Lesley was running the water into the sink to do the dinner dishes when Cole stirred.He jerked himself upright and looked around.
Drying her hands on a terry-cloth towel, Lesley walked into the living room.“I must say this is the first time I’ve had that effect on a man.”
He looked at her blankly, then bounded to his feet and ran his hand along the side of his head.“I should never have come here.”
“But you did and I’m glad.”
His eyes narrowed menacingly.“Just because I kissed you, it doesn’t give you the right to—”
“I don’t expect a thing,” she assured him softly.“Are you hungry?”
“No.”He sounded disconcerted, angry.
“Cole, what’s wrong?”she probed gently.
“Wrong?”he snapped.“Everything’s wrong.I was a fool to come here.”
“But, Cole—”
“Listen, Miss Do Right,” he said, pointing an accusing finger in her direction, “I knew you were trouble the minute I laid eyes on you.”
“That’s interesting,” she countered evenly.“I felt the same thing about you.”Not until tonight did she acknowledge that what they’d experienced was attraction, one so powerful and explosive it could disrupt their entire lives.
“I don’t want you in my life.Can I be more blunt than that?”He stalked to the far side of the room, his back to her.
A lump was growing in her throat, making it difficult to swallow.“No, I don’t think you can.”
“Is it possible for us to live side by side and stay out of each other’s way?”Still he kept his back to her.
“Yes,” she mumbled.“Go on and go.I don’t know why you’re running, and I don’t care.But I’ll be here waiting when you’re through.”
He turned to her then, his eyes dark and tormented.She yearned to go to him and erase the lines of indecision and anguish, but she stood still and silent.
His hand gripped the doorknob, and she watched as his knuckles turned white.He didn’t want to leave, but some force stronger than anything she could inspire in him drove him away and into the silent night.
Chapter Five
Lesley didn’t see Cole for another week.Their meeting then was by chance.She’d gone down to the mailbox to collect her mail and saw a deer in the distance.It was unusual for the animals to come down this far, but already winter had been harsh and undoubtedly the small deer had been searching for food.Not wanting to frighten the lovely, tan-skinned creature, she moved cautiously, following it into the wooded area behind the duplex.To her surprise, she found that a bale of hay had been spread out and two other deer were eating from it.
Out of the corner of her eye, Lesley happened to catch a movement.She turned and saw Cole breaking apart another bale farther up the incline in the back of the property.Apparently he felt her presence and turned.Only a few yards separated them.Cole stopped and buried the pitchfork into the snow, his gaze never leaving hers.
“Hello, Lesley.”
“Cole.”She felt mesmerized by his gaze.He looked tired and she yearned to go to him.But she stood as she was, waiting, for what she didn’t know.
“How have you been?”
She wanted to scream at him that she was miserable and that having him so close and yet so far away was hurting her unbearably.She longed to tell him that she knew he wasn’t sleeping, because she wasn’t sleeping either and could hear his movements.Some nights she pressed her fingertips to the wall because it was the only way she knew to communicate with him.
Lesley lowered her gaze.“I’m fine.And you?”
“Fine.”
How could they lie to each other like this?She snapped her head up, suddenly angry.“If you won’t be honest, then I will be.I’m miserable.I’d give anything to have the electricity go out again just so I could find that warm, vibrant man I was beginning to know.”And love, her thoughts concluded.
A muscle twitched in Cole’s jaw.“He doesn’t exist.”
“Don’t tell me that,” she cried.“I felt his arms around me, I know his touch and I...I gave him comfort.But when the lights came back—”
