Chapter 8
Rita
I’d been on edge ever since seeing Stewart at the hospital. I hadn’t cleared him to return to duty, but I should have known that wouldn’t stop him from checking on his guys. He told me he could have a one-track mind. I guess I should have believed him.
For days every sound, every footstep, every time the phone rang, I knew it was him, but it hadn’t been.
I made sure to come in later in the day last Wednesday when I knew he was meeting with Aspen.
Since then it was like he had simply disappeared.
I knew I should be relieved, but I wasn’t.
This was just more evidence I did the right thing by transferring him to Aspen.
If I had seen him one more time, who knew what would have happened.
My trip to Colorado Springs couldn’t have come at a better time.
I was half tempted to spend the entire weekend here, but I didn’t want to waste the money.
It was better to do my shopping, run the errands I needed, and head back home before the weather took a turn.
They weren’t predicting anything, but this was Colorado.
Stand still long enough and the weather would change right around you.
I started at the dry cleaners. I didn’t do too many things that I couldn’t take care of myself, but I had a couple of pieces that were dry clean only, and I saved them up until I could come into town. We had a cleaners in Ridgeway that I could go to, but I liked the guys here better.
I wandered through the farmer’s market and picked up some of my favorite honey and some fresh fruit.
I also got a few new cheeses to try and two loaves of freshly baked sourdough.
I had tried to do my own back when everything was shut down and sourdough making was everywhere.
I think I killed like three starters before I remembered I didn’t do cooking.
Now I got a couple loaves when I came down.
I’d take them home and slice them up before putting them in the freezer, and I’d have fresh bread whenever I wanted.
I was debating Chinese food or Italian when I felt someone beside me. My heart took off in my chest before I turned my head and saw Stewart standing there. It was almost as if my body knew it was him.
“Did you really need to come all the way to Colorado Springs to get away from me?” His voice had the same hard tone I remembered from our first meeting back when he was trying to avoid my questions.
I was having a hard time thinking of our time together as sessions considering the connection I felt toward him.
“Colorado Springs isn’t that far.” I swallowed audibly. “Are you following me?”
His eyes met mine. I expected to see anger or annoyance in them, but I didn’t. He looked hurt.
“Do you really think I would do something like that?”
“No,” I answered honestly. “Not really.”
“I needed a few things.” He explained. “My mom’s birthday is coming up next month, and I just arranged to go home for a few days since I have the time.” His eyebrows went up. “I figured it would be easiest to get her something here.”
“That’s really sweet.” A half smile took over before I could stop it. “I’m glad you are going home.”
He didn’t return the smile, and it felt wrong somehow. “We need to talk.”
“No, we don’t.” I turned to walk back to my car. So much for my free weekend. If I left now, I could just get something to eat on the way back to Ridgeway.
He ran around me so he was blocking my path. “Yes, we do.”
“I’m not your therapist anymore.” I argued. “I was barely your therapist in the first place. There’s nothing for us to talk about.” My relaxing day was quickly disappearing.
“How about what happened at the pet rescue?” He asked. “I think there is plenty for us to talk about from that one afternoon. If not that, then how about you being at the hospital? We could talk about that.”
My body stiffened. “I’m not talking about that.” I tried to walk around him again, but he kept stepping in the way.
“Was he your husband?”
I stopped moving. “Who?”
“The man I saw you hugging,” he said.
I smiled and let out a gust of air filled with laughter. “No.”
“Boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Then why did you disappear so fast?” He reached out his hand to take mine. “Are you sick?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Then just talk to me.”
“It’s personal.”
“You have to know you can trust me.” He squeezed my hand.
“No, I don’t.” I should let go of his hand, but I wasn’t sure I could break the spell of his gaze. “We don’t know each other. Not really.”
He took a moment and then nodded. “I suppose that is true.” His lips spread into a devastating smile. “Have lunch with me.” It fell somewhere between a request and a command.
“No.” That was definitely not a good idea.
He let go of my hand and stepped closer. The heat from his body pulled at something deep in my chest. His hand worked its way under my hair so that his skin was touching my face. His thumb rubbed back and forth across my cheek. Those blue eyes practically midnight with desire.
“Please.” I could feel his breath on my face, and I had to force my eyes not to close.
“I’m not your therapist.” And thank god. If I were I’d have to report myself for the thoughts going through my mind right now. I glanced at his lips. They looked perfect. I wanted them on my skin, on my mouth. I let my tongue run over my lips to moisten them in anticipation, and Stewart groaned.
He leaned his face closer to me, and for a second I thought he was going to kiss me right here in public for everyone to see. Instead, he let his cheek rub against mine as he whispered in my ear.
“I don’t want or need to talk about therapy right now.”
“What do you want to talk about?” My throat bobbled up and down.
“I want to talk about us.”
“There is no us.” I put my hand on his chest. I was sure I meant to push him away, but I could feel his heart beating as fast as mine.
Was he hard too? I thought about pressing my body completely against his so I could find out.
It had been way too long since I felt a man inside me, and, lord help me, I wanted it to be Stewart.
The desire inside me was on the verge of becoming a need.
“Are you sure about that?”
“About what?” My eyes started to close as I felt the brush of what could be his lips on my neck.
“Us.” There it was again. “One meal. What’s the harm in that?”
Just my entire life exploding around me.
“One meal and then we walk away?” I bargained.
“One meal and then we see.” He pulled back. The brush of those lips caused my body to shutter.
“We see what?”
“If there is an us.”