Page 64 of Twice as Tempting

“I didn’t say that…”

“But that’s what you think.”

“No. Not exactly.”

“So, leaving donuts on your doorstep isn’t romantic? Saving you from drowning isn’t romantic?”

Kelly laughed. “I wasn’t drowning. Besides, I could have swum to shore if I had to. I was a swimmer, remember?”

“IN HIGH SCHOOL!” he shouted.

“Never mind,” she said and started to turn her back on him.

Damian still had a grip on her wrist, and he spun her back around. “Grand gestures. Is that what you want? Am I supposed to ride up on a white horse and whisk you off into the sunset?”

“No, Damian. I don’t need grand gestures.”

They were both frustrated now, and Kelly wasn’t sure how their conversation had turned from playful to inflamed in a matter of minutes.

“What do you need, Kelly? Tell me, because I feel like I’m operating under a serious disadvantage here.”

I need to know how you truly feel about me. I need to know that you want me for more than just sex. But the words wouldn’t come out. They were stuck. They were trapped under the hurt, under the pain of her many failed relationships. They were buried under the memory of him leaving her once before, when he had walked out of her life without so much as a look back, like what they had shared was meaningless. She hadn’t been important enough to warrant a phone call, a text, an email, nothing. She had been easy to leave behind, and why should she think it would be any different now?

Damian had let go of her wrist, but he was still clutching the book in his left hand. “You know what? You think about it and let me know. I’m outta here.” With that, he turned and stalked to the front of the store. He fumbled with the lock for a second and then jerked the door open, cursing loudly on his way out.

Kelly watched him peel out of the parking lot, and amidst the jumble of emotions that flooded her brain, something else registered. “That idiot stole my book!”

When Kelly pulled up in front of her apartment a short time later, she noticed that Damian’s truck was parked in its usual spot and a light was on in his apartment. She sat in her parked car for a few minutes, debating about whether to have it out with him right away or sleep on it. Feeling as keyed up as she was, she knew she wouldn’t get any sleep, so she settled on the first option. Kelly gathered her courage as she walked up the three flights of stairs to his apartment and rang the doorbell.

It took a few minutes for him to answer, and she was just about to turn away when he flung open the door. The sight of him took her breath away. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of gray sweats that hung low on his hips. His thick, dark hair was still damp from a shower, and it curled up enticingly at the ends. He must have dried off in a hurry, because there were still water droplets on his shoulders and upper arms. Kelly’s eyes naturally honed in on his lightning bolt tattoo, and she swallowed hard. Oh, how she had loved to trace the design with her fingertips before, during, and after their lovemaking.

Damian’s expression was neutral as he stared back at her, but then he softened a little when he stepped back and said, “Come on in.”

Kelly followed him into the living room and took a seat on the couch while he sat in the lounge chair across from her. “You stole my book,” she began. Facts were always an easy place to start!

He quirked his eyebrows, but his lips remained in a tight line. “I didn’t steal it. I borrowed it. Figured I might be able to gain some tips.”

“Hmm…”

“Did you stop by just for the book, or is there something else on your mind?” Damian asked, his expression a cross between trepidatious and hopeful.

Kelly entwined her hands in her lap and sighed. “You asked me what I needed, and I’m here to tell you.”

Damian leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands. “Tell me.”

“I need to know why you never contacted me after you returned to California, and I want the truth. All of it.”

Damian studied her for what felt like an interminable amount of time before he spoke. “I needed some time to figure some stuff out. I had to get my shit together before I saw you again.”

It was something, but it still wasn’t enough. “Figure out what exactly?” she asked, careful to keep her voice steady—determined to stay calm.

“I had to decide if I was ready to do this again. This meaning us. Having a relationship.”

Now they were getting somewhere, but she wanted more details. “So, what we had before…”

“Was fun and easy. My usual M.O., but when I left, I wasn’t satisfied. I felt like I wanted…more.”

Kelly’s eyes widened at his admission, but she didn’t dare speak. She wanted him to tell her at his own pace.