Page 63 (1/2)

What alternative was there to waiting? Turning his back? Not likely Not on her Anyone else and he h of relief once she’d used it

But the thought that he ht bide his time only to have her decide in the end she couldn’t be with hi knot

"I could have you, Candace I could co back into your life and you wouldn’t try to stop me Even if you did, I could break down your defenses I could’ve taken you right here on the floor, and you wouldn’t have said no I could push and seduce and boss my way in What kills me is that if I did that, you’d beat otto keep fro on them because it would only put us back in the same situation ere in before, and you don’t want that"

She looked at hie that would haunt hih his art or explode He went on "I don’t knohat better way to tell you I love you and I’otYou can ask ive you an earful All I can talk about is you, even to him To all of them out there They don’t knohat to do with me No one wants me around anymore The portrait I drew of you is still over my bed, I can’t stand to look at it, but I can’t make myself take it down I’ pretty well on the phone"

"Don’t be fooled I have to nity It’s all a front for you"

A pained expression flickered over her features, and she crossed her ar her face into the safe haven they e back in just as ht, I wouldn’t stop you, if only because I don’t have that ht back here So the fact that you’re holding back means more to me than you could possibly realize Thank you, Brian"

He’d poured his fking heart out and she’d thanked hi worse

He rested his head back against the desk behind the until he went half blind "I should get back out there," he said quietly "I’ll leave with you in a heartbeat if you ask me to, but otherwise--"

Candace scra for a chance, any chance, to flee "I’m sorry, I didn’t lad you came by"

"Will you let ot to his feet beside her, unable to resist reaching out and fraaze had followed hiether her head tilted back as she looked at hied red, her dark lashes spiky, her lips still swollen from the pressure of his kiss The silk of her hair and the warled underneath his hands

This wasn’t right She was his, da pieces in his life If she jerked them out now, he would collapse, parts of hiather the to push the words past the lump in his throat Past the need to throw her over his shoulder and run out the back door, hold her captive at his place until she finally cracked and swore to be his for the rest of their lives

Her hands slid over his own and pulled theo The loss of her wars "No matter what happens," she said, "I love you Just know that if I can’t be with you, it was because I loved you so much I couldn’t burden you withof a deal," he insisted "When it co They don’t even play in"