The Absence of Olivia(70)
I opened the fridge, pulled out a bottle of water, and handed it to him. He took it, and then proceeded to unscrew the lid and bring the bottle to his mouth, taking long, thick swallows. It was too much for me to watch, so I let my eyes wander down his front, taking in the way his chest just barely fit into his suit. His arms snuggly filled the sleeves of his jacket as well.
I had to say something to distract myself from everything about him that was enticingly sexy.
“I need to go in to the gallery tomorrow. There will be a lot of people trying to get in contact with me, so it’s best I’m there for the day. I’m sorry. I don’t want to abandon you.”
“Hey, don’t worry about me. I’m the one who totally ambushed you.”
I turned around quickly, reached into my junk drawer, and pulled out my spare key.
“Why don’t you take this,” I said, holding out the key for him. “You can leave the house and go do whatever you want and still be able to get back in.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, tentatively taking it from me.
“Definitely,” I said with an assertive nod. “Here, let me show you to the spare bedroom.” I practically jumped away from the counter, making sure I passed by him without letting our bodies brush against each other. Looking at him was torture enough. To accidentally press myself against him and then have to pull myself away again was more than I could handle.
I started up the stairs and could feel the heat of his gaze on my backside. I knew, without a doubt, my red silken dress made my ass look outstanding. I’d purchased it mainly for that exact reason. My body was alight with the idea of him taking in the sight of it. I simply couldn’t handle the tension, couldn’t deal with him and me, alone, in my house, with me in my ‘come and f*ck me’ dress and him in a ‘you know you want to come and f*ck me’ suit. It was just too much.
“Here you are,” I said, my voice too breathy, chest rising and falling too quickly. My arm, out slightly, was motioning toward the open door, but he didn’t go in. No, he stopped when his body was right in front of mine. My eyes, naturally meeting his chest, followed his tie up to his face, and when our eyes met, he didn’t look away.
“Looks fantastic.”
He was so close I could smell him. When his fingertips wrapped around my hip, my mouth fell open and a tiny whimper escaped me. His grip tightened and he pulled me even closer to him. I had to tilt my head even farther to keep my eyes trained on his.
“You look fantastic. You feel fantastic. Lyn, Christ, I’ve been thinking about you for two years.”
His words sent a slight panic through me. He’d been thinking about me for two years? Flattering as it was, it was also a little overwhelming. I’d compartmentalized my old life when I drove out of town. I’d made a conscious decision to leave it all behind. Sure, I still spoke to the kids, and Shelby was still my friend, but it was almost necessary for me to start over to move forward. He must have sensed my unease because his intent stare turned into a questioning look.
“I’m sorry, I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable,” he said, taking a small step backward, his hand leaving my hip, my body shouting at me not to let him back away. I could feel the pull to keep his hand on me, to reach up and pull on his jacket so our bodies were pressed together, but I ignored the impulse and took my own step backward.
“It’s been a really long day and I think I just need to go to bed.”
He was quiet for a moment, but then he smiled.
“Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?”
I let out a relieved sigh at his request. I could do dinner. I wasn’t sure I could do his hands on me in the dark hallway. I wasn’t ready for that yet.
“I’d love to do dinner.” I smiled at him, still a little unbelieving that he was even there, but then I went into hostess mode. “There’s a bathroom at the end of the hall, and there should be towels in the cupboard next to the sink. Feel free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen, although, there’s not much there.” I laughed, realizing I was ill prepared for company. Then I laughed because I hadn’t been expecting company, but there he was. And even though he made me nervous, I was touched he’d come. “Thank you for coming to my show, Nate. It was truly a surprise.”
He only nodded, then said a soft, “Goodnight, Evelyn.”
I gave him a small wave, then turned and headed down the hall to my bedroom. I closed the door softly, and then leaned back against it. Nate, for however long he decided to stay, was going to give my nerves and my heart a run for their money.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Present Day
The next morning, I tried to be as quiet as possible when getting ready to leave for the gallery. I was used to traipsing through the house in my pajamas, not paying attention to noises or floorboard creaks. But with Nate asleep upstairs, I was trying to be as mouse-like as I could, quietly scurrying through the kitchen to make my coffee and bagel, then get to work.
I was telling myself I didn’t want to disturb him, but in reality, I was pretty sure I just wanted to avoid an awkward situation. And all that really meant was that I didn’t want to see him comfortable, sleepy, in his pajamas with bed head in my house. How could I ever love my house again after seeing him like that? It would never be the same. It would always be lacking. So I had to make it out of the house before he woke up.