Page 139 of Already Home

She peeked through the security hole and was surprised to seeDragon standing in front of her door. She quickly let him in.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. “Shouldn’t you be in SanFrancisco?”

He looked tired and rumpled but still gorgeous. He had agarment bag in one hand and a briefcase in the other. When he saw her glance atthem, he shook his head.

“I’m not moving in. I have a hotel a few miles away, but Iwanted to see you. I needed to see you.”

There was an intensity to his words, his gaze. They didn’tfrighten her at all, but they did leave her feeling confused.

“Why?” she asked.

He dropped his luggage onto the floor. “I miss you, Violet. Imiss everything about you.”

“You barely know me.”

One corner of his mouth turned up. “Fair enough. I miss what Ido know.” He drew in a breath. “I’m here for a job interview. Actually,three.”

She knew she should probably invite him to sit down or open abottle of wine or something, but she couldn’t seem to move. “I don’tunderstand.”

“I want to move here. I may have to work in Austin rather thanGeorgetown. Two of the interviews are there. But I’d still be close, right?”

“I don’t understand.”

The smile got bigger. “You just said that.”

“I know, but it’s still true. Why would you leave your otherjob?”

“Because I want to be with you and long-distance relationshipssuck.”

She sank onto her sofa and tried to catch her breath. Dragonwanted to be with her? Was this a game?

He sat next to her. “Please don’t tell me you don’tunderstand.”

“I don’t. No one moves halfway across the country for a womanhe’s met three times.”

“It’s more than three times.” He angled toward her. “I want toget to know you better. I want to spend time with you. The only way I know howto do that is to be in the same town.”

She heard the physical words. Individually they made sense, butwhen put into sentences, he might as well have been speaking Klingon.

“What if it doesn’t work out?” she asked. “You will have turnedyour life upside down for nothing.”

“A chance I’m willing to take.”

He sounded as if he meant it. When she looked into his darkeyes, she saw sincerity and promise and a few other emotions she was scared toidentify.

“This is nuts,” she said, pushing to her feet and staring athim. “Did you listen when I told you about my past? I’m not kidding, Dragon. Iwas a prostitute. I have no idea how many men I’ve been with. I did drugs.”

Despite all that, she’d escaped the life without any seriousmedical concerns and only a few broken bones. But the past was still there.

“You’re a corporate lawyer,” she continued. “I don’t know howto do that.”

“You probably don’t want to get into the lawyer thing. Whatwith not having passed the bar and all.”

“You know what I mean. I can’t be with those people. They’llknow.”

He stood. “They won’t know unless you tell them and if they do,I don’t care.”

“You say that now, but you’ll change your mind. I havetattoos.”

---