She straightened and stepped farther away from him.
“Yes,” she said shakily.
“I’m not so sure I believe you.”
He expected her to whip around again and let him have it in typical Colleen fashion, but she didn’t speak. Her silence worried him. It worried him a lot. She stood with her back to him, her forearms wrapped below her breasts, her head lowered. She looked much smaller to him in that moment than he was accustomed to seeing indomitable, vibrant Colleen.
He really was a jerk.
“I’m sorry. Of course I believe you,” he said. When she didn’t respond, but remained with her head lowered, he sighed. “I’ll let myself out.”
“I’m the one who is sorry, for sending you mixed messages,” she said. “And you’re right. I’m not so sure you should believe me about Darin, either. I do miss him, don’t get me wrong. But…that’s not why I stopped just now,” she said in a small voice. She glanced up at him hesitantly, her lost expression killing him a little.
“But believe this, Eric. I’m not ready for this. I’m not ready for you,” she said quietly.
He watched, filled with regret, as two tears rolled down her cheek. The vision of her filled him…her uncertainty, her vulnerability, her sadness. He lifted his hand and dried the soft, smooth surface of her skin with his thumb, wishing he could do more.
“I’ll leave you alone, if that’s what you want right now. But I’ll see you the day after tomorrow,” he murmured, dropping his hand even though he wanted to keep touching her.
“What?” she asked, looking bewildered, tears about to spill from her lovely eyes in earnest. He experienced an overwhelming urge to hold her. He was used to physically connecting with a woman, but this added desire to be tender, to soothe…to make everything better confused him a little.
He took a step toward the hallway, recognizing she needed distance, but never wanting to grant it less.
“We’re meeting at the bakery with Liam and Natalie. To choose a wedding cake design,” he said.
“But…you don’t need to come to that, Eric,” she scolded almost fondly.
He smiled, relishing the sound of his name on her tongue. Funny, how such a little thing could bring him pleasure. What had happened to him? When had he become pleased by so little when it came to a woman?
But it wasn’t a little thing. Not when it came to Colleen.
“Natalie asked me to meet you guys. I told her I’d come,” he replied quickly. In fact, Natalie had casually asked him if he was coming with them to the bakery, but she hadn’t seemed particularly invested in whether he was there one way or another. The only thing he knew about cake was that if it tasted good, he’d eat it. The appeal of the cake-choosing ritual rose considerably in his estimation, however, when he learned Colleen would be there.
Another tear spilled down her cheek.
“Colleen?”
“Yes?”
“I meant it when I said you were beautiful.”
She started in surprise and then averted her face, swiping at her cheeks with the back of her hand. “My mascara is probably smearing,” she mumbled uncomfortably.
He smiled. “It is. And I still mean it.”
More than I did even a few minutes ago. You’re getting more beautiful by the second in my eyes.
His brow furrowed when he recognized the automatic thought. When had his feelings for her grown so potent?
“I’ll see you on Monday,” he said gruffly. When she gave him an uncertain nod, he walked down the hallway, leaving her with extreme reluctance.
Chapter Six
Colleen rushed into Celino’s Bakery Monday evening carrying a bag filled with Halloween candy. Celino’s was in the same strip mall as the Shop and Save. She’d hoped she’d be able to check off two errands in one sweep, but hadn’t figured on everyone in Harbor Town having the same idea about getting their Halloween supplies. Now she was late.
The friendly young woman at the front counter immediately showed her to a back room. She paused on the threshold at the vision of Eric inserting a fork and a generous hunk of white cake between his lips. Lined up in front of him on the table were several plates, a slice of cake on each one. Natalie and Liam sat across from him. When they turned to greet her, Colleen saw they were looking through a book filled with photographs of elaborate wedding cakes. A smiling, gray-haired lady sat at the head of the table.
Eric held her gaze as he chewed his cake. Something about his small smile, or the movements of his slightly whiskered jaw, or the expression in his eyes—like they shared a secret—immediately made her mind leap to that kiss on Saturday night. She’d kissed him several times now, and on each occasion the experience had felt more intense. It made her a little dumbfounded every time she acknowledged how close she’d come to sleeping with him…even when that had been the last thing she’d planned.