She tried to smile. It faltered a little at first, before widening into something that was true. “Okay. Fine. Dinner. That’s it.”
The rain started to fall again, a little more in earnest this time, so I cupped either side of her face and dropped a kiss on her soft cheek. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
She stared at me for a few seconds, nodded, turned, and walked slowly into the building. Inside, she glanced back through the glass. Her lips parted when her eyes landed on me, and I could only imagine the raw need she must have seen on my face. It was a risk, showing her the anguish I felt in my soul. I should have schooled my features. Hid this worrisome need I had for her. But I didn’t. I let her see it.
She stared at me, her chest rising and falling with her quick breathing, before she pressed her lips together into a tight smile, giving me a little wave before she turned on her heel and strode away.
I returned the wave, though she didn’t see me, and waited until she was out of sight before I made my way to the bus stop to catch my ride home.
Halfway there, the world went woozy and pain lanced through my temples. My vision faded in and out, and I stuck out a hand, looking for something to steady myself.
Fuck.
Fuck!
CHAPTER8
Ailee
Four days had gone by and I hadn’t heard a word from Tyler. In that time, I’d kept myself busy with work, checked in with the kiddos, and most definitely did not think about why a man who had stared after me with such raw lust hardening his features wouldn’t have called yet.
But Lord help me, I could still feel his eyes burning all the way down to places I didn’t even realize I had the night he’d walked me home. Somehow, I’d kept my steps steady and measured as I’d walked away from the door, refusing to look back again or over-analyze what I’d agreed to.
That moment he’d dropped his guard, though. That look. It still made my knees weak.
Had any man ever looked at me like that? Like he would rip off doors and tear down walls to get to me if I so much as quirked a finger in invitation? I had to admit, I couldn’t think of one. Sure as hell not my ex-husband. Once he’d gotten me to the altar, I’d been lucky if he’d even noticed me walking into the room. And after I’d gotten pregnant the first time, we may as well have had separate bedrooms. The second time had happened after too much alcohol at his office Christmas party.
The way Tyler looked at me was kinda scary, a bit obsessive…and yet, it sent a thrill through me. I mean, what woman wouldn’t want a man to look at her like that?
But at the time, I’d closed the apartment door behind me, turned the deadbolt, and set my purse down on the table in the foyer. Then I’d wandered into the kitchen on autopilot, where I’d poured a glass of water and leaned back against the counter. I wondered how long he’d stood out there, and I had to admit, it had crossed my mind to have a change of heart and invite him inside, knowing damn well what would’ve happened if I had.
What I’d told Stef was no lie. If the way he kissed was anything to go on, having that man in my bed would, in fact, be a life-altering experience.
But in the end, I’d set my empty glass in the sink and turned off the lights before making my way into my bedroom, where my vibrator and I had had one hell of a bonding experience.
“Why don’t you just call him, Ailee?” Stef grabbed a slinky, deep red piece of material from the rack, pulling me back to the here and now. “And you could wear this when you see him!”
I willed away the vision of Tyler’s burning eyes. Shopping. We were shopping. “Is that supposed to be a shirt?”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s a dress. And it would look amazing on you.”
The woman was insane. I refused to take the “dress” and went back to my retail therapy. I actually wasn’t big on shopping, but when Stef called and asked me if I wanted to get together for lunch and to help her pick out a dress for some mysterious occasion she wouldn’t elaborate on, I’d jumped at the chance to head to Seattle. I needed the change in scenery. And it was, most definitely, not in the hope that I would run into Tyler. That was just silly. There were a lot of people in the city. The chances of running into anyone you knew were pretty miniscule.
That was absolutely not the reason.
While we shopped, I’d filled her in on our coffee date. And now she was way too excited about a date that may or may not happen and that she wouldn’t be going on anyway. “For one. No, it wouldn’t. And two. It’s too cold and wet to wear something like that anywhere outside of the dressing room.”
“So, wear a raincoat.”
“Stef, be serious.”
“I am being serious. Any man would take one look at you in this and would have it off of you within six seconds, guaranteed.”
“Then what’s the point of wearing it?”
“That is the point. That’s the only point.”
It was my turn to roll my eyes. I found a navy cocktail dress with a halter neckline and a pretty design of crystals covering the bodice. “What about this one for you? Too fancy? Not fancy enough?”
