He watched Shawna slip from the bed and rush to the bathroom. She came back with a warm damp washcloth. He cleaned himself off and then looked over at her. A beaming smile lit up her eyes. Damn, she was beautiful. Not just her face. She had inner beauty, and it made her more attractive on the outside.
“You made quite a mess,” she said.
“It’s your fault.” With a gentle tackle, he rolled her onto her back, and she giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You know what the first thing on my to-do list is today?” he asked.
“What?”
“Buy condoms.”
****
They ordered breakfast from room service. Ryan dragged a table to the window and they ate in front of it, wrapped in the hotel’s white robes. While eating, they talked constantly. He found out that she’d acquired skills in visual merchandising and retail management that she planned to apply when she opened her own boutique one day.
She learned he had business aspirations, too. Bored, he’d dropped out of college and told his parents he wanted to make custom furniture. He’d always enjoyed earning extra money when he worked with his carpenter uncle. Later, he’d discovered that his true passion lay in building furniture.
At first his decision alarmed his parents. They’d wanted him to pursue a professional career, the same as his older brother, a successful attorney in Chicago.
Ryan knew he’d never be like his brother, and he’d been worried about disappointing his father and mother. They hadn’t been pleased with his decision and had sat him down for a serious conversation about the pros and cons of his plans.
Eventually, they’d accepted his choice, even if they didn’t approve. His father encouraged him to apprentice under a professional, which he’d been doing for the past few years. He’d already earned a reputation for quality work and filled side orders for a few customers.
In the midst of their conversation, Ryan’s phone rang. Shawna watched him leap up from the table and pull it from his pants on the floor. He stared down at the screen, and instead of answering it, he turned it off and stuck it back in his pocket.
“Why didn’t you answer it?” she asked.
He came back to the table and plopped into the chair across from her. “It was my brother.” He didn’t look at her; instead, he stabbed a piece of fruit with his fork.
“You should’ve talked to him,” Shawna said lightly. She watched closely, sensing a change in him. “He’s probably worried because you’ve been out all night in his clothes and his car.”
“He knows I’m a big boy and can take care of myself. I’ll call him later.” Popping a strawberry in his mouth, he finally looked at her and grinned.
The smile didn’t quite make it to his eyes this time.
He was lying.
Chapter Nine
Chicago, Sunday, six years ago
After taking a quick shower, Ryan dressed hurriedly in the bathroom. He’d only come back to change clothes and drop off his brother’s car. The past two days with Shawna had been the best days he could ever remember. At his request, she agreed to stay an extra day and fly back to South Carolina tomorrow.
He needed time to think because he hadn’t been able to get much thinking done while in her presence. He’d been so focused on her and how she made him feel.
When he’d told his brother about his feelings for her, he’d asked Ryan if he’d lost his mind. “You have to stop being so impulsive, Ryan. It’s exciting now, but how long will that last? You don’t even know her. Have your fun, but don’t throw away a solid relationship for some girl you met the other day.”
Ryan knew he simply didn’t understand. Shawna wasn’t some girl. He’d fallen for her.
As ridiculous as it sounded, he knew it was true. They’d only known each other a short time, but how else to explain this urgent need to get back to her? How else to explain the rush of excitement at the thought of laying eyes on her or the crush of pain he felt in his chest when he thought about her flying out of his life tomorrow?