She didn’t sound sad about it. More matter-of-fact than anything else.
“How long have you been divorced?” he asked her.
“About six weeks.”
“That recent?” He tried to hide his surprise.
“We w
ere separated for over a year. We had to be. And the settlement was… contentious.” She sighed. “So it feels like a lot longer. Waiting for the paperwork was the hardest part.”
He ran the tip of his tongue over his lips. She was a fascinating combination of strong and vulnerable. Maybe they were two sides of the same coin. Whatever it was, it enticed him in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Maybe ever.
“I have no idea why you divorced, but your ex was a damn fool.”
Autumn laughed. “What if it was my fault?”
“Then it was his fault for not keeping you happy.”
“Yeah, well that part was true. And I guess it was both of our faults. Living with somebody and working with them was a recipe for disaster.” She thought about the NDA she’d signed. Best not to tell him too much about that.
He raised his eyebrows. “You worked together?”
“Yeah. He bought me out of our company. I used the money to buy the pier.” She ran her finger around the rim of her wine glass. “How about you? You ever been married?”
He shook his head. “No. But I never wanted to. Still don’t. My parents weren’t exactly a great advertisement for marital harmony.”
She remembered Deenie telling her something similar at the party. “Are they divorced?” she asked him.
“They should be. But right now they’re probably screaming at each other in a bungalow outside of Fort Lauderdale.” He caught her eye. “Thankfully I don’t have to listen to them tear each other apart anymore.”
As though she could sense his discomfort, Autumn pulled her bottom lip between her teeth then released it, her mouth curling into a shy smile.
It was like she was standing on the edge of something. Afraid, but elated. Her eyes were feverish, glancing at him, then looking down at her hands before catching his gaze again. When was he going to kiss her? Her body ached for it. She’d barely thought about anything else all day.
“I’m not looking for anything serious,” she told him. “But I really like you, Griff.”
“Being un-serious is completely fine with me.” He looked serious, though. Deadly. And it made her body heat up.
This time she didn’t pull her eyes away. They stared at each other for a long moment, the air pulsating between them. Griff curled his fingers, digging his nails into his palms in an effort to stop himself from reaching across to her.
“Why don’t you sit on the sofa while I clean up,” she suggested. “Then we can talk…or…whatever.”
The corner of his lips quirked up. “I’m not sitting down while you wait on me. I’ll help you clean,” he told her. “Then let’s see where the evening takes us.”
12
The chinaware was all washed up and put away, the countertops sparkling. Autumn filled their glasses with more of Griff’s delicious wine and carried them into the living area.
Though the room was compact, the cream leather sofa was huge, dominating the space. But it looked so much smaller when Griff was on it. She sat down beside him, leaving a gap between them.
“Cheers.” They clinked glasses and she took a sip of the cool, crisp wine. She could feel her cheeks warm up as he kept his eyes on hers, his gaze direct and yet soft, too.
“You look scared.”
“I feel scared,” she told him honestly.