Spin My Love (My Love #1)(10)

“I’m taking a little breather,” he says ambiguously. His hands run up my back, causing me to shiver. I take another step back, out of his arm’s reach.

“For how long?” I ask him.

“Six months, possibly longer,” he replies.

“I see,” I drawl.

“So, you have a kid,” he says, his tone light, but the sudden stillness in his body gives away his tension.

“I do.”

What else am I supposed to say? When I realize Tane is silent, I look up at him, to see him staring at the ground.

“Where is his father?” he asks frankly, his fingers tightening their grip on me. He looks up at me intently, waiting for my answer.

Now it’s my turn to stiffen. “Not in the picture.” I pull away from his embrace.

“I want a name,” he bites out harshly.

“What for?” I ask, now suspicious.

“Because no one hurts you,” he says it like a threat.

I can’t help the cold laugh that escapes me. “That’s rich.”

I told myself I was going to tell him; what the hell am I doing? Each comment that comes out of his mouth just infuriates me further.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he demands.

“Nothing. Look, are you coming to Gage’s now?” I ask, changing the subject. I will tell him, just not right now. Fuck, I’m scared.

“No, I just left there. I thought I’d let you have some family time,” he says, his voice suddenly gentle.

“How kind of you,” I say sarcastically.

“What the f*ck did I do now?” he asks, looking confused.

“Nothing, Tane. It’s Friday, I’m sure you have plans. Keira? Or someone new, maybe?” I say, my fingers digging into my palms at the thought. Instead of answering me, or giving an explanation, Tane just smiles. The bastard smiles. Shit, I need to get a hold of myself.

“I’m going,” I announce, pulling myself from his reach.

“I like you being jealous,” he says, his lips turned up in a smug grin.

My eyes narrow to slits. “If I was, I’d have to be jealous of how many women around the world? It would be a full-time job.”

He shrugs. “I was looking for something, trying to keep myself distracted. What I really wanted the whole time was you.”

I open my mouth, and then snap it shut. What does one say to that? He had me. He had me, and he didn’t want me.

“You’re good, Tane. I’ll give you that.”

“That wasn’t a line, Giselle, give me some credit,” he says, looking down at his shoes. “You know there has always been something between us. Connecting us. Drawing us together.”

“It doesn’t matter. You have no right to say those things,” I reply, taking a deep breath, hoping it will calm me down.

It doesn’t.

“If we were so connected, you would have come home a long time before now, and I wouldn’t have had to run into you by accident. If I didn’t walk in on you and Keira, I probably would have never seen you, would I?”

He lifts his face up to look at me. Many emotions pass over it.

Guilt. Regret. Confusion. Love. Loss.

“I never stopped thinking about you, I just knew I didn’t deserve you,” he finally says in a quiet voice. “No other woman will ever have anything on you, Giselle. Never.”

I puff out a breath. “That’s hard to believe when they get more from you than I ever did.”

Now he looks hurt. “What did they get? My body for one night? You got everything else, Giselle. My dreams, my heart. My future. My past. My every f*cking thought.”

“Your words and actions don’t match up. Actions mean much more to me. Now why don’t you just go to whoever you will end up with tonight?” I say, regretting the words the moment they leave my mouth.

His face falls. “I’m not seeing anyone tonight. I’m going straight home.”

“A bit out of your way, isn’t it? Coming to see me?” I ask, knowing it is. The beach is about a twenty-minute drive from here.

Tane shrugs and says, “It was worth it.”

I narrow my eyes on him. “What was?”

“Seeing you. I missed your charming personality,” he adds sarcastically.

“Ha, ha. I save this charm just for you,” I drawl.

“I can see that. Why is that, exactly?” he asks, tilting his head to the side. The motion causes his hair to hide one of his pale-green eyes.

“You’re just lucky, I guess,” I mumble.

“I’m sorry for leaving you. I’m sorry for the Keira thing. But we weren’t together then; you can’t really hold that against me.”

“We aren’t together now either,” I point out.

“Not yet,” he says as he opens my car door for me.

“Not ever,” I say stubbornly under my breath. He ignores it, though I know he heard me.

“I’ll follow you to Gage’s, make sure you get there safely,” he says, his tone commanding no argument.

“That’s not necessary, Tane,” I say with an eye roll. “Unless one of your groupies comes hunting me down, I think I’ll be just fine.”

“No arguing, Giselle,” he says sternly.