“We can’t,” she said, as I pressed my body up against her so she could feel exactly what I meant when I said she still had an effect on me. Even though I wanted to, I couldn’t press her any further. I wouldn’t do that to her.
“No we can’t,” I said, taking a step back. I wasn’t going to be the other guy in this scenario and as much as I wanted to kiss her right there, I’d wait. “But we could. All you have to do is make a choice.” I took the ribbon from her hand and crouched down to retrieve the pushpin that had fallen to the floor. As I was standing back up, I dragged the edge of the ribbon up the outside of her leg and looked up just in time to see her close her eyes as she tried to swallow the sensation. “It’s there whether you are willing to admit it or not.” I centered the ribbon on her board and pushed the tack in. “Why don’t you come and see me when you’re finally ready to acknowledge that we are far from strangers,” I added before walking out of her office and leaving her speechless. The ball was in her court now, and I had a feeling she’d be passing it back sooner rather than later.
He walked out of my office, but not before he turned to look over his shoulder to give me one last look. A look that was a mix of desire and desperation. I wanted to follow him. To push him against the wall and show him that I had missed the feel of his hands and lips on me. I wanted to not be the rational, responsible, off-the-market me that I was, and admit the many things I’d been thinking since he’d returned to Halstead. Including making a reality of my reoccurring dreams I’d been having about him. Images of the two of us in my office would surely replace the track and what we did on his dirt bike would happen on my desk now.
Damn dreams.
But, it wouldn’t do me a bit of good to actually make a choice like he suggested. If I ended things with Beau and chose to be with him I’d just end up alone when he left me again. My heart broken into a million pieces. I’d barely managed to put the one I had back together.
When my boss returned, I told him that I had a few errands to run and houses to ready for showings and that I’d be out of the office the rest of the day. Best part of being a realtor was how easy it was to get out of the office when you needed to. I would have used any excuse to get away from what just happened in there. I tried to sit back down at my desk and pretend he hadn’t just been there, but all I could sense was him. The rough feel of his fingertips against my skin and the heat of his breath on my neck. I could smell the scent of him with every breath I took. He tainted my office with his virility.
“What are you doing home?” Georgia asked when I walked in the door, slamming it behind me. “And, whoa... let’s not break the door off the hinges.”
“Sorry,” I huffed, throwing my purse on the coffee table and falling on to the sofa.
“Rough day?” She surmised. The eye roll and shake of my head were enough to let her know the answer. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”