Bobbie snuggled into him like it was only yesterday that she’d been in this exact same position, feeling seen, safe, and cherished.
Being enfolded against Buck, the only physical act they’d allowed between them, had always been so damned perfect; so right.
And now, here was the hard presence of his muscles mashed up against her body once again, the steady beat of his heart under her cheek; things she remembered so well, and yet…
Wow.There was one, major difference.
Buck was harder, broader, and much more imposing as an adult than he’d been as an eighteen-year-old kid.
Much.
Which was a difficult pill to swallow. If they’d stayed together, she would have seen this new Buck emerging. All the things they’d missed..
Not that his embrace feltemotionallydifferent.
The immediate comfort she derived from being in Buck’s arms feltexactlythe same. Which was really puzzling. He’d betrayed her in the worst way and derailed her life. She would have thought she’d draw no contentment at all from being wrapped in his arms.
Shit.
This was a mistake.
Bobbie allowed herself to sink into the fullness of the moment for a few additional seconds before she gathered all her fortitude, pushed away, and stepped back.
Buck actually groaned as they separated. “That’s it, huh?”
“There shouldn’t even have beenthat,” she managed, but try as she might, Bobbie couldn’t drag any residual fury to thesurface. She’d basically asked for it, and fuckity-fuck, against all odds, the bodily contacthadcalmed her down. She no longer wanted to dismember Buck and feed him to the fishes. Just the opposite, in fact. She wanted to slam her body back up against his and continue to soak him in.
He felt like…home. And wasn’t that a kick in the ass. Buck had always been her champion; keeping her safe from her brothers, making sure she was “seen” at school. He’d been her hero…until he wasn’t.
Maybe itwastime to let him talk.
Questions bubbled to the surface.
Why had he flipped on her? How could he have ruined her life so thoroughly?
Bobbie took a few steps backward, away from temptation, and sunk down on the cockpit bench.
“You still interested in having a conversation?” she asked.
“Wha…?”
If Buck had looked shocked when she’d told him she still found him attractive, her desire to initiate the dialogue he’d been shooting for had him dumbfounded again.
He cleared his throat, regrouping, and that was her fault. She was giving him all sorts of mixed signals. But likewise, her own resolve was all over the map, so she needed to clarify.
“You wanted to talk?” she reiterated.
“Uh, yeah. I do,” Buck finally replied, and tentatively took the seat opposite to hers. He regarded her warily, as if this was some kind of a trick.
“Okay, then. Talk,” she prompted, crossing her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling a little defensive. Just because she was agreeing to hear him out, didn’t mean she was going to like what he said or make it easy on him. Buck needed to amend his expectations of immediate forgiveness, if that’s what he was aiming for, right the hell now.
She gave a nod, urging him to begin.
“I didn’t do it,” he blurted out.
Fuck. Seriously?
Bobbie responded immediately with an incredulous laugh.
