Read Online A Sip of You (The Epicurean Series) by Sorcha Grace - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sorcha Grace
Tags: New York Times Bestselling Author, “Absolutely delectable.”—J. Kenner, New York Times Bestselling Author “A satisfying, sensual read not to be missed.”—Raine Miller, New York Times Bestselling Author “An intriguing start to a saucy new trilogy.”—Roni Loren, National Bestselling Author “Yummy! Imagine Christian Grey with warm chocolate and you have William Lambourne.”—Aleatha Romig
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there all the time.” His words sounded rehearsed, as though he’d heard them uttered a thousand times. Perhaps he had. I’d read similar statements when I’d scanned the articles on the Internet about the crash.
“I’m pretty sure that’s what happened,” he added.
I leaned forward. “Pretty sure?”
He lowered his gaze to focus on me, as though he’d forgotten, for a moment, I was there. “I believe in logic and reason. But as much as logic and reason say that weather or equipment failure or some combination thereof caused the plane to go down—as much as logic and reason tell me no one survived the crash—there’s a minuscule possibility something else happened.” He ran a hand over his face, looking sad and weary. “I know it’s not probable. But it’s...something, you know?” His gaze met mine. “I don’t hope they’re still alive, but I hope someday I’ll know exactly what happened. No matter what, a part of me can’t stop wanting that.”
I reached out and took his hand again, stroking it because there really wasn’t any other comfort I could give. I understood what he wasn’t saying. What William really wanted was absolution—to know there was nothing he could have done to change the course of events. To know he was not responsible.
It made no rational sense. Of course an eleven-year-old boy, thousands of miles away at summer camp, couldn’t have been responsible for a plane crash in Alaska, but I knew all too well that rational sense had nothing to do with it. There was nothing rational about a broken heart. I knew because my own heart had been broken once too.
I rose from the table, walked to William, and sat in his lap. I put my arms around him, this big strong man who harbored a lost little boy somewhere inside. I kissed him tenderly, held him, and whispered, “I understand. I understand all about hope.” I held him for a long moment, feeling some of the tension leave his muscles, feeling his body melt into mine. “So this latest Wyatt is just another scam, right? And George is on it.” I hoped I sounded confident, as William clearly needed my reassurance that he had everything under control. After all, this was why we were in Napa. This was why I’d dropped everything to be here with him.
The silence between us lasted so long I was half afraid he hadn’t heard. But he had heard perfectly. I felt his shoulders stiffen, and he drew out of my embrace. “It’s a little more complicated this time. And I’d rather keep you out of it. You don’t need to know.”
I recoiled as though slapped. “What? What do you mean I don’t need to know? I don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to know, Catherine,” he said in that deep, dominant tone that clearly indicated his mind was made up and he wasn’t to be questioned. “Just trust me. It’s being taken care of and it will all be over soon enough. Don’t worry about it.”
He pushed me gently off his lap. Left with no other choice, I stood beside him. He rose as well and stretched. He really wasn’t going to say any more, and I stared in stunned disbelief, reeling from the emotional whiplash.
William had just opened up to me more than he ever had before and for those few moments, I felt so emotionally connected to him, so in love with him. And now, he was shutting me out. Just like that. Just because he wanted to. What the fuck?
I wanted to call him on it. Bad. I wanted to have a knockdown, drag-out fight, right here, right now, and scream that he couldn’t just ice me out because he felt like it. But I knew that wouldn’t get me what I wanted. I couldn’t make him open his heart to me no matter how loudly I demanded it. Still, a part of me rebelled against giving him a pass. He was acting as though nothing had changed between us and that everything was perfectly normal. It was frustrating and maddening and confusing as hell.
I was still trying to process what had just happened when William put his arm around me
“I’m pretty sure that’s what happened,” he added.
I leaned forward. “Pretty sure?”
He lowered his gaze to focus on me, as though he’d forgotten, for a moment, I was there. “I believe in logic and reason. But as much as logic and reason say that weather or equipment failure or some combination thereof caused the plane to go down—as much as logic and reason tell me no one survived the crash—there’s a minuscule possibility something else happened.” He ran a hand over his face, looking sad and weary. “I know it’s not probable. But it’s...something, you know?” His gaze met mine. “I don’t hope they’re still alive, but I hope someday I’ll know exactly what happened. No matter what, a part of me can’t stop wanting that.”
I reached out and took his hand again, stroking it because there really wasn’t any other comfort I could give. I understood what he wasn’t saying. What William really wanted was absolution—to know there was nothing he could have done to change the course of events. To know he was not responsible.
It made no rational sense. Of course an eleven-year-old boy, thousands of miles away at summer camp, couldn’t have been responsible for a plane crash in Alaska, but I knew all too well that rational sense had nothing to do with it. There was nothing rational about a broken heart. I knew because my own heart had been broken once too.
I rose from the table, walked to William, and sat in his lap. I put my arms around him, this big strong man who harbored a lost little boy somewhere inside. I kissed him tenderly, held him, and whispered, “I understand. I understand all about hope.” I held him for a long moment, feeling some of the tension leave his muscles, feeling his body melt into mine. “So this latest Wyatt is just another scam, right? And George is on it.” I hoped I sounded confident, as William clearly needed my reassurance that he had everything under control. After all, this was why we were in Napa. This was why I’d dropped everything to be here with him.
The silence between us lasted so long I was half afraid he hadn’t heard. But he had heard perfectly. I felt his shoulders stiffen, and he drew out of my embrace. “It’s a little more complicated this time. And I’d rather keep you out of it. You don’t need to know.”
I recoiled as though slapped. “What? What do you mean I don’t need to know? I don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to know, Catherine,” he said in that deep, dominant tone that clearly indicated his mind was made up and he wasn’t to be questioned. “Just trust me. It’s being taken care of and it will all be over soon enough. Don’t worry about it.”
He pushed me gently off his lap. Left with no other choice, I stood beside him. He rose as well and stretched. He really wasn’t going to say any more, and I stared in stunned disbelief, reeling from the emotional whiplash.
William had just opened up to me more than he ever had before and for those few moments, I felt so emotionally connected to him, so in love with him. And now, he was shutting me out. Just like that. Just because he wanted to. What the fuck?
I wanted to call him on it. Bad. I wanted to have a knockdown, drag-out fight, right here, right now, and scream that he couldn’t just ice me out because he felt like it. But I knew that wouldn’t get me what I wanted. I couldn’t make him open his heart to me no matter how loudly I demanded it. Still, a part of me rebelled against giving him a pass. He was acting as though nothing had changed between us and that everything was perfectly normal. It was frustrating and maddening and confusing as hell.
I was still trying to process what had just happened when William put his arm around me
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