He slipped the jug from her fingers and led her into the walk-in pantry before closing the door with a thud. Why, exactly, he wasn’t sure. Because he’d lost his goddamn mind at the exact moment this woman had told him she was a virgin?
Clara gasped. “What the heck are you doing?”
“You can’t do that.” He was shout-whispering, but he didn’t care.
“Do what? Refill the water at my mother’s house?”
“Tell me you’re avirginat your mother’s house.”
Pink tinged her cheeks. “I wanted you to know.”
“Not here.”
“Then where? At our Thursday or Sunday running club? You’ve barely looked at me the last few sessions.”
It was true. But even if it wasn’t,thatwasn’t the right place to do it either.Nowherefelt right. “What am I supposed to do with that information?”
She tilted her head. “Youknowwhat. Decide whether you want me like I want you.”
“Before your thirtieth birthday? It sounds like an ultimatum.”
“It’s not an ultimatum.”
“Have sex with you in the next two weeks or you’ll have sex with someone else?” Fuck, even saying it out loud sounded wrong.
She squirmed where she stood. “Okay. I guess saying it like that sounds like an ultimatum. But if you’re really not interested in me, then you can give me a simple no and move on.”
He growled. “Nothing about this is simple.”
She stepped closer and lowered her voice. “Holden, look, I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. I just…I wanted you to know.”
She stood so close that he could see the specks of gold in her blue eyes. Could smell that floral scent right under his nose. “Why?”
“Why did I want you to know?”
“No. Why haven’t you…slept with anyone?”
Her throat bobbed and the smallest line creased her brow. “Because I was always busy. Busy studying. Busy being a lawyer. Then busy trying to live.”
“You haven’t been busy these last few years.”
“You’re right. I haven’t.” Her voice was softer now, her gaze shifting between his eyes. And the way she looked at him, as if she were unraveling all of the unspoken fears inside him, made his heart beat faster. It was like she saw the weakest parts that he tried to keep hidden, but she didn’t run from them.
“We shouldn’t have kissed the other day.” The words felt wrong on his tongue.
“Says who?” A beat of silence passed before she tilted her head. “It’s okay to be scared, Holden. But do you really want that fear to dictate your life forever?”
The quiet in her voice spoke to him, like a fucking lullaby. He reached for her hip, letting the gentle curve of her body calm that storm in his chest. He stepped closer so that her front pressed to his.
Then a question whispered in his head…one that had no business being there. Would one more taste be so terrible?
Her palms smoothed over his chest, and suddenly his head was lowering. He could almost feel her lips against his…
When the pantry door swung open and Pam stood there.
Clara’s mother’s mouth opened in an ‘O’ but that was quickly replaced by a small smile. “Sorry.”
She closed the door, and he and Clara were left alone once again. But the moment was broken.
