She sucked on her cheek before she answered. “The High Line, then some lunch? Not too energetic, but we’ll feel like we’ve achieved something.”
“Perfect. Low-key sightseeing for the walking dead.”
As we madeour way through the city later, the fresh air and gentle movement seemed to revive us both. The High Line was busy but not overwhelming, and there was something soothing about walking among the plants and art installations while Manhattan buzzed below us.
When we paused to look out over the Hudson, Eliza glanced my way. “Michelle messaged this morning.”
My stomach clenched and I tensed. I had no hold over Eliza. We weren’t together. She could do whatever she wanted. Including getting back together with her ex.
“What did she say?”
“That she’s glad I’ve moved on; that what we had was unhealthy.” Eliza’s voice was carefully neutral. “But also, did I have to come to her city to rub it in her face?” She gave a small shrug. “Anyway, she’s seeing someone new. A doctor, apparently.”
My fists scrunched in triumph.
“That’s good, right?” I was going for supportive. “She’s got someone. And you’ve got… me.”
Eliza frowned.
I had no idea why I’d said that. I blundered on. “It’s been a while since you split. It’s good she’s moving on. And you did what you set out to do. Break the chain.”
“It is good.” Eliza blew out a heavy breath, making both her cheeks billow. “It stung a little when I got her message, but then, I realised you helped me. Made me change my patterns, get out of that destructive cycle I was stuck in.” She turned to look at me properly. “Thank you for that.”
Warmth spread through my chest that had nothing to do with the lunchtime sun.
“You’re thanking me for kissing you?”
Eliza’s cheeks went bubble-gum pink. She fidgeted with the strap of her handbag, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with the kind of nervous energy that suggested she was reliving every second of last night just as intensely as I was.
Second by second.
A click-worthy montage.
“Let’s just say it was a necessary evil.” She still hadn’t met my eyes.
“Wow.” I tried to inject some levity into the moment before the tension flattened us. “I must have really lost my touch if you’re now describing my kissing as evil.”
Her blush deepened, and she gripped the railing like it might save her from this conversation. She bit her lower lip: thesame lip I’d briefly sucked into my mouth last night. My pulse quickened at the memory.
“You know what I mean,” she said quietly. “It finally put a full stop on my story with Michelle. Which is bittersweet, but a good thing. The divorce should have done that, but it didn’t. Not fully.”
I paused, trying to shake the kiss from my brain. The shape of it. The taste of it. How our lips slotted together perfectly. How her hands had tangled in my hair, how she’d made that small sound against my mouth, how for those few minutes the rest of the world had completely ceased to exist. It wasn’t an easy task.
“For what it’s worth,” Eliza said, finally snagging my gaze with her own. “You weren’t a terrible kisser. Quite the opposite, in fact. You sold it like you meant it.”
Her gaze bore into me. I wanted to tell her I had meant it, but I couldn’t. We had a job to do, and if we started kissing each other all the time, the work wouldn’t get done. That was not part of the plan.
“As did you.”
We looked at each other then, and the air between us shimmered with possibility. I could see the exact moment she remembered how it had felt. Her eyes darkened slightly as she dropped her gaze to my mouth.
“But I don’t want things to be awkward,” she said quickly, like she was trying to convince herself as much as me, “so we have to shelve it. Pretend it never happened.”
“Obviously,” I agreed, because I did. Even though every cell in my body screamed in protest.
“Which will be easy in the interim because I’m working from home a lot next week as I have to be on top of my build, and then I’m away with my mum for ten days in the Caribbean for my cousin’s wedding. Roger, Ellen and the kids are flying in, too. Remember I told you about that?” She snagged my gaze. “But Iwill work a couple of days and keep on top of everything I have to do. I’ve been in touch with Ronnie and he’s helping me out.”
She had told me, and I’d forgotten.
