Instead, I sat still, staring blankly ahead as the driver pulled into the slow crawl of late-night Manhattan traffic. I clenched my fists against my lap, my breathing unsteady. I stared out the window, with my reflection blending into the blur of city lights.
When I got to my hotel room, I went straight to the sink and splashed cold water on my face.
I stared at my reflection.What the hell am I doing?
Guilt settled in my stomach like a stone. I hadn’t done anything technically wrong, but the way I felt…I just hadn’t done anything technically wrongyet.
Tomorrow, I'd wake up and be a better man, I promised my reflection. I’d go home to my family. I’d be the picture-perfect husband and father, and everything would be fine.
CHAPTER 26
BETWEEN RIGHT AND WANTING TO BE RECKLESS
NATALIE
Itried my hardest all week to be Jason’s wife again. A good wife. He left Monday afternoon, but before he did, we had breakfast together. He even asked if he could take me out to dinner over the weekend, just us. I couldn’t believe it. It felt like we were trying again.
Once he left, I focused on Will’s project, but I didn’t email him until Wednesday when I needed to drop off some samples. I had to keep things professional. When I got to his house, Will opened the door before I even knocked.
Why does he have to be so damn attractive? He stood there, relaxed, dimples cutting through, slightly unshaven, unbothered in all the ways I was. This was much harder than I thought.
It was like being on a diet and walking into an ice cream parlor.Don’t touch anything.
I was holding onto the tote with all the samples of wall papers and textiles for fabrics. “Just dropping off these samples for you,” I said quickly.
He wouldn’t take it, eyes not leaving mine. “What, no presentation? I was kind of hoping for one of your color-coded spiels.”
I kept my voice even. “No show today. You’ve already agreed to all this. You already know what you want.”
His smile was faint, but deliberate. His eyes locked on mine. “Do you know what you want?”
I hesitated. The question landed harder than I expected. “I really can’t do this right now,” I said, my voice tight. “I’m in a rush.”
I moved to hand him the bag, but my hands were unsteady. The tote slipped, and the samples spilled across the floor in slow motion. I dropped to my knees, scrambling to gather them, heat rising to my face.
Will crouched beside me, reaching for the scattered samples of navy wallpapers and textiles. When his hand brushed over mine, I felt the spark again, hot, direct, deep.
I forgot how to breathe.
It wasn’t just a touch. It was a reminder. Of the tension simmering beneath the surface. Of how badly I still wanted him.
A low ache stirred inside me, an almost painful awareness of him, of how close we were. The way his knees bumped mine. The way his forearm brushed mine again, and this time lingered. I could feel the pull. Everywhere.
I froze, blinking hard, willing myself not to let it show.
“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice shaking as I tried to collect what was left of my composure.
“Natalie,” he said softly, “it’s okay, accidents happen.”
But Will and I — that was an accident I couldn’t let happen. My body was already betraying me, humming from the briefest contact. I stood quickly, too quickly, and the room spun for an instant.
“You alright?” he asked, stepping closer. His hand brushed my arm, barely a touch, and now it felt like a full-body tremor.
“I’m fine. I have to go,” I said, breathless.
And just like that I turned around and walked back to my car, every step a reminder to stay in my lane, the safe one that didn’t lead to him.
CHAPTER 27
