Lulu licked his hand. Sympathetic.
He glanced up one more time and saw Fliss pause at the entrance of the harbor. And then she looked back, a single glance over her shoulder.
His gaze met hers and held.
She stood for a moment, and then turned again with a flip of her gold hair and vanished.
“Or maybe I didn’t mess it up,” Seth murmured.
Maybe this was just the first, necessary step.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
HE’D KISSED HER. Why had he kissed her?
The anger burned through her in a scorching, sizzling, furious heat. She was so mad at him. And under the anger was confusion and a lurch of fear.
He expected to get involved again? After last time? Did he have no idea what it had done to her? Did he really think she’d ever put herself through that again?
Worthless, stupid—she’d be both those things if she stepped back into the path of a train that had already flattened her once.
She scowled, her feet pounding the path as she ran.
She could have called a cab, but she was too angry.
A relationship? He wanted a relationship? He wanted to start again? As if all they’d done ten years ago was wave goodbye in a friendly way and agreed to a sabbatical. As if her heart hadn’t ached every second, of every minute, of every day for years after.
The thought of putting herself through that again—
Right now she didn’t want a relationship.
Right now she wanted to push him in the water and drown him.
Had he done it on purpose? Yes, it had to be on purpose. He knew that every time he kissed her it muddled her brain. It was like a hit-and-run. He’d kissed her and then left her to stew in the heat of her own raging hormones.
It was a low trick.
Muttering, furious, she pushed open the door to her grandmother’s house.
Had the rest of the Poker Princesses gone? She hoped so because she wasn’t in the mood to give them a report of her date with Seth.
And she wasn’t sure she didn’t have he kissed me written all over her face.
Hearing sounds from the kitchen but no conversation, she walked through to find her grandmother with her head in her hands.
“Grams?” Forgetting her own problems, she dropped her bag and ran toward her. “What happened? Where is everyone?”
Her grandmother lifted her head. “They left a while ago. We had so much fun, but I didn’t quite have the energy to get myself to the living room. Don’t worry about me.”
“I am worried about you.”
“They said it was normal to feel tired after a head injury.”
“They also said you should rest. Shall I help you up to bed?”
“I do not need to go to bed. I’m not an invalid.”
“Then I’ll make up the sofa for you. You can look at the water for a while, or we could talk.” She was surprised by how appealing the thought of that was. “You could show me photos of Mom when she was little.” Fliss eased her out of the chair and they walked together to the living room. “Put your feet up. I’ll clear the kitchen and bring you some tea. Can I fix you something to eat?”