Page 55 of Journey to You

“I over-reacted the other day,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

“You had every right to over-react.” He paused, hating to dredge up pain for her but needing to know. “Did you know Rich was cheating on you?”

Her slow nod had his fists bunching, as he wondered for the hundredth time in the last few days what sort of a jerk would screw around on an amazing woman like Tam.

“I discovered the truth after he died, but I had no idea about the baby.”

“That must’ve hurt.”

To his surprise, she shrugged, as if it meant little. “It did at the time. Made me crazy for a while but I’m over it now. I’ve moved on.”

She perched on the edge of his desk, so close, so temptingly close. “Thanks to you.”

“Rebound guy.”

The words were out before he could stop them and she frowned, looking more formidable than he’d ever seen her.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“You think you’re my rebound guy?”

“Yeah.”

Her laughter shocked him as much as her quick swivel towards him, leaving her legs dangling precariously close to him, so close they brushed his arm.

“You’re not rebound guy. You’retheguy.”

He had no idea what she meant, was too confused by her nearness to ask. Was she deliberately trying to provoke him? Get him to touch her?

His palms tingled with the urge to do just that and he kept his hands firmly lodged in his pockets.

“The guy I want to have a future with. The guy who has helped me learn to trust again. The guy I’m in love with.”

His gaze zeroed in on hers, searching for some signal the stress of the last few days had sent her batty.

But all he saw were clear green eyes locked on his, eyes brimming with sincerity and tears and love, the latter enough to catapult him out of the chair and reaching for her before he could think twice.

“Say it again.”

She smiled, blinking several times. “I love you. Can’t believe I’m actually saying those words to a guy like you but there you go.”

He gripped her arms, his initial elation dimming. “A guy like me?”

“The ultimate playboy, remember? Serial dater? Guy voted most likely to break a woman’s heart?”

“Who said that?”

Her lips twitched and he itched to cover them with his. “Okay, so I made that last bit up. But I have to tell you, loving you is the ultimate risk for me.”

“Because of what Rich did to you?”

To her credit, she didn’t react when he mentioned the jerk’s name.

“Because I’d sworn never to trust another guy again.” She cupped his cheek. “But you’re not just any guy, are you?”

Hell, she’d put her heart on the line for him. The least he could do is give her a healthy dose of honesty in return.

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