Page 26 of Married at Midnight

He let his gaze travel over the room, then looked back at her. “Not as close as I am to my grandmother, but we get along. I don’t think we ever had a parent-child relationship. We’re just two guys who are making their way through life.”

“That sounds kind of lonely for both of you,” Ellie said, meaning the words.

“We’re fine.” His expression shuttered as he turned away to study a bookcase up close. “What about you and your parents?”

She let out a dry laugh. “They meddle. They mean well, but there are two of them and one of me. I always felt like I was under an ever-watchful eye while growing up. One slipup and they would both come down on me.”

When he glanced back, his control was back in place. “Does that explain the perfect grades you always tried so hard to achieve in high school?”

Ellie wondered what he was hiding. She’d obviously touched on a sensitive subject with her question about his father. Maybe in time he would tell her more. Letting things go for now, she answered his question. “I was terrified to disappoint my parents more than I already had.”

He was beside her again. “You’re not a disappointment, at least not to me.” He reached for her shoulders, running his palms down her arms.

Her breath hitched. “You don’t have to say things like that just to try and make me feel better.” With barely a touch, he created a sensual tension within her that grew tighter and tighter.

“I’m not trying to make you feel better. I’m finally being honest with you and with myself. I know I hurt you eleven years ago.”

“And I hurt you,” she finally admitted.

“That doesn’t mean we need to keep on hurting each other.” His hands slid around her waist, drawing her closer.

Her heart thundered as his gaze dropped to her mouth. Without thinking, she parted her lips, and he laid claim. With only the lightest brush of his mouth against hers, she felt as though she were sinking, drowning, drunk with passion, captive to an exchange that was too potent for her excuses.

Tossing her better judgment aside, she kissed him back, demanding more, inciting what had simmered between them since the morning after their wedding, freeing herself of restraint.

And then his cell phone chimed.

Ellie froze as sanity cut through her desire.

Connor groaned. “I don’t have to get that,” he whispered against her lips.

“Yes, you do. Your grandmother is in the hospital,” she replied, forcing herself to draw back.

Removing his hands from her waist, he waited another second before he fished his cell phone out of his pocket. “Hello?”

Ellie moved away, giving him privacy as she mentally reviewed a list of all the reasons why kissing him was a really bad idea. Kissing him would lead to other things, and when they parted, as per their agreement, she would be heartbroken again. Only this time it would be far worse, because she liked him far more than she should.

Instead of the boy from the past, an intelligent, sexy man dressed in blue jeans and a T-shirt stood in front of her, looking like the answer to a prayer. Uncertain what to do next, Ellie strolled about the room, jotting the furnishings down on her clipboard. Her gaze continued to stray to Connor.

After several long moments, he hung up the phone. “It was Viola. She wants us to come to the hospital.”

“Is anything wrong?” Ellie asked with her heart in her throat.

Concern shadowed his features. “She wouldn’t say anything except she wants to talk to both of us.”

“I need to change my clothes. I’ll make it quick.” Ellie set her clipboard down.

Connor nodded. The moment between them was broken though not forgotten. She could see proof of that in Connor’s eyes a moment before she raced up the stairs.

Half an hour later, Ellie parked her car in the hospital parking garage. Connor couldn’t help but worry as they made their way up to Viola’s room, only to find she’d been moved from ICU to a PCU unit on a different floor.

He was thrilled his grandmother had improved enough to be moved, though it would have been nice to learn that information from the woman herself when she’d called. But that was Viola. She was an enigma, if nothing else.

Before they entered Viola’s new room, Connor reached for Ellie’s hand. “To keep up the charade.”

Instantly her fingers curled around his. She offered him a gentle smile.

Connor returned that smile. Their marriage might be fake, but Ellie’s caring about people was truly genuine. He could see that now that he’d let go of the past.