Page 58 of The Life We Left Behind

“Erm, Mr. Farrington, I was hoping to get out of the office?—”

“It’s fine, Rosie. You head out, and I’ll make sure to lock up.”

Rosie nervously shuffled on the spot. “Are you sure? It’s just that Mr. Farrington Senior…”

“Leave my father to me, Rosie. Have a good evening.”

“Thank you, Mr. Farrington.”

Rosie grabbed her bag and darted to the door. I didn’t know my father had been giving her a hard time again. Given that he was only in the office for one day a month, if we were even lucky, he didn’t really get a say in how I ran the office.

Delaney watched her go past with wide eyes before she headed toward me. Damn, she’d always been beautiful, but Icouldn’t get used to how much better she looked now. She walked with a confidence she’d never had when she was a teenager, and it radiated out of her. She didn’t even seem aware of how everyone watched her when she passed by. As the late afternoon sun filtered through the office windows, it caught the copper highlights in her dark hair.

As she slipped past me into the office, the subtle scent of her perfume reached me, and I tried not to inhale the smell of jasmine too deeply.

Damn, two seconds in her presence, and I wanted her already.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing this adult Trace at work,” she murmured, a wry smile crossing her lips as she came to a stop in the middle of the office as if she didn’t know what to do next.

“I’m sorry,” I blurted out.

She blinked, clearly not expected the apology. “Wow, that was easy.”

“I know, and Iamsorry. I don’t know…well, I do know, and it was stupid, but you didn’t deserve to have to deal with my shitty attitude this morning. And of course, I’d never sue you! I don’t know what got into me. Can you forgive me? It’s just…being around you again, and…”

“I know,” she said quietly. “I know what you mean. It’s been a long time, but the feelings are still…”

“Rampaging through my body just like when I was a hormonal teenager who got a boner every time I looked at your lips?”

“That must have been inconvenient for you,” she quipped.

“You have no idea.” I took a step closer to her and then stopped, balling my fists at my side. If I went to her, I’d only be seconds away from reaching for her, and that wasn’t how I wanted this to go.

Well, it was how I wanted this to go, but the point was that we needed to talk.

“So.” She hesitated. “We need to have a conversation.”

“Yeah, we do.” I drifted another step closer to her before I caught myself.

It had always been this way, ever since I’d met her. Even before we’d taken our relationship to a physical level. I always wanted to be near her. Delaney James was the drug I never forgot and the only woman I’d ever wanted in my heart and in my bed. I was man enough to admit that I’d never loved Chelsea, even if I had tried to convince myself that I did for a time. Ours was a relationship of convenience and expectation. I hated that I did that to her. But Chelsea had only been interested in the Farrington name, not me. It was why we’d never been happy together.

“You’re thinking about staying?” I asked, trying to keep the hope out of my voice.

“Honestly, I don’t know what I’m thinking, but I promised to keep my options open. At least until after the funeral.”

I winced at the mention of the funeral. It was so easy to forget the reason why she was back here in the first place. And now I felt like a complete bastard.

“Shit, Lanes. I’m sorry. Here I am thinking about myself, and you’re still trying to deal with everything for the funeral and losing your dad.” I finally let myself go to her then, taking her by the hand and leading her to the couch in my office. “Tell me what I can do to help,” I said as we both sat down.

She looked at me, her eyes darted back and forth as she searched for something in my eyes.

Finally, she sighed. “Just kiss me, Trace.”

Delaney and I were inevitable. This was just how we were made.

My hands came to her cheeks, and I wasted no time in sealing my lips to hers.

Her hand clutched the front of my shirt, and she pulled me closer. There was a desperation in her kiss that hadn’t been there yesterday, and it felt too much like a goodbye this time.

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