Page 65 of Wandering Souls

He pulled a face. “Damien can be demanding.”

She chuckled. “And I’ve seen my sister at the hospital. I’d almost call her overbearing, except, having seen her in action, it’s obvious to me she’s good at what she does.”

The animation in her eyes mesmerized him. He could stare at it all day. It leant her features a brightness he wanted to see every day. He didn’t doubt for a minute that she too wasbossyin her work, but seeing her find common traits for them to bond over gave him hope it would provide the basis upon which to build a strong relationship with the members of her family. Or at least, with her father and her sister.

He wanted to ask about Penny but the right words eluded him. Asking about the mother who gave her up might break their mood, and he didn’t want to put a dampener on their evening.

Abi took a sip of water, her laughter dying down. “I met Penny today.”

“After our picnic?”

She touched his hand. “She was at the cottage when I went back to change.” Her fingers lingered on the back of his hand, slowly following the lines of tendons and bones. “I honestly didn’t know what to say to her, Ray.”

Turning his hand over, he watched her trace the lines of his palm. “Did it go okay?”

She nodded. “We had a very long talk, and a good cry. I didn’t want to, but what she said helped me see things in a different way. It’s hard though. For so long, I’ve felt like she abandoned me. I don’t quite know how to let go of that hurt.”

He twined his fingers with hers. “It’s going to take time, Abi.”

With a blink, she raised her face. Her eyes searched his, the depth of their connection reaching into his soul to give it a good shake. The effect she had on him was unlike any woman he’d ever known. Where he and Viv were a great match on paper, she never looked at him the way Abi did now. Like he had the answers. Like he was the soft place to fall when things went askew. It scared him to admit he wanted to be that and so much more.

“Thank you.” She smiled. “For being here to listen.”

“Any time.”

Night fell outside, darkening the world beyond the windows as they finished their meal. Ray got up to close the curtains and throw a log in the wood heater. He took their empty dishes to the sink and filled the metal basin with soapy water. Abi sidled up beside him, her arm touching his as she waited with a tea-towel in hand for him to wash their bowls.

She seemed calmer than he’d ever noticed. Her body language was relaxed and open, the urgency from their lunch date having disappeared. She stood close enough that their arms bumped, bringing a smile to his lips.

“Do you want some dessert? I have ice cream in the freezer.”

Abi shook her head as she dried a handful of cutlery. “No.”

“Coffee?”

She looked at him sideways and handed him the towel. “No, thanks.”

Ray pulled the plug and let the water drain, accepting the towel to dry his hands. Was her quietness an indication that she wanted to call it an early night? There was no sign of the heat they’d shared earlier in the day, leaving him with the sneaking suspicion she’d had second thoughts.

Ray hung the damp towel over the oven door handle and leaned against the counter. She moved easily, as though her thigh didn’t bother her tonight, and she turned to stand before him. Four inches shorter than him, she tilted her head to look up into his eyes.

“Thank you for cooking.” He reached out to push the hair off her shoulder. “It was delicious.”

She inched closer. The warm air of her breath washed over him. “You are very welcome.”

Her hand flattened against his chest. Ray glanced down at her slender fingers spread against his T. The contact kicked his heart rate up. Sliding his fingers into her silken hair, he curled his hand around the back of her head. She yielded under the slightest pressure, leaning close enough to kiss. He hesitated, uncertain.

“We don’t have to—”

She cut him off with a gentle kiss. “No one said anything about having to,” she hummed against his lips. “It’s all about want.”

The husky rasp in her voice tightened his throat. He swallowed. “No doubt about it, I want you.”

Her lips curved against his. When her fingers burrowed under his T and found skin, Ray’s temperature spiked. Exploring his abs, she pushed the material up until he had to raise his arms. She lifted the T off and threw it over her shoulder, her eyebrows arching in appreciation of what she saw. Caressing his chest, her eyes glittered.

She opened her mouth to speak, though he pressed a finger to them and shook his head. One eye narrowed in question, but Ray only moved to return the favor by tugging her tunic upward. Abi licked her lips as apprehension flickered across her face. She set a hand over his to hold him still.

“No one has seen my scars.”

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