laughed at me and made fun of me. I had no idea. I—"
He hadn't meant to go to her, but he couldn't watch her in pain anymore. He rose from his chair and circled the table. Before she could protest, he picked her up in his arms. She didn't weigh as much as Ben, he thought, surprised. She murmured a protest, but he ignored her and settled on her seat, with her on his lap.
She was as tiny as he'd imagined she would be, with slim arms, slender legs and small hands. She tried to push away.
"Damn it, Jill, I'm not making a pass at you," he said. "I'm giving you a hug."
"I know, but this—" Then a tear escaped from her right eye. She brushed it away and buried her face in his shoulder.
She didn't cry. She just huddled against him, shaking with misery. Her ragged breathing fanned his neck. He told himself it wasn't about sex, and despite the arousal pressing against his fly, it wasn't. She needed holding, and he needed to hold.
Craig tried to remember the last time he'd been this close to a woman. He tried to remember the last time he'd wanted to be.
He inhaled the sweet fragrance of Jill's body. He stroked his hands up and down her back. Bits of what she'd told him floated through his mind. He wanted to find her ex-husband and beat him into a bloody pulp. He wanted to talk some sense into those two girls. He worked with the worst type of humanity every day, but he hated to see others tainted and hurt by contamination.
"Damn," she said, and straightened. Her face was dry, her mouth pulled into a straight line. "This is horribly unprofessional behavior. I swear, I don't usually fall apart like this."
"It's okay."
"No, it's not. But thanks for pretending. You're a nice man."
She sniffed once, then slid off his lap. He let her go, because he had no excuse to keep her, and trying to make one up would be dangerous for both of them. At this moment, with his groin swollen and aching and his blood pounding through his heated body, he didn't feel very nice.
She brushed her cheek with the back of her hand, then smiled. If the corners trembled a little, he wasn't going to mention it.
"Bet you're sorry you asked about my life," she said.
"Actually, I'm not."
"It's probably better that you know. I'll do a good job with your kids, but I won't get personally involved. In five weeks I'm going to walk away. I can't risk getting hurt again."
"I understand."
"Thanks for everything. Good night."
She gave him a brief wave, then walked down the two stairs into the family room, and across to her bedroom. She closed the door behind her.
He watched her go, then stood alone in the silence. He couldn't risk getting hurt, either. Krystal had taught him about the exquisite torture of a marriage gone bad. Night after night, he'd waited for her, wondering who she'd been with, and what he was doing wrong. He kept thinking if he was more … something – though he didn't know what – she wouldn't stray. But she had. And he'd been left to pick up the pieces of their broken family.
He knew what he wanted the next time around. He wanted a sure thing. He wasn't going to take any more chances on something as nebulous as love.
----
Chapter 5
« ^ »
" I feel like I'm feeding an army," Jill muttered as she grabbed another armful of grocery bags and started through the short hallway that led into the family room.
She'd filled nearly two carts with food and spent more money in an hour than she'd spent on herself in the past four months. She set the bags on the counter and went back for the last couple. While she appreciated that some young man had helped her load the groceries into the car, it would have been a lot more helpful if he could have followed her home and helped her carry them inside.
She slammed the rear door of the utility vehicle, then kicked the door to the garage shut behind her. When she put the last two bags down, she counted
"…fifteen, sixteen, seventeen bags? These boys know how to eat."
Before starting to unload
He hadn't meant to go to her, but he couldn't watch her in pain anymore. He rose from his chair and circled the table. Before she could protest, he picked her up in his arms. She didn't weigh as much as Ben, he thought, surprised. She murmured a protest, but he ignored her and settled on her seat, with her on his lap.
She was as tiny as he'd imagined she would be, with slim arms, slender legs and small hands. She tried to push away.
"Damn it, Jill, I'm not making a pass at you," he said. "I'm giving you a hug."
"I know, but this—" Then a tear escaped from her right eye. She brushed it away and buried her face in his shoulder.
She didn't cry. She just huddled against him, shaking with misery. Her ragged breathing fanned his neck. He told himself it wasn't about sex, and despite the arousal pressing against his fly, it wasn't. She needed holding, and he needed to hold.
Craig tried to remember the last time he'd been this close to a woman. He tried to remember the last time he'd wanted to be.
He inhaled the sweet fragrance of Jill's body. He stroked his hands up and down her back. Bits of what she'd told him floated through his mind. He wanted to find her ex-husband and beat him into a bloody pulp. He wanted to talk some sense into those two girls. He worked with the worst type of humanity every day, but he hated to see others tainted and hurt by contamination.
"Damn," she said, and straightened. Her face was dry, her mouth pulled into a straight line. "This is horribly unprofessional behavior. I swear, I don't usually fall apart like this."
"It's okay."
"No, it's not. But thanks for pretending. You're a nice man."
She sniffed once, then slid off his lap. He let her go, because he had no excuse to keep her, and trying to make one up would be dangerous for both of them. At this moment, with his groin swollen and aching and his blood pounding through his heated body, he didn't feel very nice.
She brushed her cheek with the back of her hand, then smiled. If the corners trembled a little, he wasn't going to mention it.
"Bet you're sorry you asked about my life," she said.
"Actually, I'm not."
"It's probably better that you know. I'll do a good job with your kids, but I won't get personally involved. In five weeks I'm going to walk away. I can't risk getting hurt again."
"I understand."
"Thanks for everything. Good night."
She gave him a brief wave, then walked down the two stairs into the family room, and across to her bedroom. She closed the door behind her.
He watched her go, then stood alone in the silence. He couldn't risk getting hurt, either. Krystal had taught him about the exquisite torture of a marriage gone bad. Night after night, he'd waited for her, wondering who she'd been with, and what he was doing wrong. He kept thinking if he was more … something – though he didn't know what – she wouldn't stray. But she had. And he'd been left to pick up the pieces of their broken family.
He knew what he wanted the next time around. He wanted a sure thing. He wasn't going to take any more chances on something as nebulous as love.
----
Chapter 5
« ^ »
" I feel like I'm feeding an army," Jill muttered as she grabbed another armful of grocery bags and started through the short hallway that led into the family room.
She'd filled nearly two carts with food and spent more money in an hour than she'd spent on herself in the past four months. She set the bags on the counter and went back for the last couple. While she appreciated that some young man had helped her load the groceries into the car, it would have been a lot more helpful if he could have followed her home and helped her carry them inside.
She slammed the rear door of the utility vehicle, then kicked the door to the garage shut behind her. When she put the last two bags down, she counted
"…fifteen, sixteen, seventeen bags? These boys know how to eat."
Before starting to unload
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