and loaded
in his breakfast dishes.
She was shocked he’d actually admit it. “But I promised,”
she pointed out.
“And I know you mean it, but I’m also afraid you’ll start
rethinking the situation if I’m not here and then you’ll do something stupid
like leave.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “You
don’t think much of me, do you?” And it hurt that he didn’t trust her to keep
her word.
“On the contrary. I think too much of you. If you believe
leaving will protect me, you’ll go regardless of the danger you put yourself
in. You’ve already proven that.” Rabb finished cleaning the counter and turned
off the coffeepot. “You done with that?” He pointed to her plate and mug. In
spite of the upheaval over breakfast, she’d managed to eat half the bagel.
“Yes.” She pushed the plate away.
Rabb dealt with her dishes and put the cream cheese back
into the refrigerator. “More coffee?”
“Okay.” She pushed her mug toward him. It felt strange to be
having such a mundane conversation about breakfast and coffee after everything
she’d been through. It was so normal. So ordinary.
Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked them back. No way was
she going to cry over something so silly. She took her coffee and added sugar.
She used to use cream but had gotten out of the habit in the months she’d been
on the run. Cream cost money, but sugar packets were usually available at
coffee shops and she’d always slipped a few extra in her pocket to take back to
whatever cheap room she’d been renting.
“Hey.” Rabb eased her off the stool and held her in his
strong arms. “Everything will be okay. Just give it time.”
“I wish I had as much faith as you do.” Her faith had been
eroded over the long months alone.
“That’s okay.” He kissed the top of her head. “I have enough
for us both.” His lips found her mouth. He tasted like coffee and cream cheese.
His tongue tangled with hers and soon she couldn’t think at all. She could only
feel. She clutched his broad shoulders and returned his kiss, wanting his heat.
And when he groaned, she felt triumphant. He cupped her ass and yanked her
lower body closer, grinding her erection against her mound. Now it was her turn
to groan.
Rabb pulled away and took a deep breath. “As much as I’d
like to continue this, I’ve got some errands to run before work.” He glanced at
his watch again before he dropped a quick kiss on her moist lips. “We’ll finish
this later.”
Later . She clung to the promise as he released her.
It had been a long time since she’d looked forward to later.
“Leave your bag here and let’s go.” Rabb grabbed his jacket
from a hook by the door and snagged his keys off the small console table just
to the right. His words were a challenge to her. If she left her knapsack and
here she couldn’t leave.
She reached for her coat, which was hanging by his front
door. He must have put it there at some point. “You won’t need that either,” he
told her.
It was a huge step and a giant leap of faith. Butterflies
fluttered in her stomach, but she nodded. “Okay.” She took another mouthful of
coffee, reluctant to leave the rest of it behind.
Rabb smiled and opened the door. “You won’t be sorry.”
She wasn’t so sure of that, but it was too late to change
her mind. Rabb locked the door and motioned to the blue door across the hall.
She squared her shoulders and marched up to it.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Rabb murmured before he
gave the door two heavy thumps with the side of his fist.
She hated that he’d seen her apprehension and tried to
smile, but it felt wooden and forced. Rabb leaned down and kissed her just as
the door opened. Eliza wanted to groan, but managed to swallow it in time. This
was so not a good start.
She looked at the man standing in the doorway. He was taller
than Rabb by a few inches. Leaner too. But they shared the same eyes and their
features
in his breakfast dishes.
She was shocked he’d actually admit it. “But I promised,”
she pointed out.
“And I know you mean it, but I’m also afraid you’ll start
rethinking the situation if I’m not here and then you’ll do something stupid
like leave.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “You
don’t think much of me, do you?” And it hurt that he didn’t trust her to keep
her word.
“On the contrary. I think too much of you. If you believe
leaving will protect me, you’ll go regardless of the danger you put yourself
in. You’ve already proven that.” Rabb finished cleaning the counter and turned
off the coffeepot. “You done with that?” He pointed to her plate and mug. In
spite of the upheaval over breakfast, she’d managed to eat half the bagel.
“Yes.” She pushed the plate away.
Rabb dealt with her dishes and put the cream cheese back
into the refrigerator. “More coffee?”
“Okay.” She pushed her mug toward him. It felt strange to be
having such a mundane conversation about breakfast and coffee after everything
she’d been through. It was so normal. So ordinary.
Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked them back. No way was
she going to cry over something so silly. She took her coffee and added sugar.
She used to use cream but had gotten out of the habit in the months she’d been
on the run. Cream cost money, but sugar packets were usually available at
coffee shops and she’d always slipped a few extra in her pocket to take back to
whatever cheap room she’d been renting.
“Hey.” Rabb eased her off the stool and held her in his
strong arms. “Everything will be okay. Just give it time.”
“I wish I had as much faith as you do.” Her faith had been
eroded over the long months alone.
“That’s okay.” He kissed the top of her head. “I have enough
for us both.” His lips found her mouth. He tasted like coffee and cream cheese.
His tongue tangled with hers and soon she couldn’t think at all. She could only
feel. She clutched his broad shoulders and returned his kiss, wanting his heat.
And when he groaned, she felt triumphant. He cupped her ass and yanked her
lower body closer, grinding her erection against her mound. Now it was her turn
to groan.
Rabb pulled away and took a deep breath. “As much as I’d
like to continue this, I’ve got some errands to run before work.” He glanced at
his watch again before he dropped a quick kiss on her moist lips. “We’ll finish
this later.”
Later . She clung to the promise as he released her.
It had been a long time since she’d looked forward to later.
“Leave your bag here and let’s go.” Rabb grabbed his jacket
from a hook by the door and snagged his keys off the small console table just
to the right. His words were a challenge to her. If she left her knapsack and
here she couldn’t leave.
She reached for her coat, which was hanging by his front
door. He must have put it there at some point. “You won’t need that either,” he
told her.
It was a huge step and a giant leap of faith. Butterflies
fluttered in her stomach, but she nodded. “Okay.” She took another mouthful of
coffee, reluctant to leave the rest of it behind.
Rabb smiled and opened the door. “You won’t be sorry.”
She wasn’t so sure of that, but it was too late to change
her mind. Rabb locked the door and motioned to the blue door across the hall.
She squared her shoulders and marched up to it.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Rabb murmured before he
gave the door two heavy thumps with the side of his fist.
She hated that he’d seen her apprehension and tried to
smile, but it felt wooden and forced. Rabb leaned down and kissed her just as
the door opened. Eliza wanted to groan, but managed to swallow it in time. This
was so not a good start.
She looked at the man standing in the doorway. He was taller
than Rabb by a few inches. Leaner too. But they shared the same eyes and their
features
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