His heart thudded against his chest as her words penetrated his soul. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve this unexpected meeting with Vanessa. Still, he was so grateful he had the chance to know her. More important than meeting her, in this moment where she comforted him in his pain and anguish, he knew something else. He never wanted her to let him go.
“I don’t deserve you.”
She leaned back, bringing their gazes together. “You don’t. Luckily for you, that doesn’t mean I won’t still extend the offer of me.”
“Why would you?”
Her smile was warm and genuine, tugging both ends of her mouth into a deep crescent. “Because, silly man. I deserve you.”
She was right. She deserved everything, and he wanted to be the man to give it to her. He joined their mouths in a tender kiss. It wasn’t meant to titillate, even though it did. It was meant to tell her all the things he couldn’t find the words for.
Like the fact that he’d never met a woman more perfect for him. Or that he’d never fallen so quickly and completely for anyone before. And most importantly, he wanted to keep her by his side always.
She must have sensed something was off because she broke their kiss and looked up at him with a questioning stare.
“Everything all right?”
He nodded. “For the first time in a long time,” he began. “I think it actually is. Vanessa, this thing between us—”
She kissed him again, silencing him. “Now’s not the time to talk about that. You’ve gotta focus on your sister. And as soon as you’ve sorted all of that out, we definitely need to have that conversation. Because this”—she moved a finger back and forth between them—“is worth discussing.”
Michael was relieved and surprised, although he shouldn’t have been. Vanessa had performed one miracle after another since she’d arrived in Monroe Hills. From helping him with the booth, to getting him out of that blasted date with Amanda, to helping him show his sister the truth, she’d saved his ass time and time again. It was like magic lived inside her. She somehow always knew exactly what he needed.
Chapter 19
“Thanks for coming to get me, Ladies.”
Vanessa sat with her eyes fixed on her cup of coffee as she swirled her spoon around and around. The coffee wasn’t that interesting, but if she lifted her eyes, her girls would see all the things she was trying to hide.
Things like the uncontrollable passion that had ignited between her and Michael, and the gripping disappointment that it might all come to a crashing halt before it even started.
“You all right, girl?” The hint of worry in Cree’s voice put Vanessa on the defensive. Hiding things from them when they were a hundred miles or more away from her was one thing. Trying to do it while they were face-to-face was another matter entirely. It required a skill set of deviousness Vanessa knew she didn’t possess.
“Everything’s fine,” she quipped while keeping her eyes fixed on her cup of coffee. “I just wanted to spend some time with my girls. Is that a crime?”
Janae picked up Vanessa’s cup of coffee, moving it out of the way so Vanessa could no longer pretend it was where her focus needed to be.
“Spill it,” Janae demanded, and when Vanessa finally pulled hereyes up to meet Janae’s she could tell the woman wasn’t playing. “What happened, Vanessa?”
She opened her mouth, and then her brain froze. She couldn’t think up a single thing to say to divert Janae’s attention.
“I slept with Michael.”
Her friends stared at each other, and then slowly returned their gazes to her. “We kinda figured that was a given considering the two of you were wrapped around each other when you left the gala.” Janae’s response was, well… classic Janae. She didn’t pull any punches, ever.
“Yes,” Vanessa continued, “I slept with him last night, but that wasn’t the first time.”
Janae and Cree planted their elbows on the table and simultaneously—as if they’d practiced keeping their movements in sync—leaned in toward Vanessa.
“Was it bad?” Janae’s question made her drop her jaw again.
“No!” She answered quickly, her voice turning into a high-pitched squeal that made patrons at the surrounding tables look at them. She cleared her throat and did her best to calm herself. “It was amazing. Really amazing.”
Both Janae and Cree leaned in some more with their eyes wide and lecherous grins on their faces.
“Do tell, girlfriend.” Cree’s request may have appeared playful, although the devious spark in her eye said she was dead serious.
“I’m not getting into the specifics with you other than that man is gifted in more ways than one.”
