past. And it drove him crazy
knowing that though Trevor thought Banks had done the right thing,
in reality he’d merely given the Banks family the best public face
while privately making Lissa as miserable as possible.
“I’m sorry,” she said in a broken voice.
“I know you are.” He turned her around,
forcing her to look at him. “And so am I, sweetheart. So am I.”
She sniffed. “Really?”
He nodded. “We share the blame for what
happened. Hell, I realize now I bear most of it. If I hadn’t agreed
to split up, you’d never have been with him.” Trevor knew that now
as well as he knew his own name.
Her eyes shone with surprise and gratitude.
“Thank you for that,” she said, yet she moved out of his
embrace.
In front of his eyes, she mentally and
emotionally pulled herself together, internalizing the emotions
she’d allowed to surface. “I’m glad we finally talked about this.
I’m glad we had ... closure.”
Trevor blinked in shock at her stark words
and suddenly cool tone. He’d thought he needed closure, too. No
longer. Yet somehow she’d decided they’d wrapped things up between
them in a nice bow.
But as far as he was concerned, things were
even messier now than they’d been before. Because Trevor knew what
meaningless sex was like—and what he and Lissa shared was a hell of
a lot more. No way was he willing to let her just walk out of his
life as if last night meant nothing.
“I don’t know where you got the idea that
last night was about closure,” he said, folding his arms across his
chest as he faced her down. “News flash, sweetheart. We’re not
close to over.”
Lissa blew out a long breath and stared at
him as if he’d gone mad. “So ... what? We’re going to be together
for another twenty-four hours, torture ourselves with what could
have been ... and then what? I’ll go back to Serendipity, to my
daughter—to Brad’s daughter,” she said bluntly. “And you’ll stay
here. Why prolong the agony?”
He couldn’t deny she had a point. When it
came to obstacles, they had plenty. Nor could he say he was ready
to deal with everything her real life had to offer, including her
daughter, her ex, and Serendipity.
“I don’t have all the answers,” he told her
honestly. “The only thing I do know is that if it’s going to hurt
that much to walk away, it means there’s something meaningful there
to begin with.” He held out his hands and waited, holding his
breath.
“Damn it, Trevor,” she muttered, and walked
into his waiting arms.
He held her close and suddenly her stomach
growled. He heard as well as felt the vibration and laughed.
“I’m hungry,” she said.
“Let’s go out and get breakfast.”
She stepped back and gestured to his
see-through shirt and her bare legs. “I have this and a formal
gown,” she reminded him.
“Personally, I like this.”
She wrinkled her nose at him and he laughed.
“Fine. Go shower. I’ll give you a heavier shirt and a pair of
sweats and socks to go back to the hotel in. You can change and
then we’ll go for breakfast. Better?”
She nodded. “Thanks.”
A few minutes later, she’d shut herself in
his bathroom and turned on the shower, while he lowered himself
onto his bed and groaned, running a hand through his already
messed-up hair.
He meant what he’d said a few minutes
earlier. He didn’t have any real answers for the future, but he’d
just bought himself twenty-four hours with Lissa.
For now, that was enough.
Chapter Five
Still stunned by their heart-to-heart and
the fact that Trevor wasn’t letting her just leave, Lissa found
herself sitting across from him at a small crepe place he said he
enjoyed. She ordered an apple cinnamon crepe and they ate in a
silence that was oddly companionable, considering the safe world
she lived in had crumbled around her. She was facing interminable
heartache and yet here she was, sitting across from him anyway.
“So what are your immediate job plans?”
knowing that though Trevor thought Banks had done the right thing,
in reality he’d merely given the Banks family the best public face
while privately making Lissa as miserable as possible.
“I’m sorry,” she said in a broken voice.
“I know you are.” He turned her around,
forcing her to look at him. “And so am I, sweetheart. So am I.”
She sniffed. “Really?”
He nodded. “We share the blame for what
happened. Hell, I realize now I bear most of it. If I hadn’t agreed
to split up, you’d never have been with him.” Trevor knew that now
as well as he knew his own name.
Her eyes shone with surprise and gratitude.
“Thank you for that,” she said, yet she moved out of his
embrace.
In front of his eyes, she mentally and
emotionally pulled herself together, internalizing the emotions
she’d allowed to surface. “I’m glad we finally talked about this.
I’m glad we had ... closure.”
Trevor blinked in shock at her stark words
and suddenly cool tone. He’d thought he needed closure, too. No
longer. Yet somehow she’d decided they’d wrapped things up between
them in a nice bow.
But as far as he was concerned, things were
even messier now than they’d been before. Because Trevor knew what
meaningless sex was like—and what he and Lissa shared was a hell of
a lot more. No way was he willing to let her just walk out of his
life as if last night meant nothing.
“I don’t know where you got the idea that
last night was about closure,” he said, folding his arms across his
chest as he faced her down. “News flash, sweetheart. We’re not
close to over.”
Lissa blew out a long breath and stared at
him as if he’d gone mad. “So ... what? We’re going to be together
for another twenty-four hours, torture ourselves with what could
have been ... and then what? I’ll go back to Serendipity, to my
daughter—to Brad’s daughter,” she said bluntly. “And you’ll stay
here. Why prolong the agony?”
He couldn’t deny she had a point. When it
came to obstacles, they had plenty. Nor could he say he was ready
to deal with everything her real life had to offer, including her
daughter, her ex, and Serendipity.
“I don’t have all the answers,” he told her
honestly. “The only thing I do know is that if it’s going to hurt
that much to walk away, it means there’s something meaningful there
to begin with.” He held out his hands and waited, holding his
breath.
“Damn it, Trevor,” she muttered, and walked
into his waiting arms.
He held her close and suddenly her stomach
growled. He heard as well as felt the vibration and laughed.
“I’m hungry,” she said.
“Let’s go out and get breakfast.”
She stepped back and gestured to his
see-through shirt and her bare legs. “I have this and a formal
gown,” she reminded him.
“Personally, I like this.”
She wrinkled her nose at him and he laughed.
“Fine. Go shower. I’ll give you a heavier shirt and a pair of
sweats and socks to go back to the hotel in. You can change and
then we’ll go for breakfast. Better?”
She nodded. “Thanks.”
A few minutes later, she’d shut herself in
his bathroom and turned on the shower, while he lowered himself
onto his bed and groaned, running a hand through his already
messed-up hair.
He meant what he’d said a few minutes
earlier. He didn’t have any real answers for the future, but he’d
just bought himself twenty-four hours with Lissa.
For now, that was enough.
Chapter Five
Still stunned by their heart-to-heart and
the fact that Trevor wasn’t letting her just leave, Lissa found
herself sitting across from him at a small crepe place he said he
enjoyed. She ordered an apple cinnamon crepe and they ate in a
silence that was oddly companionable, considering the safe world
she lived in had crumbled around her. She was facing interminable
heartache and yet here she was, sitting across from him anyway.
“So what are your immediate job plans?”
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