Page 19 of Bottles & Blades
“Yeah, baby?”
“Why are you doing this?”
I still, my lungs wanting to spasm, but I push the sensation down.
I don’t want to think about why I’m doing this, not closely anyway. I justwantto do it.
Then I go back to the bottle of wine, pushing in the stopper. “I don’t know,” I admit.
Which is a big fucking admission for a man like me.
Something she seems to sense.
Because she goes still, quiet.
“I should go,” I say into that silence. “Let you get on with the rest of your night.”
She doesn’t reply…which is a reply in of itself.
And I know that despite the urge to stay, to make sure she eats, sleeps, I’ve probably pushed it far enough.
I’m a stranger who all but kidnapped her and then showed up unannounced at her apartment.
I really should go.
I turn for the door.
“I’ll go?—”
“Jean-Michel?”
My gaze swivels to the couch and I see she’s watching me, brown eyes intent. “Yeah, buttercup?”
“Did you?—?”
She pauses, cheeks going pink, but before I can prompt her, she goes on.
“Did you maybe want to stay a while?”
Seven
Tiff
Dumb.Dumb.
Did I say dumb?
He was leaving, and I prolonged this torture.
I don’t even know the man.
Except that he made sure he paid me back.
Yeah, by kidnapping me.
And by bringing me the items I couldn’t afford and had to put back this morning.
Andice cream.
