Marian swallowed and raised the napkin to her lips. “Go on.”
He wished he knew what she was thinking. But there was no going back now. “I don’t have the best history with ladies.” He tried hard not to cringe at his own words. She didn’t need to know all the details of his sordid past.
“Are you telling me you’re a heartbreaker, Cole Robertson?” Marian said lightly, although her eyes appeared more serious than usual.
“I wouldn’t give myself that much credit.” He drew in a deep breath. “What I mean to say is that I’ve never felt for anyone the way I feel about you, and I don’t want to . . .” He trailed off, trying to think of the best way to put it.
“Break my heart?” Marian lifted her eyebrows.
“I suppose,” he conceded. “I like you a lot, Marian. I need you to know that.”
She said nothing then, and after a moment passed, he wished she would sayanything. Tease him, laugh at him, anything but make him sit here and wonder what thoughts were going through her head.
Her lips pressed together as she studied him, and Cole had a wild suspicion that he’d misread her. That she wasn’t interested in him at all.
“Marian?” he finally said, the desperation for some kind of response creeping outward. He raised his hand and paused. And then, emboldened, he let his fingers trace her cheek until his hand cupped her jaw.
She didn’t pull away. She didn’t move to slap him. Instead, she leaned forward, almost as if she wanted to be closer to him.
That was something he could oblige.
He moved closer toward her, his eyes never leaving hers as he searched for the answer he needed. She gave nothing away, yet she didn’t withdraw when he moved his hand to lift her chin.
“You are so beautiful.” Cole barely recognized his own voice. It was somehow lower and it shook just a little with everything he felt toward Marian. “And you are by far the smartest person I know.”
That drew a little smile from her, and he wanted to say it over and over again.
But instead, he dipped his chin until he could feel her breath against his skin. “I’d like to kiss you.”
A few seconds passed, and just as Cole thought Marian wasn’t going to answer at all, her eyes closed and she gave a slight nod.
Joy swept up Cole from head to toe. He moved to cover the few inches of space between them—just as something crashed through the front window.
Chapter Thirteen
Marian shrieked asCole’s hand dropped from her chin and her eyes flew open.
