Page 58 of Worth the Fall
“I know. I’m sorry. I don’t have a good reason for it,” I tried to explain, but it was weak. I should have planned this conversation better so I didn’t sound like such an idiot. I wasn’t typically this uncomposed.
“You ignore me for a whole week—which is very unprofessional, I might add,” she said in a slightly teasing tone, “and now, you’re what? Going to pretend like it never happened?”
“I’m trying to,” I said genuinely, and she bit out a laugh.
“You run hot and cold like a faucet, Thomas O’Grady. Only I’m not the one controlling the temperature, but I am trying desperately to keep up.”
“I won’t do it again,” I promised, knowing that I’d do my damnedest to keep it.
“Please don’t. This past week was torture. I hated every minute of it. You made me feel like I’d done something wrong.”
“God, you didn’t do anything wrong. You were perfect. Too perfect,” I said, knowing that I should probably get a handle on at least some of my self-control before I lost it all.
“I had such a good time at dinner with you and Clara. You made me forget all about my shitty ex. You made me feel important and valued. Like my opinion mattered. But then you acted like it’d never happened and made me feel like shit all over again.”
Her honesty was so refreshing, even if it hurt like hell to hear. Brooklyn never tried to impress me or say the right thing because she thought I wanted to hear it. She said what she meant and meant what she said. And I’d hurt her without even realizing it. I wanted to get up from my desk, take her in my arms, and apologize with more than just my mouth.
“Brooklyn,” I said with a hushed breath, but I wasn’t sure what to confess next. I was pretty certain that letting her know she starred in all my shower fantasies was off-limits. Or that I thought about the way she tasted more times than I cared to count.
“Just tell me what you want, Thomas. Say it already so I can try to stop figuring it out because I clearly don’t know.”
That damn mouth.
“I’d like you to come over for dinner,” I said before adding, “tonight.”
“To your house?” Her green eyes widened at my request.
“Yes. Six thirty sound good?”
“Are you sure?”
This was what I’d done to her. Made her question my sincere offer because I’d been sohot and cold, as she’d put it.
“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”
“Then, I’d love to come over.” A smile appeared on her face, and my dick twitched in my pants before she put up a single finger. “But I do have one request.”
“What’s that?” I asked, already knowing that I’d probably give her any-damn-thing that she asked for.
“You don’t get to pretend after. You don’t come back to work tomorrow and ignore me again. Agreed?”
I nodded my head and repeated, “Agreed.”
I was done pretending and ignoring.
“Okay.” She acted like this was a perfectly natural thing to be happening between us. “I can’t wait to see Clara. I’ve missed her.”
Did she have any idea how those three simple words made me feel?
“Pretty sure the feeling’s mutual. I think she was going to start skipping school and coming here if she didn’t get to see you soon. I do have to warn you though.”
“Warn me about what?”
“There are a lot of drawings of you at the house.” I shrugged.
“Awww, Thomas. I didn’t know you could draw.”
She was fucking with me. I’d punish her for that later.