Page 29 of The Brothers Next Door

“It’s about time to get back to work for me.” He looked down at my food, halfway eaten.

“Yes. Me too.” I scarfed down the remainder of my meal and the drink—not exactly ladylike, but I was famished and the cheese steak was way to good to throw out.

We didn’t speak again until we left the café. I hated silence. I’d always heard that you knew you were with “the one” when you could share silence with your partner and be comfortable with it. I could never do that with my ex. This situation was no different, at least not yet, anyhow.

“I’m sorry if I brought up bad memories…” I tilted my head to look up and into his face, he was close to a foot taller than my 5’4. His profile at this angle was hard and chiselled—sexy.

“No.” He looked down at me, his pace slowing. “Some memories I prefer to just keep buried. Not necessarily bad ones.” He surprised me by taking my hand in his and giving it a squeeze, but didn’t release it, instead intertwining his fingers with mine. “There’s a lot of good and sometimes the good are more painful than the bad.”

His words touched me on an intimate level, making my heart go out to him. Whatever had happened it had to have been bad. But there was now a smile on his lips, only a hint of a smile, but it was there. Hopefully one day he’d confide in me—it just wasn’t going to be today.

“I suppose this brings about an important question…” The teasing gleam danced in his eyes.

Cocking a brow up at him, I smiled. “Which is?”

“When do I get to take you out again?”

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