The inside of Edgar’s home was just as beautiful and chaotic as the outside, possibly even more so. There were shelves everywhere. Giant mahogany bookshelves in almost every room were cram packed with books on every subject from birds in North America to biographies of real-life spies. There were also individual shelves that jutted out of the walls with knick knacks from around the world, making his home look like a disorganized museum. There were tiny Buddha status, Chinese silk fans, a miniature Eiffel Tower statue and more among the many souvenirs.

“Like to travel?” I asked, looking at a large, pink conch shell.

“A passion of mine,” Edgar said. “Sorry, the place is a bit of a mess.”

“Bit of a mess?” I asked jokingly. “Compared to your office when I started working, this place is the definition of organized.”

Edgar chuckled, though it sounded a bit forced. I looked over at him, and he looked nervous. I wondered if he was thinking just how to tell me that he didn’t love me.

“Want some coffee?” he asked, leading me into a large kitchen. There weren’t a lot of appliances, and I guessed Edgar didn’t cook much, but there was a coffee maker and a half-full bag of coffee next to it.

“Yes, please,” I said, glad to have something else to focus on. I helped Edgar with the coffee, as he was still hampered with his right arm in the sling. I started the coffee percolating as he pulled out two mugs from the cabinet. The aroma of the brewing coffee was rich and tantalizing. I felt better just smelling it.

“I hope you like it black,” Edgar said.

“Not really, why?”

“I don’t really have any sugar or milk.”

“Then black is fine,” I said, though I slightly regretted agreeing to coffee. I hated black coffee, always adding in copious amounts of cream and sugar to my coffee at home.

“I have a can of whipped cream in the fridge,” Edgar said. “We can put some of that in.”

“Sure, sounds good.” I had never had whipped cream on black coffee, but it was better than nothing.

“So, how has everything been, since I’ve been out?” Edgar asked as he poured the coffee into the mugs and got the whipped cream from the fridge.

“I’m taking care of everything at the office. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

“I didn’t mean at the office,” he said, and looked intensely at me. I was drawn into his amber eyes and for a foolish moment I wanted to tell him that I had been longing for him every day. That I had never been more scared in my life than when I was afraid I was going to lose him. I didn’t know what to do, so I took a huge sip of my coffee, almost choking on it. I still didn’t like how bitter it was, but the whipped cream did add a sweetness to it.

“You got a bit on your nose,” Edgar said, and he leaned in close to me. I closed my eyes, hoping he wanted to kiss me. Instead, he gently wiped the tip of my nose with his finger. “You got some whipped cream on your nose.”

“Right. I did.”

“That day, in the office, you said you loved me.”

Oh no, I thought, here it comes. I prepared to feel my heart shatter when he told me he didn’t feel the same way.

 “And I wanted to tell you that I do too.”

“What?” I said, surprised. I couldn’t believe my ears.

“I love you, Bernadette.”

“But you don’t think relationships can work, you said so.”

“I know I said that, and I’ll admit I have my share of baggage. But when I thought I might lose you, when I thought Mr. Coleman would hurt you, I couldn’t think of anything worse. I wanted you to be safe more than anything I’ve ever wanted. And just slightly behind that, I wanted you in my life. I’ve thought a lot about this in the hospital the last few days. Hell, it was all I thought about. I want you in my life Bernadette, and not just as my assistant.”’

“You want to be with me? Even after losing Molly?” I could barely believe what I was hearing.

“Yes, maybe even because I lost Molly. Something in me broke when she died, but after almost losing you, I realize that I can’t live my life alone. I don’t think Molly would have wanted that for me. I’ve never met someone I wanted to be close to since Molly, no one that I could allow myself to be vulnerable in front of. Not till I met you. And I promise you, Bernadette, if you will be mine, I will make sure you never regret it. I will do everything in my power to cherish you. I now know to appreciate what I have every day. I would never do anything to hurt you, Bernadette. If you would be willing to give me a chance.”

He fell silent then, anxiously waiting for my reply. I stood for a moment, taking in all that he had just said. I felt a thrill that this sexy man standing before me wanted me. A wave of happiness rolled through me and in answer to his question, I pulled him in and kissed him on the mouth. After a moment of surprise, he wrapped his left arm around me and held me in a strong embrace.

Our kisses in the Bahamas had been nice, but nothing compared to this kiss. We weren’t pretending to be in love, we were in love. His lips were warm and hard on mine and I felt the stubble of his beard slightly scratch my face, but I didn’t care. I felt an electric thrill run through me and settle in a spot right between my legs. I was already feeling myself getting damp with longing and I couldn’t get enough of him. He kissed me hungrily, as though he couldn’t get enough, and I kissed him back, just as hard. His tongue explored my mouth and I gently bit on his lip, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to get his attention. I felt immensely satisfied to hear him moan in pleasure. Even more satisfying was feeling him harden, the bulge in his pants pressed against my crotch. It was so hot, I wanted more.

I pushed myself slightly away, only far enough so I had access to his shirt buttons, which I quickly began to undo. When they were all undone, I stared longingly at the skin of his exposed chest. He wasn’t darkly tan like David, but his pale skin was firm, with rippling abs. The sudden thought of David didn’t make me feel sad, rather, I was grateful that I had been saved from such a jerk and could now enjoy every pleasure Edgar had to offer. I remembered his chest from the Bahamas, but then I was pretending I didn’t have any feelings for him. Now I didn’t have to.

Leaning in, I ran my tongue down his firm chest. He was delicious, hot and just a bit sweaty. I kissed and then sucked on his nipples, hard under my tongue. I heard him groan and I sucked harder. Finally, I got to my knees and began to take off his pants. That’s when Edgar stopped me.