Page 65 of Stone Rules

“It worked out well for a long time. Years, in fact. Once a month or so, one of us would drop a key card off on the other one’s desk for a hotel room at the place around the corner. It was an ideal arrangement, one that suited both of us perfectly. That is until she started to have feelings for me.”

I knew it.I had suspected all along she was into him. The way she looks at me, like I’m the one thing standing between her and everlasting happiness. And damn it if currents of jealousy don’t crash into me like punishing ocean waves. “She’s inlovewith you?” I ask, my body stiff from the very thought of it.

“I wouldn’t say love, but yeah, she made it perfectly clear she wanted more. So I broke it off. Ended our arrangement. But she had been the perfect assistant, so I didn’t feel right asking her to leave. She’s been nothing but professional. Well, except maybe for the times she tried to keep you from seeing me. But in her defense, she has been told that no one gets in without an appointment.”

In her defense?He’s defending her. My heart sinks low in my chest.

He must sense my reaction because, to my surprise, he grabs my hand and holds it tightly in his. We don’t do this. We don’t hold hands. We haven’t touched that way since the day at the cemetery. Not one touch. Not one kiss. Not one embrace. He’s kept to his promise. His promise to be my friend. Earn my trust. Protect my heart.

But my heart doesn’t want to be protected anymore. It wants to be unleashed. His simple touch has me wanting to hold him. Kiss him. Claim him.

“Charlie,” he says, turning to me, taking my other hand so that he’s holding both of mine in his. “She’s history. She’s something that never was. The way I feel about you is unlike anything I’ve ever felt for any woman. Just spending time with you—swimming, walking, talking—just being with you, even without touching you, has been better than any time I’ve spent with anyone else.

“God, do you know how much I want you? Do you know how much I want to touch you? Kiss you? Every day is bitter-sweet torture. Every day I want to tell you how I feel about you. And every day I stop myself because I don’t think you’re ready. But, Charlie, you must know how I feel. I love you. I love you and I can’t hold it in anymore.” He pulls me against him. “I’m going to kiss you now. And I hope you’ll let me. Because these lips are all I think about. All I dream about. And I will die if you don’t let me have them.”

He leans down slowly, gauging my reaction, looking for hesitation in my eyes that simply isn’t there. I want him to kiss me. Of course I do. I’ve wanted it for weeks. Hell, I’ve wanted it my whole life. And when his lips meet mine, I know I feel exactly the same way—that I’ll die if I can’t have him.

He kisses me hard. He kisses me soft. He kisses me with every emotion inside him. He kisses me so long, my lips go numb. He kisses me so passionately, my knees go weak. He kisses me so publicly, people laugh and whistle and clap when they walk by us. But I don’t care. He doesn’t care. Because it’s a kiss to end all kisses. It’s a kiss to begin new lives.

We finally break apart when someone yells at us to ‘get a room.’

I laugh. “I guess we broke rule number seven again.”

“Yes we did,” he says. “But rule number twelve takes precedence.”

“Rule number twelve?”

He smiles. “Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.”

“I like that one,” I say.

“Come on.” He takes my hand and pulls me down the path. “Let’s go grab some food.”

~ ~ ~

At work, I let my thoughts wander back to that conversation as I fill napkin holders and do other mindless tasks in preparation for the lunch rush. I try not to think about Gretchen and how she may or may not be head-over-heals in love with him. I try not to think about how they would slip away to the hotel around the corner and take care of each other’s needs. I try not to think about how he sees her every day at work.

A sick feeling washes over me and I race back to the bathroom to splash water on my face.

The door opens behind me and Skylar appears in the mirror. “Are you okay? God, Charlie—you look green.”

I grab a paper towel and dry off my face. “I’m fine,” I tell her. “Just thinking bad thoughts.”

She puts a knowing hand on my shoulder. Then she looks at her watch. “We’ve got some time before the lunch rush. Go in the back and sit down, take a few minutes if you need them.”

“Thanks, Skylar.”

She gives me a sympathetic smile as I exit the bathroom and head towards the back. I sit down and try to think about things that will keep my mind off Gretchen. Things like puppies and flowers and Reuben sandwiches with fries. Things like amazing kisses in the park. Things like Ethan telling me he loved me.

Things like me wanting to say it back.

Chapter Thirty

Ethan is being very patient with me. Even after that incredible day together. Even after we shared that earth-shattering kiss. Even after he told me loved me.

I’ve never said those words to a man before. I never thought I’dwantto say them. But I do. I do so badly I can taste them on the tip of my tongue. But I can’t. Not yet. Not until I’m sure he won’t push me away again.

He’s taking me to dinner tonight, after my shift. It will be our first official date. Yes, we’ve dined together many times. We’ve been to the movies. We’ve gone to a baseball game. He even dragged me to another concert. But none of those were dates. We were getting to know each other. Taking it slowly.

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