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Honestly, he didn’t know. At the time, his mom’s health had taken a hit and his social life was in tatters. What he needed was someone he could talk to and be intimate with. Human beings were social animals, and his needs went a lot deeper than just fucking someone.
“She reminded me of you in a way.”
Vee inhaled sharply through her nose. “Oh?”
“She was stubborn and headstrong.”
She fell silent for a moment, and he wondered if he’d said something wrong. He was just about to ask when she said, “What was her name?”
“Lisa.”
“Why could you date her and not even bother to call me for four years?”
And there it was—the question she had been trying to avoid, yet she found it led to him all along.
“I was ashamed of the way I’d treated you. What I said to you back then... I knew it would break any bonds we may have shared. I wanted to push you away because I wanted to protect you. I never thought you’d let me speak to you again, let alone let me back in your bed.”
He looked at her, trying to decipher what was going through her head before looking back at the road.
“When did you break up with Lisa?”
He licked his lips. “Three months ago.”
“Why?”
Reaching out, he took her hand again. “Because she wasn’t you. No other woman has matched up to you. You drive me insane, but I can’t not touch you and kiss you and make love to you. If I’m going to be honest, Lisa was just a convenience for me. I didn’t see myself with her long-term, and I didn’t want to give her the world like I wanted to give it to you.
“My mom was always pushing me to date because she felt guilty for forcing me to put my life on hold because of her illness. She wanted me to live my life, get married, start a family… You know, my mom still talked about you.”
“She did?” Vee asked, finally looking at him again. He nodded, lifting her hand to place a kiss on the back. “I loved her,” Vee murmured. “She was the mother I never had.”
“And she loved you like a daughter, too. If I hadn’t fucked everything up, you would’ve been her daughter-in-law by now.” Vee’s whole body seemed to stiffen at his words.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No. You just caught me by surprise.”
“We talked about marriage, back when we were in college. You told me it was a crazy idea to get married so young.”
“Itwasa crazy idea,” she shot back. “We would’ve fought like cats and dogs.”
“And we would’ve had the best make-up sex afterward,” he replied with a grin.
18
Evangeline pushedinto her building an hour later, Beau hot on her heels. She peered at him over her shoulder as they waited for the elevator, seeing the wicked grin on his mouth.
“Don’t even think about it,” she warned, jabbing at the button to make the damn thing hurry up.
“Think about what?” he asked darkly, running his hand up her spine and cinching his fingers around the back of her neck. She shuddered and sighed, happy they were back in West Hollywood. San Diego held too many memories for her—so much so that she felt as if she were drowning in them. She still felt raw after baring her soul to him in the car. By nature, she wasn’t accustomed to putting it all out there, but she felt like Beau owed it to her…
And she owed it to herself.
For so long, she’d hidden behind her anger and disappointment, using it as a shield to protect herself from getting hurt again. Knowing the truth about what happened four years ago, she felt like it was time to peel a little of that shell off her heart and actually talk to Beau like she used to when it was just them.
“Stop overthinking it, Vee,” he said softly, the tip of his tongue darting out to lick the shell of her ear.
The elevator arrived and—thankfully—nobody got out. Beau was an immovable wall at her back as she stepped into the car. He stood a respectable distance away from her, but as soon as the doors closed, he had her pressed against the side of the car. His mouth was on hers a moment later as his hands became buried in her running shorts. He found her pussy already wet, and he growled as he moved his mouth to her neck, nipping and sucking.
