Read Online Time Enough for Love by Suzanne Brockmann - Free Book Online
Authors: Suzanne Brockmann
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breathing hard, both alarm and elation written clearly on his face, as if he had been able to follow her very thoughts.
“Dear God,” he breathed.
As Maggie gazed into his eyes she knew that with that kiss, she had given far too much away—she had revealed way too much of her feelings. She took no comfort from knowing that Chuck had done the same.
“That was a mistake,” he told her.
She pulled free from his grasp so that he wouldn’t see the disappointment she knew was on her face. “Yeah,” she said. “You’re probably right. A big mistake.”
He
was
right. What was she thinking? What was she doing?
The last thing in the world she needed was to get involved with a man who took seven years to openup and tell her why he hated carrot cake. “Let’s find that dress and get out of here.”
“How’s this?” Maggie’s voice interrupted Chuck’s reverie, and he turned to see her standing in The Dress.
It was the one. He’d known from the moment he saw it on the mannequin in the store. He would have bought it right there and then, at quarter past ten that morning, but when it came to women’s clothing sizes, he was clueless. A fourteen seemed much too big, and a four was surely too tiny. Maggie was somewhere in between the two, but where, Chuck couldn’t begin to guess.
“Please don’t look at me like that,” she said tightly. “It’s making me nervous.”
“I’m not sure I can be in the same room with you and
not
look at you like this,” he admitted. “You look … amazing.”
She’d pulled her hair up off her neck, holding it in place with one of those bear-trap-like clip things that she’d no doubt had in her purse. Several tendrils had escaped, hanging down around her shoulders, accentuating the sheer elegance of the strapless gown.
The dress itself was a rich shade of brown, madeof some kind of fabric that managed to be both velvety and silky. It clung intimately to the soft curves of her breasts, yet fell smoothly, gracefully across her stomach and hips, cascading all the way down to her ankles.
It had a neckline that was shaped with the swell of her body, dipping down to meet between her breasts. And it had a slit up the side, all the way to her thigh. He couldn’t tell it was there now, while she was standing still, but when she moved, he knew it would reveal tantalizing glimpses of her legs.
She turned away, going back into the changing room.
Chuck could see himself reflected in the store mirror. From a distance, he looked the same as he ever did, nearly the same as he did seven years ago. But he wasn’t the same. The road he’d taken over the past years had been a rough one, fueled by his obsession to find a way back to the past.
He’d sold his soul for the chance to develop and test his theories. He’d danced with the devil that was Wizard-9, and soon he was going to have to pay the ultimate price.
Maggie came out into the store, dressed once again in her sleeveless blouse and denim skirt, the dress on a hanger, the long skirt looped over her arm. She didn’t do more than glance at him, as if shewere afraid to meet his eyes, and Chuck knew that his talk of mistakes had hurt her.
But it was true. Getting involved with him—physically or otherwise—was surely the last thing she needed.
Chuck followed her over to the cash register and took the dress from her. She wandered around the front of the store as he used cash to pay, as the store clerk wrapped the dress in tissue paper and put it into a shopping bag with handles.
Maggie looked up as he headed toward her, and together they left the store.
“My car’s over by Sears,” she told him. “On the lower level.”
They walked for a moment in silence, and then, as if she couldn’t stand it another moment, Maggie spoke. “You know, it
wasn’t
a mistake.”
She was talking about that kiss. “Yes, it was,” he said gently.
“Why?”
Chuck had to close his eyes briefly at the impossible irony. He’d wanted
“Dear God,” he breathed.
As Maggie gazed into his eyes she knew that with that kiss, she had given far too much away—she had revealed way too much of her feelings. She took no comfort from knowing that Chuck had done the same.
“That was a mistake,” he told her.
She pulled free from his grasp so that he wouldn’t see the disappointment she knew was on her face. “Yeah,” she said. “You’re probably right. A big mistake.”
He
was
right. What was she thinking? What was she doing?
The last thing in the world she needed was to get involved with a man who took seven years to openup and tell her why he hated carrot cake. “Let’s find that dress and get out of here.”
“How’s this?” Maggie’s voice interrupted Chuck’s reverie, and he turned to see her standing in The Dress.
It was the one. He’d known from the moment he saw it on the mannequin in the store. He would have bought it right there and then, at quarter past ten that morning, but when it came to women’s clothing sizes, he was clueless. A fourteen seemed much too big, and a four was surely too tiny. Maggie was somewhere in between the two, but where, Chuck couldn’t begin to guess.
“Please don’t look at me like that,” she said tightly. “It’s making me nervous.”
“I’m not sure I can be in the same room with you and
not
look at you like this,” he admitted. “You look … amazing.”
She’d pulled her hair up off her neck, holding it in place with one of those bear-trap-like clip things that she’d no doubt had in her purse. Several tendrils had escaped, hanging down around her shoulders, accentuating the sheer elegance of the strapless gown.
The dress itself was a rich shade of brown, madeof some kind of fabric that managed to be both velvety and silky. It clung intimately to the soft curves of her breasts, yet fell smoothly, gracefully across her stomach and hips, cascading all the way down to her ankles.
It had a neckline that was shaped with the swell of her body, dipping down to meet between her breasts. And it had a slit up the side, all the way to her thigh. He couldn’t tell it was there now, while she was standing still, but when she moved, he knew it would reveal tantalizing glimpses of her legs.
She turned away, going back into the changing room.
Chuck could see himself reflected in the store mirror. From a distance, he looked the same as he ever did, nearly the same as he did seven years ago. But he wasn’t the same. The road he’d taken over the past years had been a rough one, fueled by his obsession to find a way back to the past.
He’d sold his soul for the chance to develop and test his theories. He’d danced with the devil that was Wizard-9, and soon he was going to have to pay the ultimate price.
Maggie came out into the store, dressed once again in her sleeveless blouse and denim skirt, the dress on a hanger, the long skirt looped over her arm. She didn’t do more than glance at him, as if shewere afraid to meet his eyes, and Chuck knew that his talk of mistakes had hurt her.
But it was true. Getting involved with him—physically or otherwise—was surely the last thing she needed.
Chuck followed her over to the cash register and took the dress from her. She wandered around the front of the store as he used cash to pay, as the store clerk wrapped the dress in tissue paper and put it into a shopping bag with handles.
Maggie looked up as he headed toward her, and together they left the store.
“My car’s over by Sears,” she told him. “On the lower level.”
They walked for a moment in silence, and then, as if she couldn’t stand it another moment, Maggie spoke. “You know, it
wasn’t
a mistake.”
She was talking about that kiss. “Yes, it was,” he said gently.
“Why?”
Chuck had to close his eyes briefly at the impossible irony. He’d wanted
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