Chapter 21
Theadora
Wedroveinsilence. My head filled with all kinds of questions. Sleeping with him. Yes. I wanted that badly. But the thought of leaving my job and being a kept woman played havoc with my independent nature.
What if he broke my heart?
He turned to look at me as he pulled up at his home.
What now?
I’d walked to his place after insisting we meet in private.
Even just going to dinner with him seemed difficult enough.
How was I to do this?
Sweat dripped between my shoulder blades.
“Come in and have a drink or a cup of tea,” he said.
I held his gaze with a battalion of thoughts firing away.
“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything. Unless you want me to,” he said. A slow curve of his lips made my mouth salivate. I wanted to be kissed again.
Hell, I wanted him to touch me. Everywhere.
But become a kept woman? Was that what he’d suggested? He hadn’t exactly spelled it out.
I had to call Lucy, badly.
As he held the door open for me, his eyes glowed with a hint of uncertainty.
I reminded myself Declan wasn’t like those men who would hurt me given the chance. He’d had his opportunity. That night on his sofa, he could have taken advantage of me.
I followed him in. Enjoying how his blue blazer sat on those big shoulders.
“Can you excuse me a minute? I need the bathroom,” I said.
“Of course. Can I offer you a drink?”
“What are you having?”
“I thought I might open some champagne.” When he smiled, his eyes sparkled like the sea under the afternoon sun.
“I’d like some too.” Our eyes held again.
Champagne only meant one thing. I was going to ask for tea, but my pounding heart seemed to be making all the decisions.
Tea would have meant I remained that clueless girl who would continue to deny herself the feeling of a penis. Champagne, well, that was another path. A path to becoming a woman. A path to feeling a man. This time, on my own terms.
As I sat on the toilet, I called Lucy.
“Hey there, babe.” She yawned.
“Did I wake you?”
“No, I was just watching television.”