Unbreakable (Cloverleigh Farms, #4)(61)

I decided not to mention Whitney’s suspicious questions last night—mostly because I just didn’t want to think about them. “This whole discussion could be for nothing,” I said. “I mean, Henry might not have any interest in dating me for real. He could have anyone—someone younger and prettier and without kids.”

She smirked. “Trust me. He has interest. Even Noah asked me if you two were fucking.”

“Jeez,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Are we the two least chill people on the planet?”

She laughed. “It’s possible, but hey. Good chemistry is good chemistry. And it’s not easy to find, so don’t waste it. Come on, we should get back to the party.”





The overhead lights in the barn had been dimmed, and the room was lit only by strings of party lights hung from the rafters. Before I went back to my table, I checked on the kids, who seemed to be having a great time. Even little Winnie was still going strong.

“But Mom, what about the sparklers?” Whitney asked, out of breath from dancing. “I think we forgot them.” She had quite a bit of makeup on, including some pretty garish teal eyeshadow, but I hadn’t felt like arguing with her tonight. And she was clearly having fun—I felt a little more optimistic.

“Oh, that’s right! I need to run home and get them.” I patted her shoulder. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Okay.”

I walked back toward my table, where Henry was sitting alone. One ankle was crossed over his knee, and he leaned back in his chair, sipping his drink as he watched me approach, his eyes on fire. It struck me like a punch in the gut how handsome he was. How sexy. How strong. How good. Something in me ignited.

“Hey,” he said, rising to his feet to pull out my chair. “I was beginning to wonder if you found someone better to sit next to.”

“Impossible,” I said, tossing my purse onto the table. Then I rose on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. “Want to sneak away with me for a minute or two?”

He closed his eyes. “Sylvia. Don’t do this to me.”

“Do what?”

“Tempt me.” His eyes opened and seared into mine. “I promised myself I’d be good tonight because we’re in public.”

“So let’s go somewhere private and be bad.”

“Respectable gentleman. Respectable gentleman. Respectable gentleman,” he mumbled.

“What?”

“You’re killing me, Sylvia. Everyone will see us leave. Our entire table knows we’re screwing around. Probably because I can’t stop staring at your ass in that skirt.”

“I don’t care who sees us. I want you. Now.” I gave him my most seductive smile and spoke low. “I’ll leave the skirt on for you.”

“Fuck.” He struggled with it for less than three seconds, and then gave in. “Where are we sneaking to?”

I grinned. “My house. I’ll go first.”

“I’ll be two minutes behind—if I can wait that long.”

Turning on my heel, I dashed into the coatroom by the exit, slipped on the wool dress coat I’d borrowed from my mom, and hurried out the doors. The air was icy cold, but it wasn’t snowing and the walkway between the barn and the inn was freshly plowed. Still, I had to force myself to slow down so I wouldn’t catch a heel and stumble.

If I was going to put marks on my knees, it wasn’t going to be because of a slippery sidewalk.

The kick of doing something sexy and subversive coursed through me. I couldn’t ever remember a time in my life when I’d behaved so wantonly or heedlessly. But I didn’t care—at this moment, nothing else mattered to me except how I wanted to feel, and it was so fucking fantastic to have power over that again. I was taking my life back. What better way to say goodbye to the old me and hello to the new?

I turned off the pathway at my parents’ driveway and used the code to open the garage. From there I slipped into the house via the back door, which led right into the mudroom. I left the garage door open, thinking that Henry would come in that way also, but I’d only been inside the kitchen long enough to spot the forgotten bag of sparklers on a kitchen chair when I heard a knock on the front door.

So much for waiting five minutes.

Shrugging off my coat and tossing it on top of the bag, I hurried into the front hall to pull it open. He stood on the porch in his formal clothes like an old-fashioned suitor coming to call, or maybe even my prom date coming to fetch me for the dance.

“Come on in,” I said, moving back so he could step inside.

He shoved the door closed behind him. The hallway was dark and silent. “All alone, little girl?”

I nodded, taking his hand and leading him up the stairs. “My parents aren’t home.”

“Is it wise to invite the teacher into your house at night when your parents aren’t home?”

“Well, I just thought you might want to give me a little private tutoring session. I’m so anxious to be your best student.” I pulled him inside my room and he shut the door. My shades were lowered, but the bedside lamp was on. The light wasn’t bright, but it was enough to see the hungry look in his eyes.

“A private tutoring session, huh?” He doffed his suit coat, tossing it onto my bed. Then he undid the knot in his tie and pulled it loose. “And what is it you want to learn?”