Chapter 14 Open To The Possibility
OPEN TO THE POSSIBILITY
They returned to Nelson’s room hours later.
Her body was weary, her mind adrift in a hundred tender thoughts, and her heart fluttered as if a thousand butterflies had taken flight inside her ready to lift her into something beautiful and unknown.
That was her temporary husband.
Beautiful and unknown.
But she wanted to know more.
The guy was seriously offering to fly here for a date and fly back home.
Dream or fairytale?
Or a combination of both?
If he wanted to do that, why couldn’t she be open to the possibility?
“What time do you have to go to work tomorrow?” he asked.
“Noon. I’ll be done by six. Next week I’m just working Tuesday night and Friday night again. I’ve got exams, and want the following weekend off to study.”
“But you’ll make the time for a date, right?” he asked.
“If you really want to fly here for it, sure. But if you can’t or change your mind, I understand. Maybe the following weekend though?”
“I’ll be here,” he said. “I mean it.”
“It feels like such a waste of money,” she said, cringing.
She didn’t want to talk him out of it but didn’t want him to think she needed all the attention either.
“It’s my money to waste,” he said, his hand brushing at her hair again. He was a touchy one and surprisingly, she didn’t mind it when in the past she couldn’t have cared for it one way or another. “And I don’t consider it wasteful getting to spend time with you.”
“I’m sure you’ve been told this before, but I’ll say it. You’re a smooth one.”
Not that she wanted to think of the other women he’d had in his life.
Women who might be more his style or type.
Who liked to go out and party, drink, have one-night stands.
She’d been none of those things, but she wouldn’t consider herself a prude either.
Just mild in his mind, she was betting.
“I might have heard it a time or two, but I only care to hear it from you.”
He drew her into his arms, holding her in that perfect way that a man with years of practice might have. Not so tight she couldn’t break free, but secure enough to tell her without words that she was his for now, and he wasn’t letting go until he chose to.
“I feel so weak falling for this when I don’t know enough about you.”
“I’ll tell you anything,” he said, his lips hovering over hers. “Just ask.”
“Sometimes I think I don’t want to know,” she whispered.
“That’s not good for either of us,” he said, his lips landing on hers. She opened for him so freely. So willing. So ready to not let this time pass them by.
Maybe he wouldn’t come back next weekend. Or the one after.
She might only see him again when they signed those divorce papers.
It’d be the best thing, she was sure.
But she didn’t know if always doing what was best was right either.
And when his tongue slid into her mouth, she met him and gave it back just as much. Just as deep. Just as strong.
They had something more than chemistry. She knew it and she was positive he did too.
His hands, resting on her waist, slid slowly under her shirt, tracing a path up her back. The tingling fire that ignited inside her spoke louder than any doubt she’d been fighting to suppress.
She did the same as he was, her hands under his shirt, on his back, his skin soft, smooth, hot. What she wouldn’t do for them to be skin to skin.
But it’d be stupid. Crazy. Reckless.
Hadn’t she used up her quota of irresponsible actions this month?
“I wish I knew what happened last weekend,” he said, breaking their kiss. “It’s killing me not knowing.”
“I feel the same. As if we did it, wouldn’t we know? Wouldn’t it be strong enough for us to remember something?”
He moved back and patted the bed for her to sit next to him. “I’d like to think so, but I just don’t know. And as much as I want this to go further, I don’t want you to have regrets.”
“I didn’t think you’d be this much of a gentleman,” she said.
“Fuck, neither did I.”
She slapped his arm. “Don’t swear.”
“Sorry. It’s hard to break that.”
“Do you swear at work?”
“Sometimes,” he said, wincing. “In order for me to stay in line I’d have to think of you like my mother and I’d rather not.”
“Eww.”
“Exactly. But the sad truth is, she swears too.”
She laughed. “My mother does the sign of the cross if I take the Lord’s name in vain.”
“Damn. Darn,” he said. “Sorry. I need to work on that if I meet them.”
It wasn’t the first time it’d come up about Nelson meeting her parents.
“Do you think that’s smart? They know nothing about you.”
“Nothing at all?” he asked. “You didn’t tell me much about that visit.”
“There isn’t much more to say than what I told you. My father hasn’t talked to me since. I’ve texted my mother twice but nothing more than check-ins. I’ve let them down once more.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“Nothing for you to be sorry about,” she said.
“Come on, Kenzie. I walked into the place on drugs and all but attacked you.”
She laughed and fell back onto the bed. He dropped next to her, his head turned to look at her. “Hardly. You came in and pointed your finger at me and I’m the one who said it’d taken you long enough.”
“It always feels as if there is this weird chemistry that pulls us together subconsciously.”
“Could be,” she said. Her eyes were shifting around his face looking for any clues of what he could be thinking.
“Where do we go from here?” he asked.
“What do you want? Let’s start with that.”
“Nothing we say will scare the other, right?”
“I’m not so sure about that, but I’d rather know the truth,” she said.
“I want to give this a shot. I know it makes no sense, but I like you. A lot. We have something between us. We shared something few others can say.”
“Thank God for that.”
He rolled and had her in his arms, the two of them hugging on the bed. Nothing sexual, more like comforting.
“I’m going to keep coming back until you give me a chance,” he said. “I can read it in your eyes. You think I’ll tire of it.”
“I do.”
“But I’m going to prove you wrong if you let me.”
“Doesn’t seem as if I’ve got much of a choice.”
He kissed her on the lips, just a quick peck. “We all have a choice in life, but I hope you choose me.”
“I already did once,” she said, then turned and straddled his hips. “How about some major make-out sessions to hold me over? Anything more, I think you’re right, we might regret, even though we are married.”
He rolled over, her body bouncing on the bed from the unexpected move, then got on top of her, his body pressing her down, giving her an idea of how spectacular it’d feel if the time ever came.
She wanted it to. She knew he did too.
But would it be just one more mistake or the best thing to happen to them?