Chapter 106

He made it almost all the way to her before she heard his approach and turned to face him with her arms held like a defensive shield over her chest and her eyes blazing. The softness and vulnerability of their earlier conversation were gone. Now all he saw was pride, rebellion, and stubbornness to back down from a fight. Especially when it came to protecting the people she loved.

Her voice didn’t waver at all when she said, “I’ve always believed people should be allowed to make their own decisions. I just never dreamed Andrew would make such bad choices.”

“Bull.”

Her gaze snapped to his. “What?”

“You’ve always thought you should be allowed to make your own decisions. And you’ve always thought everyone else should do what you think is best.”

“But—” she sputtered. “That’s not tr—”

“Yes. It is true.” He couldn’t resist reaching out a hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s not a bad thing, wanting to protect the people you love.”

“It is when they turn out to be criminals.” Her eyes filled with tears. “How was I so wrong about him?”

“You love him, that’s how.”

And no doubt if Andrew was arrested, indicted and convicted with a mountain of evidence, she’d still be by his side, fighting for him. Her unblinking defense of the weak and helpless was undoubtedly what made her who she was. It was one of the qualities that he admired most.

What would it be like to have someone who believed in him that much? Someone that devoted to him?

Of course, he could have had that with her months ago. How had he ever walked away from her? Why on earth had he let her slip away?

“You know, when I went to see you last Wednesday,” she said, interrupting his musing, “I was so sure you were holding on to the past. It was obvious to me that you were still angry over what had happened. I actually felt sorry for you.” She let out a bark of wry laughter. “Because I’d moved on and you hadn’t. I was so smug.”

Listening to her talk about pitying him, he felt none of the resentment he normally would have. Instead he felt a gut-deep dread for what she was about to say.

“But really, I was still affected just as much as you were. I just wasn’t willing to admit it. About Andrew, I’ve been stubbornly clinging to this resolve to always think the best of everyone. To always give people the benefit of the doubt.”

“Candace, your faith in others isn’t a bad thing.” He reached out a hand to her. “I could still be wrong about Andrew,” he offered, even though he didn’t really believe it.

But she shook her head. “No. I knew you were right about him when you explained how he got you involved to insure everyone else would be caught. Only Andrew would do something that damn cocky. Turns out he was playing everyone.” She laughed. “I just wish I hadn’t been such an easy mark. You must think I’m an idiot.”

“I don’t.”

Life had kicked her in the teeth over and over and she still had the capacity to see the best in others. She wasn’t naive. She was resilient. It was one of the things he loved best about her.

There. He’d admitted it. To himself at least. He loved her. He still did. Maybe he’d never stopped loving her. Would he ever convince her to give him another chance?

“I don’t want to argue about your brother.” Goodness knew they would have enough of that in their future. He held out the sweater. “I thought you might be cold.”

She bumped her chin up and refused to take the sweater from him. “I’m not.”

“You’re shivering.”

“It must be the anger,” she said defiantly.

“Or the fact that it’s dropped fifteen degrees in the past hour.”

She was clenching her jaw, and he couldn’t tell if it was to stop her teeth from chattering or to keep back some venomous retort. Instead of arguing with her, he just draped the cardigan over her shoulders. The sweater was big enough that it enveloped her small frame. She continued to glare at him, not bothering to button the front or pull it closed around her.

Finally he reached to pull her into his arms, rubbing his hands up and down her chilled skin. After a moment of resistance, she melted against him. All that tremendous strength of will spilled over the edges of her like the waves lapping at their feet.

Her head sank to his chest as her arms crept around his waist. Fluttering in the wind, the ends of her hair brushed against his cheeks and tickled his nose. The sweet, spicy scent of her mingled with the crisp salt air, seeming both familiar and incredibly exotic.

She tipped her chin up, boldly meeting his gaze. Desire arched between them. He leaned down to kiss her, but the instant before his lips touched hers, she pressed her fingertips to his mouth.

“If you’re just going to kiss me and walk away again, don’t bother. I’m tired of being jerked around.”

He had to smile at her cheek. “I didn’t mean to jerk you around. I didn’t want to take advantage of your emotional vulnerability. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

“Well, it’s damn irritating. If you don’t want to sleep with me, fine. But don’t be a tease.”

She was probably the only woman in the world who would accuse him of that. He supposed it was only natural. After all, she was the only woman in the world who he cared enough about to try to protect from himself.

“I wasn’t meaning to be a tease. I was only trying to protect you.”

“I’m not a child. I don’t need protecting.”

She threaded her fingers around the back of his neck, toying with the close-cropped hair. It was a gesture of mindless affection, given with a casual disregard for how he might interpret it.

Maybe they had a shot at making this work, maybe they didn’t. Either way, he was already a goner. She may not know it, but she held his heart in her hands. He had no defenses against her. And he didn’t want any. When his mouth found hers, she met him willingly. She arched against him, pouring into the kiss the full range of her emotions. He tasted the sweetness of her yearning edged with the tang of her resentment. The lingering tartness of her anger mingled with the honeyed spice of lust.