But the only thing that came out of his mouth was, “See you later.” He made it sound like an order, because it was.
She walked out and he watched her go, noting that one of the paralegals stared at her ass as she walked to the elevator. He glared at the guy and made him scramble away.
That’s right, asshole, stop staring at my Brooke.
What. The. Fuck?
He needed his head examined.
Brooke turned in the elevator car and gave him a wave.
Maybe it was good she was leaving, because if he gave in to what he wanted to do, he’d ruin them. And he couldn’t lose Brooke.
Not now.
Not ever.
He didn’t let himself think too hard about that dangerous and enticing thought.
He stared until the doors closed on her beautiful face and he closed his office door, went to his desk, stared at the food she’d brought him, and wondered again when she grew up to be so smart and poised and business savvy.
Don’t forget sexy.
That outfit…Fuck.
Needing a distraction, he opened the first folder and dove in, knowing he’d approve her request and be waiting like a child for Christmas to come so he could see her again.
She hadn’t even left yet and he missed her already.
I’m so fucked up.
Chapter Eight
He couldn’t stop thinking abouther. Brooke. He hadn’t seen her since the picnic. The start of school seemed so far away. He spent far too many nights with her on his mind, in his heart, a ghost he saw but couldn’t touch.
He wanted to call but didn’t know what to say. Overwhelmed by his need for her, the words stuck in his mind, evaporating in his throat before he could speak them.
He’d called a dozen times, hanging up before she answered.
Anxiety sucked. It made him second-guess himself. It made his thoughts spin.
The shyness he’d always felt around others trapped him in loneliness and a box he couldn’t escape.
Desperation to do something, be something else, find the strength, the bravery, hell, a single word to tell her he needed her, overwhelmed him and left him wanting and disheartened when he couldn’t find the courage.
He was weak, just like his father thought.
Soft.
But he was a problem solver.
She’d seen his number on her phone, how he kept calling and hanging up. If he found his voice and called her, she’d ask questions. He needed another way, a direct but private and easier way to reach her. She needed to know how he felt. He needed to tell her how he felt. Then she’d see. She’d know. He was the one who could be her everything.
She was that for him.
And she was anxious to see him again. That’s why she returned to school early.
He’d found her walking downtown with Mindy Sue a week ago. They’d gone into the salon and come out an hour later and he’d gasped with surprise, even as he went hard as a rod.
