Chapter Seven
Heat surged through her body as his lips slanted over hers. She was too shocked to respond, but once her brain caught up with her body she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders to pull him closer.
There was nothing hesitant about his touch. No uncertainty about what, or who, he was kissing. He controlled the kiss with practiced ease, taking his time to taste her, tease her.
Her fingers clenched in the fabric of his shirt. This was wrong. She should push him away, but it felt so good there was no stopping the desire surging through her.
This is Walker. Your best friend. You don’t make out with your best friend.
Looks like I do now.
And hell, had she ever received a kiss that made her toes curl the way this one did?
His hands slid down her body, molding her to him as his tongue traced the seam of her lips. She parted them without pause, giving him the access he’d demanded. One hand rose to twist in her hair, angling her head to the side, and she smiled against his mouth. How would it feel if he tugged her head back to run his lips down her throat? Or if he waltzed her back against the wall, pressing her body up against his?
Or if he took her hand and led her to his bedroom?
Would I go?
She didn’t have an answer. She never wanted this moment to end.
Walker drew his lips across hers in a final gossamer touch and pulled back enough to face her without letting her go.
“What was that?” she whispered when she could speak again.
“A terrible idea,” he replied, his eyes on her mouth. “Enjoy your date.”
Releasing her, he spun around and headed back into the kitchen.
Grasping the rail, Clara blinked as she tried to process what had just happened.
Was it a terrible idea because he hadn’t found their kiss satisfying?
Or because he had?
She couldn’t stop herself from tracing her fingers over her lips. Walker had kissed her. Walker, the boy who’d helped her study to pass her stats class and the man who’d challenged her to a round of rock-paper-scissors to win his movie preference, had kissed her in a way that had nothing to do with friendship.
And everything to do with rolling naked between the sheets.
You can’t be standing here like a love-struck teen when he comes back with Hunter. Move.
Grabbing the stair rail, she jogged up the stairs two at a time. Running on silent feet to the guest room, she twirled inside and softly closed the door.
“What did I just do?” she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. It was one thing to spin hypotheticals with Diane over almonds, but it was another entirely to cross the line she’d been trying to hold herself back from.
But the question remained about what would happen tomorrow when she had to face him again. Would this be the end of them?
Or the beginning?
…
Walker waited in the living room, red eyed from another sleepless night. Hunter hadn’t taken too kindly to being woken last night in order to be moved to the bedroom, and he’d had no trouble voicing his displeasure.
Never wake a sleeping baby. Clara had told him but he hadn’t listened.
I sure as hell will from now on.
He’d trekked down here early to avoid waking Clara when Hunter had demanded food at dawn. No doubt he’d be getting an earful as it was about his behavior last night when he finally faced her.
What was I thinking?
He’d kissed her. Not by mistake or because the situation was moving them both in that direction. No, he’d chased after her and made a very conscious choice.
Because he was apparently immature enough to be threatened by a faceless man he’d never met.
You can take on corporate giants and crush the competition, but you can’t handle Clara seeing someone else?
It’s not as if either of them had lived the life of a monk these past years. Hunter was proof enough of that.
But though the men in her life had annoyed him in a mild, don’t-want-to-examine-that-too-closely sort of way, they had never incited him to take action.
What was happening to him? Was it the sleep deprivation? The shock at Hunter’s presence?
Or the fact that for the first time in their lives, Clara wasn’t tucked away on the opposite end of the city. No, she was right here in front of him. Close enough that he could reach out to touch her any time he wanted.
Not that he thought she’d let him. But still, he could always try.
Though it was clear that living together came with drawbacks. In a couple of days, he’d have to watch her go off with another man when all he was allowed to do was smile and wish her well.
Those are the rules. If you cross lines with Clara, you could lose her. Do you want that to happen?
Last night the gamble had seemed worth it, but in the light of day he wasn’t sure. In the back of his mind, the sound of a door slammed. How often had he watched that door as a child, waiting for someone to finally walk back in?
Shaking his head, he gazed down at Hunter. His son would never know the feeling of someone he loved walking out on him. He’d make sure of it.
The sound of footsteps from the second floor made him wince. Clara was up. Which meant he only had a few more minutes before he had to pay the piper.
Would she be furious at him for kissing her? Or would she want more?
He wasn’t sure which outcome was better.
What am I hoping comes out of all this?
He knew Clara looked for commitment when she dated. If she’d ever had a one-night stand she hadn’t told him about it. Which meant they’d never work, even if the attraction really was there. What could he offer right now beyond a little pleasure? He’d never be a boyfriend. Even the thought sent a cold chill down his spine. He should have thought this through before chasing after her last night. It had been a selfish move that he’d pay for today.
Right. Like you’d never kiss her again if the chance came up.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Why can’t any of this be easy?
He and Hunter waited while she went about her morning routine. The smell of coffee would lure her downstairs eventually.
Sure enough, ten minutes later she jogged down the stairs only to stop when she noticed him through the living room doorway.
“Hey,” she greeted, walking into the room. The uncertainty on her face would almost be adorable if the sight didn’t drive a spike through his chest.
“Morning,” he replied. “Hunter is an early bird it seems.”
She drifted closer until she stood uneasily by the edge of the couch. “Did he keep you up all night?”
He shrugged. “No more than I deserved for waking him. He could have slept quite happily in the kitchen.”
“I told you about sleeping babies.”
“You were right, as usual.”
Silence stretched as he watched her watch him. He’d been ready to apologize. Really, he had. But seeing her now he realized he had no regrets. He’d never forget the taste of her lips or the feeling of crushing her against his chest. He knew they wouldn’t work. They wanted different things from their lives. But if all he’d ever have was one moment with her, then he’d take it and damned if he’d apologize for it.
She chewed on her lower lip for a moment. “So,” she said.
“So,” he replied.
The quiet descended on them once again.
“Uh, how about I look after Hunter this morning while you work, and we can switch in the afternoon?” she finally said, looking anywhere but at him.
We’re not going to talk about what happened? Did I just get a get-out-of-jail-free card?
“Sure,” he said carefully.
“Once I get my word count in we can get back to the babyproofing. I made a list of parenting tips I think will be useful to you.”
“Good, because you babyproofed the bathroom drawers and now I can’t, for the life of me, reach my razor.”
A ghost of a smile crossed her lips. “I’ll teach you.”
I know a hell of a lot more fun things we could teach each other.
He bit back the words he had been far too close to saying.
“Great.” Neither of them moved. “I’ll get to work then. I’ve got a board meeting I’m remoting in for.”
“Good luck,” she said, already reaching for Hunter.
Depositing his son in her arms, he forced himself to walk away. He had work to do. Andrew would give him an earful if he was late.
But for the first time in his life, the idea of focusing on his company didn’t bring him that same excitement it usually did.
All he felt was hollow.