Read Online The Blank Canvas (Apartment #2) by Amanda Black - Free Book Online Page B

of the same.” He met her gaze again before adding, “I’ve never had a reason to want to make a choice before.”
    Lily gulped so loudly that he could hear it. “But you do now?” she barely squeaked out.
    His eyes began to smolder, becoming a bright, scorching jade before he answered her. “I do now.”
    She felt like she was drowning in those eyes, about to go under and not really caring anymore.
    “Lily, may I please take you to dinner tomorrow night?”
    The breath in her lungs whooshed out, making her feel instantly lightheaded. She was balanced on the edge of a cliff, wobbling back and forth. It was there in the distance, she could just see it out of reach.
Surrender
. All she had to do was let go.
    Lily closed her eyes and jumped.
    “Yes.”
    “Really?” he smiled, and it was brighter than the sun. “Thank you, Lily. Thank you so much. I know I haven’t given you any reasons to give me a chance.” He leaned forward without thinking and placed his hand on her knee.
    They both froze.
    Both pairs of eyes stared at his hand as if it might start talking.
    Lily braced herself against the onslaught of emotions—fear, resentment, need, lust—coursing through her body as his fingers rested on her knee. Her emotions were all battling each other for dominance, and none of them were winning.
    Their skin wasn’t even touching—she was still wearing her scrub pants, but she would swear on a stack of bibles that she could feel the electric current passing between them once again. It was scary… but familiar. It instantly reminded her of so many heated encounters that had taken place in that very apartment.
    And judging from the panicked look on Ethan’s face, he too was remembering them all.
    “I should go,” he blurted out, standing up quickly. Lily forced herself not to whimper at the instant coldness she felt at the loss of his touch.
    “So soon?” she said, still a bit dazed from the unexpected contact. She stood up slowly and followed him to the door, trying desperately to clear her mind of all the cobwebs.
    “Yes,” he nodded curtly. “I think it’s for the best.”
    “But I thought we were going to talk? You still haven’t given me much of an explanation.”
    “I know,” he sighed, his hand resting on the doorknob. He kept his back to her, never looking back at her as he spoke. “It’s coming, I promise. I was just hoping that we could discuss it all over dinner tomorrow.”
    “Ethan… what’s wrong?” She could see a shudder pass through his body when she said his name.
    “Nothing,” he gritted out between his teeth.
    “I don’t think I believe you,” she huffed. “If this is how things are going to be already, then perhaps we should just forget it.” It killed her to say that out loud, but having him near her wouldn’t mean anything if she was always worried that he was ready to bolt for the door at the first sign of discomfort.
    She wondered how she would ever be able to trust someone who had always chosen flight over fight. He was going to need to fight for this if he wanted her to take him seriously.
    “No, please!” he gasped, finally turning to face her completely. He didn’t move any closer, but he made eye contact. “Lily… please.”
    “Then tell me what’s wrong.”
    He looked uncomfortable and embarrassed, and it was the oddest thing she’d ever seen. Ethan always owned any room he was in, and his self-confidence practically oozed out of his pores. She had never seen this vulnerable side of him before, and if someone had asked her about it three months ago, she would have sworn that it didn’t exist. Even when she first met him and he seemed so broken, he still had a carefully constructed wall around him. She could tell that he desperately wanted something to hide behind as he stood there under her scrutiny.
    “Lily…” he begged one last time, but when she crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow, he knew it was now or never. He exhaled loudly, visibly