It Must Be Your Love (The Sullivans #11)(50)

His eyes were dark and full of the same impatient longing as hers, but, amazingly, he didn’t push her. Just as he’d promised, there were no ultimatums this time.

It would be easier, so much easier, if there were. Because if he just grabbed her and kissed her in front of her employees, how could she do anything but give in? And then she wouldn’t have to make this incredibly difficult decision about being with him or not being with him. It would just happen because she didn’t have the strength for things to be any other way.

His lips curved up slightly as though he could read her mind. “I want to kiss you so badly, Mia, it’s nearly ripping me in two.”

He swallowed hard and so did she as she marveled over how gorgeous and sexy even his throat was. God, to be able to strip him naked so that she could relearn every inch of his incredible body...

“But I promised I’d wait,” he reminded her in a low voice. “For both of us. For our future.”

“What if I don’t want us to wait any longer? You wanted us to be friends first, and we are. You know we are, even if it’s only been a few days since you’ve been back in my life.”

“I don’t just want to be your friend, Mia, I want to be the best friend you’ve ever had. But I’m not there yet, am I?”

Yes, she’d forgiven him. And she couldn’t deny that she felt closer to him with every hour they spent together. She thought about him all the time, too. But could she trust him with her deepest fears? And could she believe that he’d always be there for her, no matter what?

When she didn’t give him the answer he was hoping for, the barely masked pain in his eyes made her chest squeeze tight.

She was wishing she could give him the answer he wanted, if only so that she could make that hurt go away, when he put his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a white envelope.

Disappointment at not being in his arms, at not having his mouth against hers, was so strong she could taste it as she took the envelope from him and opened it. A concert ticket fell out first, followed by a thickly laminated pass.

“I know you’ve got a lot to do today, but just in case...”

Ford had never been a tentative man, either in or out of bed. But she could feel how unsure he was as she held the concert ticket and backstage pass.

“If I could go,” she said slowly, “I would, but I have a late showing and to get all the way down to Eugene in time for the show would probably be impossible.”

“It’s okay,” he said in a way that told her it wasn’t okay at all. “I knew it was a total long shot. You can just give them to someone you think might enjoy catching the show.”

Finally, she reached for his hand, heedless of what her employees saw or thought about the two of them, because she needed him to know. “I would enjoy it, Ford. So, so much. And if I could come tonight, I would.”

She’d never been a liar about anything other than admitting her feelings for him. And now, as he looked into her eyes to see if she meant it, she made sure he knew that she did.

“It’s been way too long since I’ve seen you make a stadium rock.” They’d both loved that old Air Supply song, Making Love Out of Nothing at All. “I’d really like to come to your show this Saturday in Seattle, if you can scrounge up a ticket for me.”

“Do you still have the silver dress?”

She gave a wicked little smile with her reply. “If you’d asked me that last night, I could have put it on for you.”

He groaned. “I need to go before I lose my mind from looking at you and knowing I can’t touch.” But instead of walking away, he moved so that his broad shoulders completely blocked her from the rest of her office. His large hand was warm, the tips of his fingers calloused from his guitar strings, as he stroked her cheek with his fingertips, and her chin with his thumb. “How about pizza and a movie at my house on Thursday night?”

She’d spent practically all of her free time either with him or thinking about him since he’d come back to Seattle. She should put some space between them, give herself some time to try to think clearly. But knowing she was going to miss seeing him tonight already felt like too long a gap.

Until now, they’d been together because of a house, or the wedding, or a business meeting he’d wanted her to attend. And five years ago, there certainly hadn’t been any dates. Just endless amounts of crazy hot sex, which hadn’t made their relationship anywhere near strong enough.

“Are you finally asking me on a date?”

“I want to do every single thing with you I didn’t know how to do the first time around, Mia. So, yes, I’m asking you on a date. A real one this time, complete with pizza and a movie.”

Clearly, he wanted her to see they could have a relationship away from stadiums and tour buses and his fame. If she were really still adamant about holding him at arm’s length, she should say no.

Instead, she told him, “I know the perfect place to pick up a pizza on the way to your house.”

His answering grin was a mile wide. “I’ll come get you at seven tomorrow.”

“Okay.” The simple touch of his hand on her face had heated up every inch of her until she was all but melting into him. “Have a great show, Ford.”

They stood like that, staring at each other for several long moments, before he finally caressed her one last time. And as she watched him walk out to his tour bus, she knew it was just like the lyrics to the Air Supply song that she now couldn’t get out of her head