Lesley nodded, realizing that in his own way he was apologizing for his outburst.He was angry and lashing out at her.His reaction hurt, but it was understandable.
Avoiding as much of the egg and milk as possible, Lesley walked across the kitchen and took the broom from the narrow closet on the other side of the refrigerator.
“What are you doing?”he asked with a confused look.
“Cleaning up.It’s got to be done.”And if she was occupied, it would be easier to swallow back the questions that demanded answers.Who had done this?Why?And what were they searching for so desperately?
“Lesley,” Cole groaned and took the broom out of her hand.“I’ll do that.I don’t want you to have to deal with this mess.”
“But I want to help.”Her voice wobbled treacherously.“You’re always pushing me away—let me at least do this.”
He didn’t look pleased about it, but he managed a grin.“Any other woman in the world would have stormed off, and with good reason.I didn’t mean to shout at you.”
“I know,” she supplied softly.“But I understand.”
An unreadable expression passed over his face.His eyes seemed to caress her.Lesley swallowed tightly.The anguish, the mental torment he was enduring, was all there for her to read.Every part of her yearned to reach out and comfort him.
“Do what you can in there and I’ll tackle the living room.”Cole broke eye contact first, pivoting sharply into the other room.Lesley watched him for a few moments as he stooped over to pick up the glass, but soon concentrated on her own efforts.
“If we were still hungry, I might have been able to cook something out of this,” she teased.
Cole made a disgusted sound and continued working.
With a soft smile lighting up her eyes, Lesley decided to dump the flour mess on the counter onto the floor before tackling that.With the broom she swept it off the counter.The white powdery substance filled the air until it was almost impossible to see.She coughed and waved her hand in front of her face.When the air cleared she glanced up to find Cole standing, hands on hips, watching her, his eyes filled with amusement.
Lesley brushed the hair from her eyes.Her hand came away caked with the fine dusting of flour.
“Here, let me do that,” Cole muttered and took a step toward her.
“Don’t you dare,” she cautioned.“You’ll track the flour everywhere.”
“You come here, then.”He pointed to the place where the carpet ended, where the living room met the kitchen.
Lesley did as he requested, attempting to brush the flour from her face and hair.
Cole sighed audibly.“You’re only making it worse.”He took a handkerchief from his hip pocket and made a show of unfolding it.
“That had better be clean,” Lesley admonished with laughing eyes.
He laughed as he brushed the hair from her cheek and lightly ran the soft cotton cloth over her face.Although his touch was cool and impersonal, Lesley’s reaction was overwhelming.Her teeth bit into her bottom lip.Immediately she regretted the telltale action and forced a bright smile onto her taut mouth.
“Thanks.”She cast her gaze downward.
“Lesley.”Her name was murmured in a soft tone, and when she glanced up she watched, amazed, as a nerve flexed tensely in his jaw.Her heart leaped at the tender look in his eyes.
Smiling gently, Lesley reached up and caressed his cheek, her hand lovingly stroking the proud line of his jaw.Cole’s hand covered hers and directed it to his lips.Lightly he kissed her palm.The teasing gesture made her knees grow weak, and she locked her arms around his neck and fit her body to his.
Cole wrapped his arms around her and covered her mouth with hungry kisses that skyrocketed her to dizzying heights.The first taste of longing raced through her blood, catching her unaware.Frightened and more than a little unsure, she released her hold and levered herself away.
Cole relaxed his grip and expelled a long, shuddering breath.His eyes were still closed.
“I...I got flour on you,” Lesley managed after a moment, her voice unsteady.Gently she brushed it from his shirt.Her palm could feel the rapid beat of Cole’s heart and the labored breathing as he struggled for control.
“I’ll get back to work,” Lesley said and was surprised at the sound of her own voice.It was scratchy and weak.
Silently they worked in different rooms, at their separate tasks, but they were together mentally, even spiritually, in a way Lesley found unexplainable.She remembered stories her mother had told her as a child about the years Lesley’s father was in the war.Months on end, and there was no word, no letters.Her mother didn’t know if he was dead or alive, and yet somehow she did know, because the love they had for each other ran so deep that it spanned time and distance.At the time Lesley hadn’t understood and must have looked puzzled.When you love, her mother had explained, then you’ll know.Years later, Lesley discovered the same sensation for this mysterious man, working silently in the room next to hers.But they could have been continents apart and it wouldn’t have mattered.
“You look very intense.”
