His eyes widened, and his hands slipped from hers. Before he could speak, she closed the tiny bit of space between them and cupped his cheek, loving the prickle of his facial hair against her skin.
“You didn’t have to come all the way here because I was on my way to you.”
He scanned her face as if to confirm she’d actually spoken the words he’d heard. He opened his mouth to speak and she ran her thumb across his bottom lip, delighted as the confused fog clouding his eyes gave way to something much sharper and fiercer.
“You were wrong for overstepping the boundaries I’d set. But I was wrong for not explaining how trapped you made me feel. Instead, at the first hint of a problem, I ran. When I came back here, I realized I ran not because I was actually afraid of you. I was afraid I was turning into that woman again who stayed with Karl way too long. Once I realized that, I knew we had to sit down and talk. I just needed to close the door on this life I had here before I did so. I wanted to come to you as a free woman.”
“You could’ve told me that,” he interjected and when she raised a pointed finger at him, he held up his hands in surrender and asked her to continue.
“If I had told you that, you’d have tried your best to help me. That’s who you are, Michael. You help people. It’s your nature. This, however, was something I needed to do alone. I had to be sure I was ready because what we have is too important.”
She smiled as she recalled the time she’d spent putting all her energy into finalizing everything. “The moment I came back, I knew I couldn’t stay here anymore. I knew I couldn’t stay away from Monroe Hills. All the people I love are there. It just made sense that I should be there too. So, I put the house up for sale and made arrangements to come back to where I left my heart.”
He narrowed his gaze as his hands circled her waist, resting firmly on her hips.
“What arrangements?”
“I contacted Mr. Montgomery, and after a good talk, I made him an offer on his shop. And I booked a room at the inn. I didn’t want to assume you or Cindy would be okay with me staying with you. I didn’t want to overstep.”
“Overstep?” He spoke those words as if put together they were a crime against nature. “I’m here begging you to come back to me because my life isn’t right without you in it.”
She lifted her brow, playfully tilting her head to the side. “You know, all the dating books I’ve been reading since my divorce say it’s pretty much a law that you can’t be so open about your feelings. You’re supposed to play hard to get.”
“I’m too old and too wrapped up in you to care about dating rules. All I want is to be with you.”
She buried her fingers in his hair, pulling him down to her and locking her lips to his. It had been too long since she’d experienced his touch, his taste, and she needed both those things like a thirsty woman surrounded by nothing but dry sand.
She licked inside his mouth, coaxing him to deepen the kiss. It was all the encouragement he needed. He moaned as he slipped one hand into her hair, cupping an ample handful of her ass with the other, pressing her against the growing bulge behind his zipper.
This was heaven. Any doubts she’d had about picking up her life and going after Michael—despite their complicated situation—were put to bed. And that’s exactly where she wanted this moment to lead. In bed, with him buried so deep in her she’d lose all sense of time and space.
A hard rap against the door pulled them apart, leaving them both panting for much-needed air. Vanessa wiped her hand over her mouth. Thank goodness she had forgone makeup today, otherwise they’d both have it smeared all over their faces.
“Ms. Jared.” Johnny stepped into the bedroom. “I’m sorry to interrupt. We’re finished downstairs, the only thing left is this room.” He pointed to the boxes spread all over the room. “You ready to pack all of this up and move on?”
She turned to Michael, joy seeping down into every cell she possessed, and said, “For the first time in a long time, I am.”
Epilogue
“A little to the left.” Vanessa stood back andwatched as Michael hung anOPEN FOR BUSINESSsign in the display window. “Now a little to the right.”
She smiled as he leaned in the opposite direction, the muscles in that rounded ass of his on display in his jeans.
“Is it right now?”
“Oh, it’s very right.”
He turned around, narrowing his gaze as he stared at her. “Are you scoping out my ass?”
She smiled, not even sorry he busted her. “Can you blame me? It’s a really nice ass.”
He nodded, leaving the sign, and reached for her hand. When she gave it, he pulled her into his arms and tightened them until she pressed against his hard wall of chest.
“It is a really nice ass, isn’t it?”
“I certainly think so,” she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck, running fingers through his dark strands.
“Yours ain’t bad either.”
