, causing a small crystal tear to drop from her eye and catch between those long, feathery lashes. He lifted a finger and brushed it away, then took her hand in his.
“Come on, let’s go come up with a new plan,” he said.
Chapter Five
The drive back to the city was a quiet one. A calming one. Rachel leaned against her seat and shot a sideways glance at Travis. His eyes were on the road, and his strong hands held the steering wheel with the utmost of ease. Her gaze drifted lower, to his wide mouth and firm lips. No, soft
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