Page 29 of Craig

She was getting agitated, and she had promised herself and her brother that she would let things go. Donald Graham wasn't worth it in the least.

He wasn't worth the time of day or her tears, ones she had shed too many times to count when she was a child.

She was a grown-ass woman now, she mused angrily, taking a gulp of wine. She had made something of her life, no thanks to him.

Yes, she had no money to show for all of her hard work, but her savings had been put to effective use.

Her mother had been a homemaker, and nothing was wrong with that. It was that man who had convinced her that her place was at home taking care of the children and catering to his needs.

She had left a promising job as a librarian to make a home for them, and in the end, he had betrayed her, leaving without a backward look, forcing her to scramble to find a job to keep the roof over their heads and food in their bellies. Oh, he had skated under the radar, afraid of being saddled with child support and alimony payments.

He had used charm and persuasion to convince her mother and his first wife not to rake him over the coals.

Regina knew her mother could never do anything like that. And he had known how to get around her.

The bastard had known that she loved him still.

So, he had sent the bare minimum, forcing her mother to make up the rest by finding a job in the local florist shop, a place near enough to home so she could hurry home and take care of them. And beneath all of it, she had been pining for the worthless bastard.

Regina had heard her crying, silent tears in her bedroom when she thought she and Dylan were asleep. She had heard the sounds of grief and pain and loneliness, and it had wrenched at her.

It was then, she had vowed, never ever to give a man that amount of power. She would take the power instead, and use it.

And so far she had succeeded in keeping her heart intact. Until Craig Muldoon.

He was the only one who had come close to making her throw away her resolve. And now she was going into an arrangement with him.

She had told herself that she could handle it and him. Until he touched her, until he kissed her.

Damn him! She poured more wine.

But she needed the money. If that weren't the case, she would be running in the opposite direction.

She rose and started pacing. Darkness had finally descended, and she could see the lights of the city from her kitchen window.

She was an urbanite and made no apologies. She loved the bright artificial lights, the crowd of pedestrians, and the galleries and restaurants within easy reach.

Turning back to the counter, she dug out her phone and sat back down, just staring at it. Then, hissing out a breath, she made the call.

*****

He drove around for more than an hour and had to force himself not to turn around and go back to her. He could force the issue.

He was experienced enough to know when a woman was into him, and by God, she was. He'd had his hands on her, hadn't he?

He had felt her reaction to his kiss, the tremors, the sighing act of surrender, and the way she leaned into the kiss. Christ, the taste of her was still on his tongue, driving him clear out of his mind.

Turning off the main road, he headed for solitude, the place that always gave him the most peace. He could not go back to the manor.

He wanted her, but that was entirely his problem, wasn't it? Parking the car in front of the rustic cabin, he alighted and decided to go around back to sit on the deck.

He might take the dinghy out, just to let the scent of the river wash over him.

It was not just the kiss, he decided as he hoisted himself up to sit on the planks, feet swinging inches above the water. It was the way she had handled herself with his grandfather.

He had witnessed the old man's shock and then reluctant admiration. The man had also been dazzled by her beauty.

Who wouldn't be? he wondered wryly.