She tripped over the raised root of a tree and would have fallen backward, but he caught her by her upper arms. He steadied her, but continued to hold her there. Her skin was on fire beneath the strength of his touch, but she tried to sound unaffected. “It’s true.”
His hands tightened briefly on her arms. “There’s only one thing stopping me from believing you.” He nipped her bottom lip lightly, and all resolve left Hailey. She melted against him. His arms went around her waist; hers encircled his neck. She arched against him, opening her mouth to the soul-rocking kiss only he could deliver. Other men had tried, but only this man connected with her on a level so intense that circumstance and location ceased to matter. Beneath his touch, there was only hot, all-consuming desire. He raised his head and said huskily, “I don’t care about the mistakes we made in the past. We’re here now, and we both want the same thing.”
She shook her head back and forth slightly. She would have accused him of thinking about only one thing, but she had a hard time imagining much else when he was around. “It’s not that easy.”
He kissed her again, running his hands up and down her back as he did. Coherent thought scattered. Her hands sought the buttons of his dress shirt even though they were in public. He chuckled, then cupped her face between his hands. “Let’s get out of here.”
“No.” Her refusal sounded half-hearted even to her own ears.
“Whatever you think is more important than this—it’s not.”
His words seared through the passion. Panicking, she ripped herself out of his arms for a second time. “That’s not true. She is.”
“She? Who is she?”
Hailey covered her eyes briefly with one hand. The urge to lean on him emotionally was almost as strong as their passion had been. Her friends had fallen to the wayside after Ryan had died. Some had been work friends, and their friendships had dissolved once she no longer had anything in common with them. Others had been put on hold while Hailey reeled beneath the responsibility of becoming an instant parent. Then there’d been the guilt. When her schedule had finally settled somewhat, Hailey had often felt overwhelmed, but admitting it to anyone would have felt like a betrayal—as if she would have been saying she didn’t want Skye, when that couldn’t be more wrong. Skye was everything she had left in the world. She wiped tears away from her eyes and said, “Coming here was a bad idea. I don’t want to make things worse.”
“Come here,” he said gently and pulled her to his chest. The passion from before took second seat to the comfort she found in his strong arms. “Don’t cry.”
More tears rolled down her cheeks, wetting the front of his shirt. “I’m sorry, Spencer. I didn’t think this through. I just wanted to see you again.”
“Shh,” he murmured against her hair. “Is seeing me again so bad?”
She sniffed. “You think this is going well?”
He tipped her face up so she’d meet his eyes. Very gently he wiped her tears away with his thumbs. “What’s wrong, Hailey?”
Fresh tears poured down her cheeks. She used to believe in happy endings and love being able to conquer all, but then she’d lost and lost again. “It’s not just me anymore. I have to make decisions that are best for Skye as well.”
“Skye?”
“Ryan’s daughter.” There was a question in Spencer’s eyes that she answered before he voiced it. “My brother. He and his wife died in a car crash.”
Spencer’s face tightened. “I’m sorry. I know you were very close. When did it happen?”
“About a year ago now.”
He wrapped his arms around her again and held her close. “I wish I had known. I would have—”
He stopped, perhaps because he didn’t know what he would have done.
Did all old lovers feel a mix of euphoria and heartbreak when they met again? I can’t imagine they do. She’d run into men she’d slept with before, and none had ever left her feeling gutted and confused. Part of her wanted to run far away from the feelings he brought to the surface. Another part of her wanted to stay right where she was and pretend that being with him was possible.
Spencer breathed in the scent of her, lust battling with compassion as he held her. He hadn’t expected to feel as much for her as he did. Hearing about her brother brought out a protectiveness in him. He wanted to hold her in his arms forever and shelter her from any more loss.
No wonder she looks lost.
Here I am, coming on to her like some horny college student when she needs more than that.
Step up to the plate or go home. He’d never been one to hesitate or second-guess. Closure or a fresh start. What do I want? “I’m sorry for your loss. Do you need anything?” He stepped back and took her by the hand.
“No. We’re doing okay.”
“So you’re raising your niece.”
“Yes. She’s the only family I have left. Ryan entrusted her to me because he knew I would do anything and everything I could for her. I’m not going to lie—seeing you again is confusing, but I’m not in a place where I can do anything about it.”
“I like kids.” In theory.
She dipped her head. “It’s not that. It’s complicated.”
He moved to stand in front of her. “Hailey, whatever this is between us—I’ve never found it with anyone else. You wouldn’t be here if that wasn’t true for you as well. Do you really want to walk away a second time?”
“What do you want me to say? That I’ll fall into your bed as easily as I did the first time?”
“I don’t think we ever did it in my bed. No, wait, there was that one time.”
She swatted at him and, for a second, looked as if she might smile. “Everything is still a joke with you.”
He ran a hand down one of her arms and took her hand in his. “Not everything. Not you.”
She studied their linked hands. She waved her other hand at him. “I know what I should do, but it’s so easy to forget when you’re around.”
“What does that tell you?” He raised her hand to his lips.
“That seeing you is dangerous. I don’t have room in my life for another mistake. What I need is a good friend. Someone I could talk to about what I’m doing right and what I’m not. Seeing you again is exciting, but I have responsibilities now. I’m sorry if that’s not what you were hoping to hear.”
From another woman, the request for friendship might have been the kiss of death for his chance to be with her, but it didn’t feel that way with Hailey. He thought about his mother and how many times she’d put what she wanted above the welfare of her children. Hailey’s devotion to her niece made her even more beautiful to him, and he hadn’t thought that was possible.
“I’ve been told I’m a good friend.” He tipped his head. “But Jordan says I’m a real dick lately.”
“Poor Jordan. I doubt you’re that bad.” Hailey laughed and expelled a shaky breath. “I lost most of my friends after Ryan died. It really shook me when they said I stopped being any fun. One of them told me she would have handled the death of any of her family members better than I did.”