She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of spicy cologne and male heat, felt bands of lean muscle flex under her hands. She rubbed her cheek against the silky fabric of his shirt, heard the steady thump of his heart, and suddenly every cell in her body ached to be touched. Her lips begged to be kissed. And oh, what the man could do with his mouth.
Bone-melting, toe-curling, out-of-this-world kisses. It was all coming back to her now. Not that she’d ever completely forgotten. She’d just blocked out a few crucial details. Like the way he’d been demanding yet achingly tender when he’d touched her. The way he’d given back twofold whatever he took. The way he was more interested in satisfying her needs than his own. In fact, she’d lost count of how many times he’d satisfied her when they made love. The truth is, it had been so perfect, so amazingly wonderful, and despite everything that had happened, despite her intentions, she knew she’d fallen for him all over again.
“Anna,” Cedric said softly. He cupped her cheek and tipped her face up to meet his. It was dark in the hallway, but she could see the desire in his eyes as he gazed down at her. So fiery and hot she felt herself melting.
He was actually going to do it. He was going to kiss her. She been aching for it for so long now, it was almost a relief to finally get it over with. To get past this unresolved thing that always seemed to hover between them.
Cedric’s head began to tip and drift lower, his lips closer and closer. He smelled so good, felt so solid and strong. She let her eyes flutter closed, let her head sink down into the cradle of his palm. Oh, yes… She felt hot all over and dizzy with anticipation, as if the hall were spinning around her. Cedric dipped lower and lower, hovered there for a second, his breath warm and sweet on her lips.
“Anna,” he whispered again, and she held her breath, waited for that first brush of his lips, the hot taste of his mouth. He came closer, closer and her knees began to tremble… And then his lips softly brushed her cheek, just below her right eye.
“Good night, Anna.”
Then he was gone, swallowed up by the darkness, and she was left standing alone in the hallway, too stunned to utter a sound. Several seconds passed before she realized what had happened, before her hormone drenched brain cleared enough for the message to get through.
She didn’t know if she should feel dejected or relieved or just plain thankful that at least he had had the good sense to put the brakes on.
Right now all she could feel was hopelessly confused. Did he want her or didn’t he? Okay, dumb question. There was no denying he had been more than a touch turned on. She’d felt it. So why did he walk away?
She knew why. In her anger she’d pushed him away, and told him that she hated him.
Anna leaned against the door, still warm, weak and shaky. She couldn’t deny feeling as if she and Cedric had reached some sort of turning point. The question was, which way should they go?
__________
Cedric sat in his office working on his second cup of morning coffee and reading emails when something compelled him to get up from his seat and look out the window. His Anna-radar as he’d come to call it. Sure enough, when he eased back the curtain, there she was wandering through the garden.
They shared meals, played Ping-Pong and pool and watched movies and television together. Other times they lost themselves in conversation, talking for hours. Sometimes late into the night. Despite coming from completely different backgrounds, they had a common bond. They understood each other more now.
It was almost funny and unbelievable how she had become such an integral part of his life, he could hardly recall what it had been like without her there. The thought of her leaving, of things changing, was difficult to grasp, though he knew it was inevitable. He let his forehead rest against the cool pane of glass. As she strolled slowly down the path, he allowed himself the privilege of watching her, of noticing all the changes in her body. She looked soft and round where she was once lean and angular. She’d been spending more time outside and her once pale, milky complexion was golden tan from hours in the sun.
Since that night outside her room, they’d managed to keep their hands to themselves. No more almost-kisses, cheek or otherwise, and limited physical contact. It was as if they had established a silent understanding. An unwritten law that dictated just how far they would allow themselves to go.
At times he would go an entire day without an impure thought. Then she would smile at him a certain way or lightly touch his arm as she brushed past him and he would have to fight to keep from ravaging her on the spot. And despite their best efforts to behave, there was a feeling in the air, a tension growing between them and eventually something was going to have to give.
Though he almost never went outside these days, his feet carried him out of his office, through the house and out the back kitchen door to the path that led into the garden. When he reached Anna, she was kneeling down, her nose buried in a fuchsia bloom.
For a minute he just looked at her. She wore a pair of white capri pants and a gauzy blouse that looked almost transparent in the sunshine. She was humming to herself, slightly off-key. Some tune he didn’t recognize.
“Good morning,” he said.
Anna looked up at him, shielding her eyes from the sun, a bright smile lighting her face. “Good morning. You came outside today.”
She sounded so surprised, and pleased. He didn’t know when the idea of leaving the house had become so unappealing. It wasn’t even something that had happened gradually. He’d just stopped going out.
“Yep. I came outside.”
She sat back on her heels. “Huh, and you didn’t turn to ash.”
“Ash?”
“As dark as you keep it in your office, I honestly considered wearing garlic around my neck. Just in case.”