Page 62 of Broken Vows
I inhale sharply, fingers tightening around her arm, heart hurting for the little dancer. “It might take time,” I tell her firmly, “but we’ll make it right with her. She’ll know that it was never on her shoulders.”
Lynley’s head tilts down, hiding her expression from me. Her body is so still that I’m not even sure she’s breathing, but she doesn’t leave me waiting for long. “We?”
A low chuckle leaves me. “Yeah,” I confirm huskily. “We.How does that sound to you?”
She looks up at me through her lashes, tongue darting out to swipe over her pink lower lip, and heat surges through my body, heading south. I don’t try to hide my reaction from her, letting the desire shine through my eyes, and her breath catches. “I’m still married.”
“A technicality.” I shift, angling my body toward her, sliding my hand to the back of her neck, gripping firmly.
Her stormy eyes lock with mine. “I’ve been part of a ‘we’ for so long,” she says thoughtfully. “And I lost myself during that.” Lynley’s lips curve in a wry smile, and I tighten my fingers around her nape, not saying a word. “I became this passive participant in my own life, letting things happen to me, instead ofmakingthings happen.” There’s a suspicious shine to her eyes, but she doesn’t duck her head again, letting me see it all.
Leaning in.
“I found my strength again, these last few months.” Her fingers come up to rest against my cheek, cool and steady. “And it’s because of you, Grafton.”
“No, darling. That strength was always yours. It was just waiting for you to grab onto it.” I lean down and press a lingering kiss to her cheek. “That day I found you outside the agency? That was all you. I just happened to be there to give you a nudge.”
She smiles, eyes bouncing between mine. “I’ve never met anyone like you. So confident in your own skin. Not afraid of owning your place.”
I stroke my knuckles down her cheek, satisfactionblooming when she shivers at the touch. “I have moments of doubt, same as anyone. I’m just very good at ignoring anything that doesn’t give me what I want.”
Her lashes flutter. “And you want me,” she breathes.
“I want you.”
Something challenging flickers through those dark blue orbs. “What if I said I wanted to get a job?”
I lift a brow. “I’d ask, ‘Doing what, and how can I help?’”
She narrows her eyes. “What if I wanted to go back to school?”
My heart twinges because I know it’s a big regret that she dropped out in her last year, choosing to focus on her marriage to Christopher and being a mother to Mase, as well as the expectations that came with marrying into the Delcourt family.
“I’d tell you to do it,” I tell her softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’d set up an office for you to study in, and quiz you before every exam.”
She rolls her lips inward, her pulse thudding rapidly at the base of her throat. “What if I never want to leave Sterling Creek? Even though Christopher is here?”
I lift a shoulder. “The commute isn’t that bad, and I’m sure I’d enjoy working from home some days.”
She draws in a long breath, like she’s trying to steady herself. “What if I said I didn’t want any more children?”
“I’d say,” I say it slowly, clearly, making sure she hears every word and the sincerity behind it, “that there are two beautiful human beings upstairs, and they’re enough.”
Her mouth parts in a silent gasp. “You don’t care if you don’t have biological children?”
I furrow my brow, seriously considering my answer. “I’ve reached a point in my life where I have accepted thatmarriage and a family aren’t things for me. Not because I never wanted them, but because I was never willing to settle. And then, one day…” I tug her a little closer, leaning down until our breaths mingle. “One day, I saw this beautiful woman, all dark, glossy hair and a glittery dress. She was staring up at a Christmas tree, the flashing lights dancing over her face, and I was sunk. I took a step toward her, my tongue already tied into knots, and my heart beating out of my chest. I had no idea what I would say or what I should do, but then…”
I grab her left hand in mine, lifting it up and tracing my thumb over her bare ring finger, the tan line from her rings already fading. “My desire for a family has always been wrapped up in the fantasy of the woman who was meant to be mine. If she wanted children, then so did I. But if she didn’t…” I shrug again. “I want whatever you’ll give me, darling, because as long as I have you”—I flick my eyes up to the ceiling—“and those two? I’m a happy man.”
Her lips are trembling, her eyes watery and hopeful. Suddenly, she reaches out and pinches me roughly.
I bark out a laugh, pulling my arm out of her reach. “What was that for?”
“Just checking that you’re real,” she tells me primly, but then she’s lunging forward, wrapping her arms around my neck. I press my temple to hers, hugging her back.
“I’m real, Lynne,” I whisper, turning to press a kiss to her cheek. At the last moment, she turns her head, and our mouths collide. I freeze, feeling the softness of her lips under mine, and the way my chest brushes against hers when I inhale, filling my lungs with her. A beat passes. Another. And then my hand is sliding through her silky strands, cupping the back of her head and holding her still as I slant my mouth against hers, deepening the kiss.
I pull back just enough to mutter, “My Lynne,” our mouths still brushing, each of her breaths rushing over the dampness of my lips. She blinks glazed eyes up at me, her nails scratching lightly at the back of my neck.
