I said I’d go and I stick to my word.”
She blinked at him and he grinned. “Sorry, I probably sound like my dad, but he always taught us never to lie, and never to go back on our word. I try to follow those rules.”
There was a crease between her brows as though she didn’t believe him. Or maybe she was worrying about him making both the meeting and the ribbon-cutting when things were so crazy.
“I believe in telling the truth, too,” she said softly. “But sometimes people can make mistakes. I think if a person does that, they should speak up and rectify the situation, don’t you?” Her eyes burned with a significance he couldn’t interpret.
He nodded, wondering what she was getting at.
“If a person’s hurt another person, they should admit that, even if it’s difficult at the time,” she elaborated.
She wasn’t speaking rhetorically here. He felt quite sure she was sending him a message.
Suddenly he felt as though the building might be experiencing another aftershock. The world didn’t seem stable beneath his feet.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked urgently. He’d been so eager last night, so lost in lust and, frankly, so out of practice that maybe he’d done something to hurt her. If so, he’d never forgive himself.
Her cheeks flamed. “No. Of course you didn’t hurt me.”
“Then what are you talking about?”
“Nothing. Forget I spoke. I was speaking in general terms.” She pulled away from the desk and would have moved on to the next item of business, of which he knew there was plenty, but he stopped her.
“Briana, we can’t pretend nothing happened last night. I think we should talk about it.”
Amusement flickered across her face and caused her eyes to twinkle. “We should talk about it is supposed to be the woman’s line.”
“Well, based on the way you’ve reverted to all business, I’m guessing I’d wait a long time for you to open the subject.”
She huffed out a breath and he saw for a moment the vulnerability and sadness behind the external efficiency.
“I don’t think this is the appropriate time or place for such a discussion.” He opened his mouth to argue, but she went on. “What happened was—”
“Incredible.”
Warmth lit her eyes as she gazed at him briefly, before returning her attention to the printed schedule in her hand. “Yes. It was. But it was also—”
“Inappropriate. I know that, Briana. But the thing is, it happened, and all the pretending in the world won’t make it un -happen.”
“No.”
“I want to see you again,” he said urgently.
She looked at him as though that was bad news for some reason. “You do.”
“Damn right I do. Maybe nights like that happen allthe time for you, but they don’t for me.” He might be out of practice sexually, but he knew damn well that it wasn’t just the sex but the intimacy, the…something special between them that had made it such a stand-out experience. He doubted very much that she’d ever had a night like that any more than he had.
“No—”
“I didn’t think so. The thing is—”
His phone began to shrill. Even as he told her to leave it, she was leaning over him to pick up the receiver. “Mayor’s office.”
He watched, frustrated, as she said, “Right. Yes. Of course. I’ll tell him.”
But her next words pushed all thoughts of his personal life out of his head. Briana looked sad and troubled. “Patty Reese, the woman from the basement suite fire, died in hospital this morning.”
“Shit.”
“Yes.”
For now, Patrick realized, he and Briana were going to have to put their personal lives aside and concentrate on running this town.
Briana left and he spent the next hour returning calls, making a statement for the paper, and going over his notes for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. But he was thinking of his sister Shannon’s exhausted expression the night before. Of the valiant and ultimately futile effort to save Patty Reese.
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She blinked at him and he grinned. “Sorry, I probably sound like my dad, but he always taught us never to lie, and never to go back on our word. I try to follow those rules.”
There was a crease between her brows as though she didn’t believe him. Or maybe she was worrying about him making both the meeting and the ribbon-cutting when things were so crazy.
“I believe in telling the truth, too,” she said softly. “But sometimes people can make mistakes. I think if a person does that, they should speak up and rectify the situation, don’t you?” Her eyes burned with a significance he couldn’t interpret.
He nodded, wondering what she was getting at.
“If a person’s hurt another person, they should admit that, even if it’s difficult at the time,” she elaborated.
She wasn’t speaking rhetorically here. He felt quite sure she was sending him a message.
Suddenly he felt as though the building might be experiencing another aftershock. The world didn’t seem stable beneath his feet.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked urgently. He’d been so eager last night, so lost in lust and, frankly, so out of practice that maybe he’d done something to hurt her. If so, he’d never forgive himself.
Her cheeks flamed. “No. Of course you didn’t hurt me.”
“Then what are you talking about?”
“Nothing. Forget I spoke. I was speaking in general terms.” She pulled away from the desk and would have moved on to the next item of business, of which he knew there was plenty, but he stopped her.
“Briana, we can’t pretend nothing happened last night. I think we should talk about it.”
Amusement flickered across her face and caused her eyes to twinkle. “We should talk about it is supposed to be the woman’s line.”
“Well, based on the way you’ve reverted to all business, I’m guessing I’d wait a long time for you to open the subject.”
She huffed out a breath and he saw for a moment the vulnerability and sadness behind the external efficiency.
“I don’t think this is the appropriate time or place for such a discussion.” He opened his mouth to argue, but she went on. “What happened was—”
“Incredible.”
Warmth lit her eyes as she gazed at him briefly, before returning her attention to the printed schedule in her hand. “Yes. It was. But it was also—”
“Inappropriate. I know that, Briana. But the thing is, it happened, and all the pretending in the world won’t make it un -happen.”
“No.”
“I want to see you again,” he said urgently.
She looked at him as though that was bad news for some reason. “You do.”
“Damn right I do. Maybe nights like that happen allthe time for you, but they don’t for me.” He might be out of practice sexually, but he knew damn well that it wasn’t just the sex but the intimacy, the…something special between them that had made it such a stand-out experience. He doubted very much that she’d ever had a night like that any more than he had.
“No—”
“I didn’t think so. The thing is—”
His phone began to shrill. Even as he told her to leave it, she was leaning over him to pick up the receiver. “Mayor’s office.”
He watched, frustrated, as she said, “Right. Yes. Of course. I’ll tell him.”
But her next words pushed all thoughts of his personal life out of his head. Briana looked sad and troubled. “Patty Reese, the woman from the basement suite fire, died in hospital this morning.”
“Shit.”
“Yes.”
For now, Patrick realized, he and Briana were going to have to put their personal lives aside and concentrate on running this town.
Briana left and he spent the next hour returning calls, making a statement for the paper, and going over his notes for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. But he was thinking of his sister Shannon’s exhausted expression the night before. Of the valiant and ultimately futile effort to save Patty Reese.
♥ Uploaded by Coral
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