Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 81113 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81113 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
But… as good as it was to know that he wanted me… it didn’t help if he still decided this was a mistake.
If he apologized again, I wasn’t sure what I’d do in response. Maybe burst into tears.
Michael pulled out, looking at himself, at me, and giving a wry smile. “It’s not smart of us to keep doing this in the restaurant.”
I could tell that he was being a bit lighthearted about it but not entirely joking. “I agree.” I smiled. “What if the health inspector had caught us?”
Michael laughed, shaking his head. “You are something else, you know that?”
He helped me down off the counter and we cleaned ourselves up, then the kitchen. Michael was still playful the entire time, squirting me with water, and I laughed as we ended up making even more of a mess around us in trying to get ourselves all put back together.
We cleaned up the kitchen, too, and according to industry standards or the morning shift the next day would murder us. Michael swiped some leftover chocolate, making me laugh, and I popped a final couple of strawberries into my mouth.
“We’re definitely adding that cheesecake to the menu,” he told me as we locked up and then headed out.
“I’m glad,” I told him. The night air felt unusually cool against my still-heated skin, and I shivered. San Francisco was known for its mist for a reason. It was never exactly warm here, not for most of the year, anyway, and tended to get colder than most of the rest of California.
Michael put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side, keeping me warm. It reminded me of graduation, how that night he’d put his arm around me to lead me back out to the party, and at the time, it had been the most touch I’d ever gotten from him. It had felt so important to me. I’d treasured the memory of that simple touch for ages.
Now, it meant so much more.
He walked me to my car, turning me into him when we reached it. “Drive safe,” he murmured, and for a moment I thought that would be all…but then he leaned in, his hand coming up to cup my cheek, kissing me softly.
Michael’s gaze searched my face as he pulled back. I wasn’t sure what I was seeing in his eyes. In some ways I felt like I knew him well, after so many years studying him, learning his moods, his expressions. But in other ways I felt as though I was still so new to this, still discovering things.
At last, Michael gave a small, self-deprecating smile. “I can’t seem to stop myself when it comes to you,” he admitted. His thumb stroked my cheek, tracing the curve of it, and I couldn’t resist turning my face into his touch and catching the pad of his thumb with my teeth, biting down slightly.
Michael gave a low growl and pulled his hand away, dropping it to my hips and tugging me into him. “I made a decision when I got divorced, though.”
My heart thudded painfully in my chest. “Yes?”
“I decided I wasn’t going to be with anyone else.” Michael paused, then gave a heavy sigh. “There were times when I hoped that Virginia would come back. I can’t lie about that. Not anymore, I don’t. Honestly, seeing her today did nothing for me. As I’m sure you’ve figured out.”
He gave me a wink and I could’ve sworn my heart melted a bit.
“But I never wanted to find anyone else after her. I never wanted to get mixed up in a relationship with someone again. So if you want a good time, if you want to just keep seeing each other like this, that works for me. But if you want something serious… it’s all right if you do. It’s more than understandable. But it won’t be with me.”
My heart plummeted.
I had thought… well, after being in a serious relationship for so long, Michael would want to be back in that again, wouldn’t he? After knowing the joys of it, the contentment, and all the rest?
But it seemed that wasn’t worth it to him. He wanted something casual. He didn’t want to risk his heart getting hurt again.
I could understand that, even if I wasn’t exactly jumping with fucking joy about it. I had known that it would be an uphill battle to show him how good I could be for him, and that he would have a lot of concerns. Maybe not this particular concern, but still. I could work with this.
“I’m Brooke’s best friend,” I pointed out. “Brooke is your daughter. She’ll kill us both if she finds out this is happening. A relationship isn’t exactly in the cards for either of us, not with each other, but I’m enjoying the fun we’re having.”