Daniel took her hand in his. “Just as your body told me everything I needed to know.”
Heat flushed her face. “What is it that you think my body told you?”
“That you still have feelings for me.”
She didn’t deny it.
“That we’re good together.”
She couldn’t deny that either.
“I think we should give it another go, Kimberly.”
“Another go?” She blinked at him. What was he saying? Why did her blood slam through her body, causing dizziness to swamp her?
“As in have a relationship.”
“You want a relationship with me?”
“Yes.”
“I live in Atlanta.”
He studied her a minute, then squeezed her hand. “Frequent flyer programs were created for couples like us.”
He wanted to maintain a long-distance relationship? To come to Atlanta to spend time with her?
“You’d fly to Atlanta to be with me?”
“I’d paddle to Africa to be with you.”
Kimberly smiled. She couldn’t help it. He looked and sounded so sincere.
“You expect me to believe you when all this time all you had to do was make a trip home to Atlanta? I’ve been there all along, Daniel. You were the one who stayed gone.”
“You told me to leave and never come back.”
Because of our son.
“Right or wrong, I did what I thought was right at the time,” she said slowly, her thoughts heavy on her mind.
“But you still cared about me?” His eyes searched hers. “Even then, you cared?”
“I loved you.”
A pained look swept across his face. “You broke my heart, Kimberly.”
“I’d never hurt you intentionally, Daniel.” Another lie because she had hurt him intentionally when she’d broken things off. She’d hurt him so he could move on with his life, his dreams.
She gulped, knowing what she had to do. What she’d meant to do when she’d invited him to her room but had been sidetracked, had wanted to be sidetracked, if truth be told. She’d wanted one night with him before all hell broke loose.
Delaying only made things worse, made her secret weigh more heavily upon her heart.
Besides, telling him in private might be impossible after last night.
If she were alone with Daniel she’d likely be ripping off his clothes.
“Actually, that’s not true,” she corrected herself, causing his gaze to shoot to her. She sought the right words, words that would convey how she’d struggled with the burden she’d carried alone that fall. “I’d never want to hurt you, Daniel, but sometimes difficult choices have to be made and someone you never meant to hurt does get hurt.”