cups, when she
caught James staring at her.
Her attention
wavered slightly and she missed one of the cups,
pouring the steaming water on her hand.
"Damn," she said jerking her hand out of the path of
the water and slamming down the kettle.”
"Here run it under cold water," reacted James
reaching for the offended hand and shoving it under
the spigot as cold water spilled out over her hand.
Alex tried to pull her hand away from James, but his
grip on her wrist was too tight.
His caress on the
back of the burnt hand was like fire and even the
cold water didn't help.
Her eyes drifted up to his
and she caught her breathe at the emotions that
were conveyed.
Shutting off the water with her
other hand, Alex reached for a towel, accidentally
brushing her breasts across his chest.
James
inhaled sharply at the intimacy.
"Alex. . .," he whispered.
"James, you should go. "
"I should, but I can't. "
"James, please, you don't know what you're doing.”
"Yes, I do.
Alex, please, I need you and I know you
need me.”
Alex stepped away from him and retreated into the
dining room, she needed the space to clear her
head.
Her mind filled with thoughts of him and
Francine and flashes of the attack.
She also
thought about Tad, which brought her to reality and
made her realize how much she cared for
James.
Her feelings for Tad had waned in the six
months that she had been at Hasani, but
mysteriously, they had grown for James.
She
attributed to the fact that he was always there for
her, never pushing her to do anything she didn't
want to.
She remembered when they shook hands
the first time they met, that was when it had
started.
James followed Alex into the dining room, ignoring
the cup of coffee and tea that were growing cold on
the counter, and watched as the emotions crossed
her face.
He knew that she was waging her own
inner war.
"Alex, tell me you don't feel what I'm feeling.
Tell
me that and I'll leave and will never ask you about it
again."
"I can't do that," she whispered, turning her eyes
away from him, "I felt it when our hands met six
months ago and I feel it now.
But it can't be."
"Why? Because of this fiancée?"
"His name is Tad and only partly.
We know so
little about each other, James.
And what we do
know wouldn't fill this room.
There are other
things too.”
"What? Are you having these feelings for Grayson
or Morgan?"
"No," she said shaking her head, "You know I have
the deepest respect for all of those guys and you
too.
But you're still feeling the effects of your
divorce and you.
.
.
James we can't, it's that
simple. "
Alex was going to tell him about her suspicions of
him and Francine, but thought better of it.
She
didn't really want him to know she knew, she was
embarrassed by it and didn't want to embarrass
him.
"Fine.
When you're ready, let me know.
I'll be
there," James stated.
"Don't wait for me, it may be a while. "
James turned and left the house abruptly.
He was
confused and he didn't understand what her
hesitation was, he wasn't sure he wanted to
know.
James thought partially that it had
something to do with Francine.
"Damn," he cursed, getting into his SUV and drove
like hell home.
Alex heard the door crash violently against the jam
and jumped.
She knew he was upset but it
couldn't be helped.
Francine had made it clear
that she and James were an item, she had gone so
far as to pull Alex aside and confide in her once or
twice.
Since they had cleared the air between
them, they had become acquaintances, but never
gone so far as to be friends.
Alex walked into the kitchen and finished cleaning
up the mess.
She dumped James’ forgotten coffee
down the drain wondering if she would ever be able
to make coffee for him in private again.
She had
wanted so much to ask him to stay, but
refrained.
Reaching for the familiar vodka bottle,
Alex made another screwdriver, shut off the lights
and went to bed.
She hoped the vodka would
erase the touch, smell and sight of him but it
hadn't.
It had made her night pure torture.
James stomped
caught James staring at her.
Her attention
wavered slightly and she missed one of the cups,
pouring the steaming water on her hand.
"Damn," she said jerking her hand out of the path of
the water and slamming down the kettle.”
"Here run it under cold water," reacted James
reaching for the offended hand and shoving it under
the spigot as cold water spilled out over her hand.
Alex tried to pull her hand away from James, but his
grip on her wrist was too tight.
His caress on the
back of the burnt hand was like fire and even the
cold water didn't help.
Her eyes drifted up to his
and she caught her breathe at the emotions that
were conveyed.
Shutting off the water with her
other hand, Alex reached for a towel, accidentally
brushing her breasts across his chest.
James
inhaled sharply at the intimacy.
"Alex. . .," he whispered.
"James, you should go. "
"I should, but I can't. "
"James, please, you don't know what you're doing.”
"Yes, I do.
Alex, please, I need you and I know you
need me.”
Alex stepped away from him and retreated into the
dining room, she needed the space to clear her
head.
Her mind filled with thoughts of him and
Francine and flashes of the attack.
She also
thought about Tad, which brought her to reality and
made her realize how much she cared for
James.
Her feelings for Tad had waned in the six
months that she had been at Hasani, but
mysteriously, they had grown for James.
She
attributed to the fact that he was always there for
her, never pushing her to do anything she didn't
want to.
She remembered when they shook hands
the first time they met, that was when it had
started.
James followed Alex into the dining room, ignoring
the cup of coffee and tea that were growing cold on
the counter, and watched as the emotions crossed
her face.
He knew that she was waging her own
inner war.
"Alex, tell me you don't feel what I'm feeling.
Tell
me that and I'll leave and will never ask you about it
again."
"I can't do that," she whispered, turning her eyes
away from him, "I felt it when our hands met six
months ago and I feel it now.
But it can't be."
"Why? Because of this fiancée?"
"His name is Tad and only partly.
We know so
little about each other, James.
And what we do
know wouldn't fill this room.
There are other
things too.”
"What? Are you having these feelings for Grayson
or Morgan?"
"No," she said shaking her head, "You know I have
the deepest respect for all of those guys and you
too.
But you're still feeling the effects of your
divorce and you.
.
.
James we can't, it's that
simple. "
Alex was going to tell him about her suspicions of
him and Francine, but thought better of it.
She
didn't really want him to know she knew, she was
embarrassed by it and didn't want to embarrass
him.
"Fine.
When you're ready, let me know.
I'll be
there," James stated.
"Don't wait for me, it may be a while. "
James turned and left the house abruptly.
He was
confused and he didn't understand what her
hesitation was, he wasn't sure he wanted to
know.
James thought partially that it had
something to do with Francine.
"Damn," he cursed, getting into his SUV and drove
like hell home.
Alex heard the door crash violently against the jam
and jumped.
She knew he was upset but it
couldn't be helped.
Francine had made it clear
that she and James were an item, she had gone so
far as to pull Alex aside and confide in her once or
twice.
Since they had cleared the air between
them, they had become acquaintances, but never
gone so far as to be friends.
Alex walked into the kitchen and finished cleaning
up the mess.
She dumped James’ forgotten coffee
down the drain wondering if she would ever be able
to make coffee for him in private again.
She had
wanted so much to ask him to stay, but
refrained.
Reaching for the familiar vodka bottle,
Alex made another screwdriver, shut off the lights
and went to bed.
She hoped the vodka would
erase the touch, smell and sight of him but it
hadn't.
It had made her night pure torture.
James stomped
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