Page 56 of Shelter from the Storm

Theo reached out, using his thumb to tug it loose. “Tell me,” he prodded.

“Yes. I feel something, but I can’t act on those feelings. I’ve made bad decisions in the past, Theo. Really bad ones, and now, I don’t trust my instincts. I can’t trust them.”

Wow. As far as info dumps went, that was one both telling and severely lacking.

Before he could question her about those decisions, she stepped out of his arms and walked away. Theo reached her at the edge of the dance floor, halting her escape, his hand on her upper arm as he spun her back to face him again.

“Don’t run from me, Gretchen.”

She closed her eyes, suddenly looking weary. “Sometimes running is the smartest thing a person can do.”

That answer upset him. Had he gone too far? “Do I scare you?”

She was shaking her head before he finished asking the question. “No. You don’t. Not at all.”

“All I’m asking for is a chance to date you. Me being your boss was a roadblock, so I took care of it.”

“That’s not the only roadblock,” she whispered. She was still holding on to some heavy baggage.

“What else?”

Theo watched as she closed down, the walls she erected around herself fortified once more.

While she claimed five weeks wasn’t long enough to get to know someone, he knew her well enough to know this conversation was over. “I hope one day you’ll trust me enough to tell me.” He’d said those words to her before.

“I hope so too,” she said quietly.

“I’m not giving up,” he warned her, cupping her cheek affectionately. “We Storms are notoriously stubborn. A force of nature.”

The heaviness of the moment lifted, and she smiled. “Then you’re appropriately named.”

“I know life hasn’t been good to you, so I understand why you might question this, question me. But I swear to you, Gretchen. I’ll never hurt you.”

This time, there was no denying the glassy tears in her eyes…or the fact she didn’t believe him.

And if that was all he saw in her expression, he would have been hurt. Devastated even. But there was also hope in those bright blue eyes of hers, and that was the part he held on to.

She might not believe his promise right now, but she sure as hell wanted to.

Theo bent his head, sealing his vow with a kiss. Now, as before, Gretchen returned it, letting it linger. When they parted, she didn’t bother to look around.

“You’re not going to stop kissing me, are you?”

Theo grinned. “Nope.”

“We’re taking the pin out?”

He nodded. “Pin is out. Time to see where this thing between us is heading.”

Gretchen’s mouth quirked in amusement. “Okay. I guess we can take a tiny peek, see where it leads us.”

It wasn’t the exact answer he wanted, but for now, he’d take it.

Chapter Ten

Gretchen flipped another page in the photo album, the edges yellowed with age. Her eyes widened when she spotted a black-and-white photograph of Edith in a bikini.

“Va-va-voom,” Gretchen said. “How old were you here?”

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