Christin knew that it was something. Nobody gave anything away for free. He was being too nice, and Christin wanted to know what was going on. She knew that he was attracted to her and since she had gone so long without any kind of physical affection, Christin wouldn’t have minded, not really. She was already thinking about his hands on her and how perfect it all would have been.
“Why do you keep asking me that? Do you want me to want something in return?”
“All people do.”
“I’m different.”
Christin smiled, but she didn’t say anything else. Broch had no idea what was going through her mind, but damned if she didn’t have a smirk on her face.
Chapter 11
Broch
“I know you’re different, but how? Most people wouldn’t have gotten me out as well, and they certainly wouldn’t have forgotten to ask for something last night. You had the perfect chance.”
“Why do I get the feeling that you’re giving me a hard time because I didn’t take advantage of you?”
“I wouldn’t say that I’m giving you a hard time, just trying to understand.”
“Understand why I did something nice, with nothing needed in return?”
She agreed and Broch didn’t know what to say. He did want her, obviously, but that wasn’t something that he would use to give someone help. He helped because he wanted to. There was no other ulterior motive than that. It was enough.
“You have been around the wrong people.”
“You can say that again.”
They drank and talked for a while longer, but it wasn’t about anything of real substance. Broch hoped to get some more information about her, but Christin wasn’t giving anything up. Unlike most women, she didn’t have a lot to say and if she said anything, it didn’t have anything to do with her life or who her pals were. He wanted to know what was next for Christin, because he wanted to believe that it could include him somehow.
“Where did you go today?”
“For a walk.”
“In the woods?”
Christin agreed. “You might want to be careful in the woods around here. There are animals and all kinds of wild things that would see you as a meal.”
Christin scoffed. “I am not the sort of woman that jumps when she hears a bump in the night.”
Broch grinned at her response. He knew that it was true. He remembered the way that she had defended herself immediately, without even a thought. Broch wondered if she was always like that, or if she had learned a few things while she was locked up. Considering where she was locked up, with men and women who had murdered in the past, it stood to reason that she was likely not the same person as she was when she went in. Broch wished that he had met her before she was hardened by jail, though he did like the diamond-exterior that was left. It gave her the appearance of being fearless and formidable.
“No, I can’t say that you are. So, what are you going to do next? You have a second chance at starting a new life, all from scratch.”
“And I can’t thank you enough for that.”
“Is it going to be easy to walk away?”
“Walk away? I can’t walk away.”
“What do you plan to do then? You were convicted of killing your husband’s mistress. It’s not like you can go home.”
Christin wasn’t ready to talk about it. He could see it on her face, but he had questions and there was a lot missing to the story. She didn’t want to come out with it, that was clear enough, but he had to know. His curiosity was getting the best of him, no matter how badly he tried to fight it.
Her face turned red, and she looked away, like it was impossible to meet his gaze.
“Well, you’re right of course. I hadn’t really thought that I would be going home. I just want my son. I don’t really care about Phillip at all.” She scoffed and laughed, like caring about her husband was something that she shouldn’t be doing.
“You don’t like your husband?”
