where he wanted her?
God, please let that not be true. If it was, he honestly hadn’t planned it.
Shocked by his own uncertainty, he released her and stepped back. “I’ve been attracted to you for years, Annalise, but the timing is always wrong between us. Maybe I did look forward to being here with you, but is that so terrible? You can barely bring yourself to acknowledge me across a crowded room when we cross paths in Charlottesville. We’re here now. Alone. For God knows how long. Won’t you give me a chance to regain your trust? Please?”
He saw her lower lip wobble before she steadied it with small, even white teeth. “I came here to work for your Gram and Pops. None of this should have happened.”
“But it did,” Sam said firmly. “And you were right there with me. So don’t pretend with me, Annalise. We both stepped into that fire.”
Five
I f Annalise had ever been more stricken with mortification, she couldn’t remember it. In many ways, the ramifications of this moment with Sam were even worse than what had happened years ago. At least back then he had written her girlish passion off to immaturity.
Now, in one mad instant, she had revealed her deep vulnerability where he was concerned. Not only to him, but also to herself. She’d been pretending for years that she hated Sam Ely. The truth was, she was probably in love with him. She wasn’t exactly sure what that emotion was supposed to feel like. Surely not this nauseous sensation of impending doom.
At twenty-one she had known what she wanted and gone after it. Sam had crushed her budding attempt to be a sexually confident woman. Now, here he was. Gorgeous. Hungry. And ready to take advantage of propinquity and auld lang syne.
If she overreacted, she risked letting him see straight into her heart and her soul. Wolffs guarded both those locations zealously. Too much tragedy and heartache in the past to be soft. Too much at stake to voluntarily open up to the possibility of pain and loss.
So she had a choice. She could play this cool, run the show. Or she could let Sam break her heart. Given that pairing, it was really no contest.
Gathering the shreds of her composure, she retrieved her robe, put it on and tied the narrow, ribbonlike belt. The garment was scarcely a shield against his predatory gaze, but the operation gave her a few moments to think. Returning to the fire, she put her back to it, warming herself.
“You’re right,” she said calmly. “I was carried away by the moment. And it does seem as though we share some kind of basic animal attraction.”
He frowned. “I’m not an eighteen-year-old kid, Annalise. Give me credit for at least some discrimination. I don’t have sex with every woman on the street who piques my interest. You’ve been part of my life forever. And you’re incredibly warm and lovely.”
She forced a smile. “At the moment, the jury’s out on warm, but thank you for the compliment.”
“Something happened between us,” he said doggedly, his fierce gaze daring her to disagree.
“Yes.” Understatement of the year . “Here’s the thing, Sam. I don’t really have the time or the inclination to get involved with anybody right now, much less the grandson of my most recent client. You were only planning to be here overnight, two at the most…right?”
“I’d say my schedule is pretty much down the tubes at the moment. You may be stuck with me for a while.”
The weird little happy flutter her heart performed was too “middle school girl” to take seriously. “That’s not a valid reason for doing something stupid.”
“Didn’t seem stupid to me. It felt pretty damned wonderful.”
“There’s more to life than feeling good.”
“Wow, Annalise. When did you turn into a Puritan?”
He was striking back. Trying to provoke. But the words hurt. She looked at him, really looked at him. The whole package was overwhelming. In Charlottesville she could write him off as just another handsome,
God, please let that not be true. If it was, he honestly hadn’t planned it.
Shocked by his own uncertainty, he released her and stepped back. “I’ve been attracted to you for years, Annalise, but the timing is always wrong between us. Maybe I did look forward to being here with you, but is that so terrible? You can barely bring yourself to acknowledge me across a crowded room when we cross paths in Charlottesville. We’re here now. Alone. For God knows how long. Won’t you give me a chance to regain your trust? Please?”
He saw her lower lip wobble before she steadied it with small, even white teeth. “I came here to work for your Gram and Pops. None of this should have happened.”
“But it did,” Sam said firmly. “And you were right there with me. So don’t pretend with me, Annalise. We both stepped into that fire.”
Five
I f Annalise had ever been more stricken with mortification, she couldn’t remember it. In many ways, the ramifications of this moment with Sam were even worse than what had happened years ago. At least back then he had written her girlish passion off to immaturity.
Now, in one mad instant, she had revealed her deep vulnerability where he was concerned. Not only to him, but also to herself. She’d been pretending for years that she hated Sam Ely. The truth was, she was probably in love with him. She wasn’t exactly sure what that emotion was supposed to feel like. Surely not this nauseous sensation of impending doom.
At twenty-one she had known what she wanted and gone after it. Sam had crushed her budding attempt to be a sexually confident woman. Now, here he was. Gorgeous. Hungry. And ready to take advantage of propinquity and auld lang syne.
If she overreacted, she risked letting him see straight into her heart and her soul. Wolffs guarded both those locations zealously. Too much tragedy and heartache in the past to be soft. Too much at stake to voluntarily open up to the possibility of pain and loss.
So she had a choice. She could play this cool, run the show. Or she could let Sam break her heart. Given that pairing, it was really no contest.
Gathering the shreds of her composure, she retrieved her robe, put it on and tied the narrow, ribbonlike belt. The garment was scarcely a shield against his predatory gaze, but the operation gave her a few moments to think. Returning to the fire, she put her back to it, warming herself.
“You’re right,” she said calmly. “I was carried away by the moment. And it does seem as though we share some kind of basic animal attraction.”
He frowned. “I’m not an eighteen-year-old kid, Annalise. Give me credit for at least some discrimination. I don’t have sex with every woman on the street who piques my interest. You’ve been part of my life forever. And you’re incredibly warm and lovely.”
She forced a smile. “At the moment, the jury’s out on warm, but thank you for the compliment.”
“Something happened between us,” he said doggedly, his fierce gaze daring her to disagree.
“Yes.” Understatement of the year . “Here’s the thing, Sam. I don’t really have the time or the inclination to get involved with anybody right now, much less the grandson of my most recent client. You were only planning to be here overnight, two at the most…right?”
“I’d say my schedule is pretty much down the tubes at the moment. You may be stuck with me for a while.”
The weird little happy flutter her heart performed was too “middle school girl” to take seriously. “That’s not a valid reason for doing something stupid.”
“Didn’t seem stupid to me. It felt pretty damned wonderful.”
“There’s more to life than feeling good.”
“Wow, Annalise. When did you turn into a Puritan?”
He was striking back. Trying to provoke. But the words hurt. She looked at him, really looked at him. The whole package was overwhelming. In Charlottesville she could write him off as just another handsome,
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