Page 54 of Reckless Curves
Chapter Seventeen
Kendra had been listening avidly to Tom’s movements, but upon opening her eyes she gasped. All she saw were tiny dancing lights that cast the room in shimmering shadows, creating a cozy, intimate space.
“You’re just full of surprises,” she mused as he enclosed her in his arms. “I can’t believe you know songs like this.”
Tom smiled. “My mom taught me how to dance and we danced to all kinds of love songs. I was twelve and wanted to impress my date for the Junior Ball that year.”
His movements as he danced were smooth and graceful. “Well, if you danced then, as well as you are right now, I don’t know how she couldn’t have been impressed.”
Tom smiled, drew back from her, and propelled her into a slow spin. Then he drew her back, fitting her intimately against his body. “Mom taught me how to slow dance and she even taught me how to waltz.”
Kendra smiled shyly at him. “I know. You waltzed with me at my prom. I never forgot that.”
The song changed to Elvis’Can’t Help Falling in Love, and Tom twirled her around in a slow, sexy waltz.
Am I dreaming? Am I really here, waltzing with Tom again?Kendra wondered as she looked in his eyes. She was enchanted by this other side of him, and it almost seemed like he was a different man. He was so handsome in his suit and he’d styled his hair differently, too. This suave, debonair man was a far cry from the tough guy mechanic she knew. She adored this softer side of him.
Between the warm, lovely light from the flickering candle flames, the romantic music, and the hunger in Tom’s eyes, Kendra felt like a princess in a fairy tale. Closing her eyes, the magic of the moment swept her away.
Putting a hand around the back of his neck, she coaxed him to lower his head so she could press her lips to his. Their kiss was slow and sweet. When it ended, Tom pulled her close and she laid her head on his chest. She sighed when he rested his cheek on the top of her head. Snuggling closer, Kendra closed her eyes, swaying with him to the rhythm of the music.
The romance of the moment was so moving, her heart so overflowing with emotion that she couldn’t contain it. She needed to tell Tom how she felt about him, but in a special way. Suddenly a grin curved her mouth because it came to her while she danced.
As the current song ended, she drew away from him. “Stay right here,” She ordered.
Tom gave her a quizzical look when she left the living room. She returned, replaced his phone with hers and connected it to the Bose dock. Let him wonder what she was up to.
Quickly, she brought up the karaoke version of Christina Perri’sA Thousand Years. She rejoined Tom, moving smoothly back into his arms while the intro played.
At the proper cue, she sang, “Heart beats fast, colors and promises, how to be brave. How can I love when I’m afraid to fall, but watching you standalone, all of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow…”
By the time she’d sung the first chorus, she saw a light of understanding blazing in Tom’s eyes. She was trying to show him. This wasn’t just a song. This was her admission of love.
“I have died every day waiting for you, darling don’t be afraid, I have loved for a thousand years, I’ll love you for a thousand more.”
Close to end of the song, tears welled in Kendra’s eyes and she couldn’t stop the way her chin trembled as fear, love, and longing coalesced inside. Would he crush her heart or push her away now that he knew how she felt about him? Gathering her courage, she readied herself to face his reaction.
Kendra cupped his face as she sang the last line while tears streamed down her face. As the song faded, she started, “I fell in love with you the first time I saw you and I’ve loved you ever since. When you left, you took my heart with you. Now you’re back in my life asking me to risk my heart again, to commit to this relationship. So here I am.” Her voice trembled, “I couldn’t wait any longer to tell you. I love you, Tom.”
* * *
She had sung those lines with such conviction that Tom couldn’t miss the meaning behind them.She’s loved me all this time?There was no mistaking the message she was sending him and he felt humbled, happy, but also unworthy because he’d broken her heart almost four years ago. He’d deserted her and hadn’t been there for her when she’d needed him the most.
How had he missed it back then, before he’d left? He thought her infatuated with her big brother’s best friend. Why would a young woman with her social standing be interested in some schmuck mechanic?
He stared into her eyes, and his heart thumped in his chest. He cursed himself for being so blind. For being a coward.I’m such an idiot.It hadn’t been the broken condom that had scared him away four years ago. It had been his own feelings for Kendra. She was unlike any women he’d ever known and he’d believed he didn’t deserve someone as good and wonderful as Kendra.
The feelings he’d locked securely away behind the walls of his heart broke free of their chains and he could no longer deny them. When they were younger, terror stopped him telling her what was in his heart, afraid she’d reject him because he’d been such a hellion from the wrong side of the tracks. Would she have believed him? Would she believe him now?
Once again, her bravery touched him because he understood the thoughts that haunted her. Kendra’s declaration gave him courage. Lowering his head, he kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose. She closed her eyes and he kissed them while he brushed away her tears with his thumbs.
Resting his forehead against hers and breathing deeply, Tom said the words he’d never said to another woman. “I’m so thankful to hear you say that because I love you, too.”
Kendra shook her head a little as she opened her eyes. “No, Tom—”
Tom shook his head and settled a finger over her lips. “You know that I don’t lie, Kendra, not even to spare your feelings. I was a coward. A guy like me couldn’t have a woman like you, or so I thought. Someone so smart, talented, and good. So, like a dumbass, I ran. That’s why I didn’t read the emails. I was too scared that you’d discover the real me and dump my sorry ass. I knew you deserved better than me.”
He saw the anger and pain on her face as she fisted her hands in his suit lapels, latching on with a little shake. “That wasn’t your decision to make! I wanted you so much. You’re a better man than you think. I could see that even when you didn’t!” She pounded a fist against his chest. “Why couldn’t you tell me this back then?”
