Page 11 of Hers to Hold
Her peripheral vision caught Mike sneaking one of the treats from the box and then skirting behind her and out the door.
Wes rounded the table. “You really didn’t have to do that,” he said apologetically.
“We pride ourselves on our customer service.”
He came within inches of her and she inhaled the faint fragrance of woodsy aftershave. His dark, wavy hair held a sheen to it like he used gel to keep it manageable. Although she was fairly tall—an inherited trait from her father, no doubt—she still had to angle her head back fairly far to keep their gazes connected.
“It’s second to none.”
“Shall I quote you to my manager?”
Wes chuckled. “Sure, why not?”
The gold in his eyes twinkled, and Kady found herself counting the number of times saw them shine. Living in the city, she rarely saw stars in the night sky. She found Wes’s eyes to be just as captivating.
Wes ran a hand through his hair and dropped his gaze. “Look, I…”
Kady took a step forward, encouraging him to speak. It didn’t matter what it was. If she couldn’t stare into his eyes, then she wanted to hear his voice, a pleasant baritone.
His eyes found hers again. “I wanted to apologize for what happened the other day.”
“What happened?”
“You know, the…” He raised his arms as if he were going to hug her and then swiftly dropped them to his sides. “I kind of took you out.”
Kady’s cheeks warmed. “Oh…that.”
“Yeah, that.”
She waved a hand in front of her. “It was nothing.”
“No, it was definitely something. I could’ve hurt you.”
I doubt it.“I’m tougher than I look.”
His eyes trailed down her form. Slowly. “You look pretty tough to me.” His voice held a husky weight. His ears turned slightly pink.
“Product of being raised by a single mother.”
“I bet she’s amazing.”
Kady’s heart constricted painfully. “She was,” she whispered. Hands circled her upper arms, drawing her ever deeper into a shared space.
“Kadynce, I’m sorry,” he whispered.
She smiled, willing her eyes to remain dry. “Thank you.”
The second he cupped her cheek, a tear slipped out. He caught it with his thumb. “It hasn’t been long, has it?”
Her vision blurred. She fought the painful tremor in her heart.I should’ve taken more time.“No. Only a few months.”
He drew her into his embrace, an arm wrapping securely around her waist, while the hand on her cheek remained. More tears fell, and she was helpless to stop them. When had the dam gotten so weak? How was she falling apart in front of this man? Who was he that she could be so vulnerable?
Her arms found their way around his hips. She closed her eyes, shoulders relaxing as the tension ebbed away. She exhaled heavily, not realizing how tight she’d been.
“It’s okay to cry,” he whispered in her ear.
“I’m going to owe you again.”
