I told Robbie you were on the way. He said to tell you BooBear can’t wait. :-)
Jesus. If she could clone herself… She would’ve smiled at Mick’s transformation from reckless playboy to doting dad if her divided loyalties weren’t tearing her apart.
“You need to leave, don’t you?” Jeff stared into thethicket of pine trees abutting the building.
“Jenna had the baby, and her son is sick. I told Mick I’d drive down to Myrtle Beach tonight, but that was before I knew about—”
“You should go.” Jeff’s voice was hard, almost unfriendly.
“You don’t have to deal with this alone. I can wait until Evan is safe.” Robbie was sick, but he wasn’t being held at gunpoint. He was safe and had someone Micktrusted with him. He could wait a little longer.
Jeff released her hand and crossed his arms. “I’ll be fine. I’ve been handling this on my own for months, and when it’s over I’ll be on my own again, with or without Evan. I enjoyed our time together, Tara, but we’re not a couple. You don’t owe me anything.”
She couldn’t stop a sharp inhale. Her cheeks flamed and her pulse thumped in her throat,making it hard to breathe.
He didn’t mean it. Hecouldn’tmean it. He’d asked her to stay mere hours ago. Hewantedher here.
Maybe he was one of those guys who couldn’t stand an emotional goodbye. Or he didn’t think he deserved her support. Or he was too embarrassed for her to see him this upset. People could be dumb like that.
Or maybe, he’d used up all his emotional energy on his son.Not everything was about her. She got that.
Fortifying herself with a deep breath, she said, “You’re wrong. I owe Jenna everything, but I owe you too. You stayed with me when I needed you. You saved my life more than once. But I wouldn’t stay with you out of any sense of debt or obligation. I’d stay because I care about you.”
Something flickered in his eyes, but he didn’t look her way.
I love you.
The words popped into her head without warning. Thank God she had enough of a filter to keep them from coming out of her mouth.
But,oh my God. She couldn’t deny it to herself any longer. For better or worse, she was in love with this magnificent, compassionate, sexy man, and no matter the outcome, she couldn’t regret it. Love welled up inside her like a fountain of pure joy, unlikeanything she’d ever experienced.
It came with a fierce need for Jeff to be happy, no matter the cost to herself.
She had no expectations for a future with him, and yet her heart rose on a buoy of hope. Maybe someday…
Jesus. She thought she’d loved a man before?
She’d never even come close.
Feeling a little shaky, she met his gaze, the chill he exuded rising between them like a wall ofice. “Are we going to part like strangers, or can I at least give you a goodbye kiss?”
His gaze traveled up her body, finally meeting her eyes. His face was an unreadable mask, but a muscle in his jaw jumped. He glanced at her lips.
The breath backed up in her chest when he reached out, caressing her cheek before sliding his hand into her hair.Maybe someday he could love me back. Maybe. Maybe.
She leaned in and touched her lips to his for a soft, warm, and far too short kiss. Before she could step away, he wrapped his other arm around her waist and pressed her close, deepening the contact until Tara felt dizzy.
Could he feel her love in every stroke of her tongue, every caress of her fingers?
This might be the last time she ever touched him, and she didn’t know how to let go. Buttonight wasn’t about her. There were bigger things at stake than her reckless heart.
Forcing herself to slow down, to end the kiss, she hugged him close, resting her cheek against his chest as they both caught their breath. She wanted to remember everything about him: his scent, the rare sound of his laughter, the feel of his skin, the whiskey glow of his eyes.
With a final deep breath, afinal brush of her hand down his back, she stepped out of his embrace and cradled his cheeks. “Let me know what happens with Evan. Please.”
He nodded and gripped her hands, tugging them from his face and lowering them to her sides. “Goodbye, Tara.”
Without another word, without looking back, he strode into the darkness.
