Connor laughed. “Yeah, but I don’t mind if you repeat it. I happen to really, really like yours too.”
“Oh, a boob man, are you?”
“Baby, with you I’m an everything-about-you man.”
She laughed. “Flatterer.” They were both silent a moment and then she said, “I don’t know why I resisted you—resisted this—for so long.”
“Why do you think you did?” He had an idea, but he wasn’t sure he was right.
“Because of Phil.”
“Your ex-husband.”
“Yes.”
He couldn’t help it, he tensed.
“Oh, not because I’m still in love with him.”
Thank God for that. But was it true?
“Then why?”
“I was afraid of being hurt again.”
“And you’re not now?”
She rose on her forearm and looked him in the eye. “No, I still am. But I decided that wasn’t how I wanted to live my life. To fully live it you have to take chances. Risks.”
Damn, she undid him with her honesty. He stroked her hair, loving the silky feel of it. “Sierra, I’d never purposely hurt you.” But she could hurt him. He was only now realizing just how badly she could hurt him.
“I believe you. I want to, anyway.”
“So, are we together now?”
“Since I’m lying in bed with you after making wild love I’d say so.”
“No worries about working together?”
“No. We were able to be professional at work before this. I see no reason that should change.”
True. But he hadn’t realized until now, hadn’t allowed himself to admit the truth, even to himself. Especially to himself. He was falling in love with Sierra Evans.
*
Sierra woke upone morning to find herself almost pushed off the bed. Connor took up the majority of it. He was still asleep, his blond hair messy, stubble covering his cheeks, the sheets thrown off to show the back of a very naked man.
Yum.
Was she making a mistake allowing herself to get more involved with Connor every day? But damn, he was nothing like she’d thought he would be at first. Sure, he’d been great when they were in Vegas but that had definitely been one night only. When she came to Marietta and found him again, she’d resisted him as long as she could. When that hadn’t worked, she hadn’t been at all sure what would happen if they started dating.
If he didn’t truly care about her, he was a great actor. He was sweet and thoughtful, not at all like the love ’em and leave ’em player she’d believed him to be after hearing the gossip. And even though they were no longer a one-night stand, he was still fun. None of that had changed.
She tried to remember the last time she’d actually had fun with her ex-husband, and she couldn’t. She knew she had once, though, or she wouldn’t have married him. To be honest, their marriage had been good for several years. But the more independent she became, with her nursing especially, the more involved with work Phil became until she took a back seat. And then, of course, he’d fallen in love with another woman.
The more time that passed after the divorce, though, the more she realized that maybe she wasn’t still in love with Phil. That maybe she was happier without him than she’d been with him, certainly for the last few years of their marriage.
But she wasn’t in love with Connor, either. Sure, she enjoyed him. He did little romantic things for her that she’d never have imagined before they became involved. One morning she woke up with a single rose on the pillow beside her and a note saying he hoped her day was great. Another time he showed up with a box of Sage’s chocolates. Her favorites, which he must have asked Sage about. One night he invited her to his place and brought in dinner from the Graff.
