Page 242 of The Grand Duel
“We’ve not seen them properly since the wedding. If it wasn’t for the kids, I’m pretty sure you’d have me holed up in the cottage every evening and weekend.”
“Sounds like a dream.”
“You need to share your toys, Charles,” she repeats.
I sigh. “As if I stood a chance against you and those girls today anyway.”
“Exactly.”
“Leave early, though, or maybe I’ll just schedule a meeting for this afternoon instead.”
“Schedule a meeting?”
I look over at her. “How else am I supposed to spend time with my girlfriend?”
“You’re relentless.”
I am. And yet I feel like I’m holding myself back. Like I’m trying to stop myself from becoming utterly consumed by the woman at my side.
“I’m in love, Lissie girl.” I take her hand and bring it to rest on my lap. “Don’t give me shit for that.”
She eyes me, her smile coy. “Fine.”
“Fine?” I repeat, my hands tightening on the steering wheel. I look across at her and find her smiling.
“What?”
“What? Say it back.”
She starts laughing.
“Lis.”
“You’re a baby.”
“I’ll pull this car over.” I look over at her, her laughter making my heart hammer. “Better yet, I’ll turn it around and take you home to remind you exactly how you feel about me.”
“You wouldn’t.”
I pull onto the side of the road and look over at her, a challenge in my stare.
With the biggest smile on her face, she leans over the car and kisses me, only pulling back an inch. “Remember when you could barely look at me. When you were so afraid of showing me what was in here.” She rubs her hand over my chest. “You’d hide every emotion from me.”
“It feels like a lifetime ago that you first walked into my office.”
“It does. But it wasn’t. It wasn’t that long ago at all. And the only reason it feels that way is because you’re not the same man that you were then.”
I gaze down my nose at the woman, her lips right there, my heart spilling over.
“I love him, that stoic man who only lets the people he loves love and see him. And I love you, today, smiling and being a possessive fool. And tomorrow…” She smiles, shaking her head. “I can’t wait to see who you’re going to be tomorrow. What I’ll learn and fall in love with all over again as if it’s the first time.”
I snigger. “You’ve got it bad, baby.”
She pushes me back, but I grab her, my head dipping to her neck, making her squeal. “Then, now, tomorrow,” I tell her, taking her face in my hand. She twists her head to kiss the palm. “Whether we’re walking it or running, we’re doing it together.”
She nods, and I kiss her.
I drive to the office with a smile on my face which doesn’t seem to ease, a feeling in my chest I’ll never be able to vocalise.