Chapter 33
Thirty-Three
Tabitha
I watch Angie and Jason make their rounds with radiant smiles plastered on their faces. They’re in a world of their own, oblivious to the chatter and laughter around them. It’s their day, after all.
A glass of champagne finds its way into my hand, courtesy of Stephen. I take a sip, the bubbles tickling my nose.
“You look beautiful,” he says, his gaze warm.
“Thanks, Stephen,” I say, unsure how to respond.
He reaches out to tuck a stray curl behind my ear, his touch gentle.
The golden light shifts slightly, and the warm breeze carries a hint of a familiar scent. A scent that has my pulse racing. I turn to find Henry standing there, his hands tucked into his pockets.
“May I have a moment with Tabitha?” he asks Stephen.
Stephen opens his mouth, looking ready to protest, but then he seems to think better of it. “Sure.” He steps back.
Henry focuses on me with an intense gaze. My heart’s already beating double time as his blue eyes gleam with an emotion I haven’t seen before.
“Tabitha,” he begins, his voice barely above a whisper. “About last night…”
I hold my breath, waiting for him to continue, wondering if I’m caught in an eighties romantic comedy.
“I…didn’t handle things well.”
It’s not what I expected him to say.
“Okay,” I reply, trying to keep my voice steady. “Is there anything else you want to say?”
He doesn’t reply.
I sigh. “Okay. Enough. I’m returning to my date.”
He grabs my arm. “No. Please.”
Please? I haven’t heard that word from Henry since I got here.
He leans in, lowers his voice. “Can we go somewhere private?”
I glance around at the lively cocktail reception.
Everyone’s too engaged in laughter and conversation to notice us.
Soon they’ll be moving to the backyard where the appetizers will be set up and dinner will be served later.
We could probably have this discussion right here without anyone overhearing.
And we both know what will happen if we go somewhere private…
I should say no. I should tell him again that I need to get back to my date.
I should remind him that this day belongs to Angie and Jason and that he and I can have a million discussions tomorrow.
So…
“Sure,” I say.
We walk away from the crowd and into the house.
No privacy there.
Staffers are hustling and bustling to get the appetizers set up out back.
So Henry drags me down the hallway, but this time…
It’s the other hallway.
And we end up outside the door of his bedroom.
Already my nerves are on alert. Arousal surges inside me, landing between my legs. My nipples are hard, my stomach fluttering.
Only the faintest sounds of the staff and the music outside drift to us here.
Henry lightly touches the small of my back, guiding me into his room. I step inside, looking around at the space that looks like a monument to his youth. Trophies, awards, and a vintage poster of supermodel Brooke Bailey.
“Brooke Bailey?” I ask. “Where did you find that?”
“The antique store in town back when I was in high school. She’s actually my great-aunt. Or she was, at least. She passed away a while ago.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. My aunt Jade, who’s married to my mom’s brother Talon, is her daughter.”
I scratch the side of my head. “Your family is full of surprises.”
He doesn’t reply.
So I turn to leave.
This is exactly where I shouldn’t be.
Yet I want to be here more than I want my next gulp of oxygen.
“Don’t go.”
I turn back around. Henry’s gaze is intense.
It makes my heart pound in my chest as if it’s trying to escape the confines of my body.
“Tabitha…”
“Hmm…?”
But he says nothing.
Just burns me with those intense blue eyes of his.
I feel like he’s looking straight through my flesh and into my heart, my soul.
A shiver runs through me.
“Cold?” he asks.
At least he finally said something.
I steady myself. “No.”
He cocks his head, takes a slow step toward me. “You looked like you had a chill.”
“I did.”
“I’ll get you a sweater.” He walks toward a door that I assume leads to his closet.
I grab his arm and yank him back.
“How obtuse are you, Henry?” I ask, not nicely.
He glares at me.
“I mean, seriously.” I shake my head. “I’m not cold. It’s you. The way you look at me. You make me feel—”
His lips come down on mine before I can finish.
My mouth is already open, and he shoves his tongue inside.
His kiss is both wild and restrained, a battle between his desire and his control. It sends a shiver of delight through me. I can’t help but respond, that familiar heat pooling in my core.
But he pulls back quickly, breaking our connection but keeping his arms around me. His breathing is ragged, matching mine. His blue eyes are darker now, filled with unmasked desire.
“I’m sorry…” he begins but then shakes his head. “No, I’m not sorry. I’m not sorry for kissing you. But I am sorry that I’ve been such an ass, Tabitha.”
“I don’t need your apologies,” I tell him earnestly. “I just need you to be honest with me. Do you want this? Us?”
He doesn’t reply again.
“Oh!” I curl my hands into fists. “You are the most exasperating man I’ve ever met!”
He tilts his head, and his eyes soften.
And I feel like shit. He’s still struggling after killing Ralph.
I need to be compassionate, not obstinate.
“Look, Henry,” I begin, my voice softer this time. “I understand you’re going through a lot right now, and that’s okay.” I step closer to him, reaching out to touch his arm. “But if there’s something between us—and I think there is—then we owe it to ourselves to explore it.”
He looks at me, his gaze both intense and hesitant. “I don’t know,” he says finally. “I mean, I want to, but…”
The vulnerability in his expression is almost too much for me to bear.
I lean up and kiss him gently on the cheek. His stubble pricks my lips, but I don’t mind. Then I rest my head against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath the crisp fabric of his shirt.
“Just think about it,” I say as I pull away.
“I don’t need to think about it,” he says. “I had a kind of epiphany earlier. I’ve been an ass. I’ve been absorbed in my own issues, and I haven’t been thinking about how my actions have affected others.”
I let out an exasperated sigh. Others? He’s here talking to me. While I’m sure he cares about how he’s affected his family and friends, they’re not here right now.
I am.
“What does that mean, exactly?” I ask.
“I thought I was pretty clear.”
“Look.” I draw in a breath. “We all understand. You had a traumatic event. A life-changing event. But you’re still here. Your family is still here. You saved your sister and her fiancé. Husband now. We all understand, and no one is asking you to heal any more quickly than you can. But—”
He stops me with a gesture. “I shouldn’t have started something with you that I couldn’t finish. And even with what I’ve realized, I know I’m not ready for anything serious.”
I shrug nonchalantly. “Who said anything about serious?”
I hate the words as soon as they erupt like lava from my mouth. What the hell am I thinking?
I could so easily love this man. His sheer strength coupled with such sweet vulnerability.
Plus…he’s blond and blue-eyed and fucking gorgeous.
He’s the kind of man I always imagined myself ending up with.
And I’m offering myself up on a platter for more indecent quickies.
I deserve so much better. I deserve to be loved, cherished. Not just hit and then quit.
“I mean… I didn’t mean…” My cheeks are red hot. Why am I now the one floundering for words?
Henry quirks an eyebrow at me. “Not ready for anything serious, huh?”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
I’m not sure what I want.
Or maybe I am, but it scares the hell out of me.
“If that’s the case…” He inches closer, his eyelids heavy.
Though it takes every bit of willpower I have, I push him away. “Damn it. This is your sister’s day. We can’t.”
He looks stunned for a moment before his features soften into a smile, the kind that makes my heart lurch. “You’re right,” he agrees, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “This is Angie’s day.”
Relieved yet strangely disappointed, I back away from him, straightening my dress. “Thank you.”
He takes a step back, creating some much-needed distance between us. “I’ll see you at the reception?” he asks, his voice uncertain.
“Yeah,” I reply. “I’ll see you there.”
As Henry leaves the room, I take a moment to steady myself. The encounter has left me shaken, my heart pounding.
I spend the next few minutes alone in Henry’s room, trying to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions spinning inside me. It’s not easy. One moment I’m angry at him for being so distant and moody, and the next I’m melting into his arms as—
I jerk as he strides back into the room and grabs me. “Fuck it all,” he says, before crushing his mouth to mine.