Though it seemed sweeter now, richer now, she knew she could never go there again.
“Mitch, please.” It wasn’t easy to resist what he was offering. It surprised Hester how difficult it was to draw away, to put the boundaries back. “We can’t do this.”
“We are,” he pointed out, and drew the flavor from her lips again. “And very well.”
“
I
can’t.” With the small sliver of willpower she had left, she struggled away. “I’m sorry. I should never have let this happen.” Her cheeks were hot. Hester put her hands to them, then dragged them up through her hair.
His knees were weak. That was something to think about. But for the moment he concentrated on her. “You’re taking a lot on yourself, Hester. It seems to be a habit of yours. I kissed you, and you just happened to kiss me back. Since we both enjoyed it, I don’t see where apologies are necessary on either side.”
“I should have made myself clear.” She stepped back, hit the newspapers again, then skirted around them. “I do appreciate what you’re doing for Rad—”
“Leave him out of this, for God’s sake.”
“I can’t.” Her voice rose, surprising her again. She knew better than to lose control. “I don’t expect you to understand, but I can’t leave him out of it.” She took a deep breath, amazed that it did nothing to calm her pulse rate. “I’m not interested in casual sex. I have Rad to think about, and myself.”
“Fair enough.” He wanted to sit down until he’d recovered, but figured the situation called for an eye-to-eye discussion. “I wasn’t feeling too casual about it myself.”
That was what worried her. “Let’s just drop it.”
Anger was an amazing stimulant. Mitch stepped forward and caught her chin in his hand. “Fat chance.”
“I don’t want to argue with you. I just think that—” The knock came as a blessed reprieve. “That’s the boys.”
“I know.” But he didn’t release her. “Whatever you’re interested in, have time for, room for, might just have to be adjusted.” He was angry, really angry, Mitch realized. It wasn’t like him to lose his temper so quickly. “Life’s full of adjustments, Hester.” Letting her go, he opened the door.
“It was great.” Rosy-cheeked and bright-eyed, Radley tumbled in ahead of Josh and the dog. “We even got Taz to run once, for a minute.”
“Amazing.” Mitch bent to unclip the leash. Grumbling with exhaustion, Taz walked to a spot by the window, then collapsed.
“You guys must be freezing.” Hester kissed Radley’s forehead. “It must be time for hot chocolate.”
“Yeah!” Radley turned his beaming face to Mitch. “Want some? Mom makes real good hot chocolate.”
It was tempting to put her on the spot. Perhaps it was a good thing for both of them that his temper was already fading. “Maybe next time.” He pulled Radley’s cap over his eyes. “I’ve got some things to do.”
“Thanks a lot for letting us take Taz out. It was really neat, wasn’t it, Josh?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Mr. Dempsey.”
“Anytime. See you Monday, Rad.”
“Okay.” The boys fled, laughing and shoving. Mitch looked, but Hester was already gone.
Chapter 4
Mitchell Dempsey II had been born rich, privileged and, according to his parents, with an incorrigible imagination. Maybe that was why he’d taken to Radley so quickly. The boy was far from rich, not even privileged enough to have a set of parents, but his imagination was first-class.
Mitch had always liked crowds as much as one-on-one social situations. He was certainly no stranger to parties, given his mother’s affection for entertaining and his own gregarious nature, and no one who knew him would ever have classed him as a loner. In his work, however, he had always preferred the solitary. He worked at home not because he didn’t like distractions—he was really fond of them—but because he didn’t care to have anyone looking over his shoulder or timing his progress.
“Mitch, please.” It wasn’t easy to resist what he was offering. It surprised Hester how difficult it was to draw away, to put the boundaries back. “We can’t do this.”
“We are,” he pointed out, and drew the flavor from her lips again. “And very well.”
“
I
can’t.” With the small sliver of willpower she had left, she struggled away. “I’m sorry. I should never have let this happen.” Her cheeks were hot. Hester put her hands to them, then dragged them up through her hair.
His knees were weak. That was something to think about. But for the moment he concentrated on her. “You’re taking a lot on yourself, Hester. It seems to be a habit of yours. I kissed you, and you just happened to kiss me back. Since we both enjoyed it, I don’t see where apologies are necessary on either side.”
“I should have made myself clear.” She stepped back, hit the newspapers again, then skirted around them. “I do appreciate what you’re doing for Rad—”
“Leave him out of this, for God’s sake.”
“I can’t.” Her voice rose, surprising her again. She knew better than to lose control. “I don’t expect you to understand, but I can’t leave him out of it.” She took a deep breath, amazed that it did nothing to calm her pulse rate. “I’m not interested in casual sex. I have Rad to think about, and myself.”
“Fair enough.” He wanted to sit down until he’d recovered, but figured the situation called for an eye-to-eye discussion. “I wasn’t feeling too casual about it myself.”
That was what worried her. “Let’s just drop it.”
Anger was an amazing stimulant. Mitch stepped forward and caught her chin in his hand. “Fat chance.”
“I don’t want to argue with you. I just think that—” The knock came as a blessed reprieve. “That’s the boys.”
“I know.” But he didn’t release her. “Whatever you’re interested in, have time for, room for, might just have to be adjusted.” He was angry, really angry, Mitch realized. It wasn’t like him to lose his temper so quickly. “Life’s full of adjustments, Hester.” Letting her go, he opened the door.
“It was great.” Rosy-cheeked and bright-eyed, Radley tumbled in ahead of Josh and the dog. “We even got Taz to run once, for a minute.”
“Amazing.” Mitch bent to unclip the leash. Grumbling with exhaustion, Taz walked to a spot by the window, then collapsed.
“You guys must be freezing.” Hester kissed Radley’s forehead. “It must be time for hot chocolate.”
“Yeah!” Radley turned his beaming face to Mitch. “Want some? Mom makes real good hot chocolate.”
It was tempting to put her on the spot. Perhaps it was a good thing for both of them that his temper was already fading. “Maybe next time.” He pulled Radley’s cap over his eyes. “I’ve got some things to do.”
“Thanks a lot for letting us take Taz out. It was really neat, wasn’t it, Josh?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Mr. Dempsey.”
“Anytime. See you Monday, Rad.”
“Okay.” The boys fled, laughing and shoving. Mitch looked, but Hester was already gone.
Chapter 4
Mitchell Dempsey II had been born rich, privileged and, according to his parents, with an incorrigible imagination. Maybe that was why he’d taken to Radley so quickly. The boy was far from rich, not even privileged enough to have a set of parents, but his imagination was first-class.
Mitch had always liked crowds as much as one-on-one social situations. He was certainly no stranger to parties, given his mother’s affection for entertaining and his own gregarious nature, and no one who knew him would ever have classed him as a loner. In his work, however, he had always preferred the solitary. He worked at home not because he didn’t like distractions—he was really fond of them—but because he didn’t care to have anyone looking over his shoulder or timing his progress.
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