Page 117 of Absolute Certainty
He understood her concerns, though he felt differently. “You could just be a friend if you’re uncomfortable. No one needs to know there’s something more between us.”
“You might be able to lie to Eloise, but Maya and Alex weren’t born yesterday.”
Jay had given her one of his clean T-shirts, and he could catch a glimpse of the underwear she’d changed into, these ones a type of cotton, black with mesh at the sides.He couldn’t wait to take them off her again. “So, what if they know?” he asked.
Sitting at the edge of his bed, Sahar blew out a sigh. “I don’t know, actually. This is all confusing.”
“Does it have to be?” he proposed.
She shook her head, swinging her legs up onto the mattress, finding a comfortable position. Sahar tipped her head to him, the unreadable fear back in her eyes. He hated that look—hated not knowing what to do to help her.
“No, it doesn’t, but Ineedto do things differently with you.”
Drawing closer, Jay held her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “You’re scared of something,” he said, trailing his thumb up over her lips. “I don’t know what it is, and I hope you’ll tell me when you’re ready, but God, Sahar, I really wish you weren’t.”
Uncertainty shot through her eyes, her lips in a straight line. She lowered her head onto his shoulder. “I really wish I wasn’t either,” she whispered.
Forever was a promise Jay had never offered to a woman. Something always held him back.
But he knew, with absolute certainty, that he could promise forever to Sahar. If she asked for it. If it was whatshewanted.
“I’mfine taking the train, Jay. I promise. My ankle feels okay, and the drizzle should let up soon.”
Standing in the middle of his kitchen, he inched forward and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her arms circled his neck. It was two in the afternoon, and they’d spent the entire morning tangled in each other’s arms again.
It hadn’t been enough time.
He shut his eyes, accepting that no time with Sahar would ever be enough.
She curled her fingers into his hair. “Want to know what changed my mind about us?” she asked, the steady glimmer he loved back in her eyes.
Jay peppered her face with kisses. “Please.”
The blush staining her cheeks red made his heart thrum faster.
“It was coming to the end of the story. Seeing that Henry and Katherine would get their moment. Watching your brain work the way it did, I don’t know. It did something to me. I didn’t want to miss the chance to be with you.”
“Fuck,” he grunted, dropping his mouth onto hers in a liquifying kiss.
Sahar kissed him back with equal fervor, her lips and tongue and teeth so familiar that it felt like it’d been ages with them.
And then a knock on his door jolted them. Her eyes grew wide.
Jay walked over to open it, and there were Eloise and Maya, roughly four hours earlier than when he was expecting them.
Eloise jumped into his arms. “Dad!”
Fuck. Sahar was going to feel ambushed—the last thing she wanted. Why hadn’t any of them called or texted him?
Maya bolted inside and ran toward the bathroom. “My bladder is on the brink of explosion,” she yelled.
Holding onto Eloise, he walked back to the kitchen. “Did you have fun, baby?” he asked.
His daughter screeched into his ear. “Yeah! Aunt Lexie issogood.”
“Right? She’s the best part, isn’t she?”
Once he saw Sahar again, he mouthed the words,I’m so sorry.
