Her gaze met his. “I still have to finish decorating my tree. I could make you dinner in exchange for your help,” she offered.
If he turned down this not-so-subtle invitation as he had turned her down last night, she was finished playing his getting-to-know-each-other-again game.
He reached a hand out and caressed her cheek. “I’d love that,” he said, the smile on his face evident in his voice.
Tremors of excitement shot through her, and as he turned the engine over, her stomach rolled with anticipation at the night to come.
* * *
Whoever said you couldn’t come home again didn’t know Holly Evans, Dylan thought. Her apartment was cozy and made him feel welcome and at ease. While she put something together for dinner, Dylan kept himself busy stringing the lights on her tree. He couldn’t believe the Holly he knew, who loved Christmas, hadn’t decorated her apartment before now, but her hectic schedule was his gain. He put his own touches on her tree, and in doing so, he hoped he was making a definite mark in her life.
He heard her footsteps as she walked in to join him. His gaze was immediately drawn to the way the tight denim jeans molded to her hips and thighs. Still slender, she’d filled out in a womanly way that made him hard just looking at her. It wasn’t desire alone that beckoned to him, but also the sense of fulfillment and belonging he found only with her.
Today had shown him that his memories were but shadows of reality. Together they could share so much, if he could convince her to open her heart to him again.
“Hi, there,” he said.
“Hi. Dinner should be ready in about forty-five minutes. I hope you like frozen lasagna because when I offered to cook, I forgot I hadn’t been shopping in a while. We’re lucky I was able to find something to defrost so we could eat at all.” She knelt down and sat on the hardwood floor.
“I’d have been happy to take you out, but I’m happier to have more time alone.” He patted the empty space beside him, but she kept her distance.
She smiled, but after a day of laughter and relaxed fun, he recognized forced cheer when he saw it. “What’s wrong?”
She glanced down, rubbing her palms against her jeans. “I just had some time to think, and I can’t help but have questions. A lot of them, actually.”
“Like?” he asked, prepared to deal with whatever was on her mind.
She lifted her gaze to meet his. “Like why you left so suddenly and why you came back into my life the same way.”
He nodded slowly, glancing up at the empty tree top, wondering where to begin. Hoping he wouldn’t push her further away.
Though she sat cross-legged on the floor next to him, their easy camaraderie was gone, and she went out of her way to make sure her bent knee didn’t touch his. She was waiting for an explanation, and he wondered if anything he said would make sense—or make a difference to her now.
“You know how badly I wanted to act.”
She nodded. “You said Broadway. We had plans. Dreams. At least I thought we did, but after you took off, I convinced myself they’d been my dreams and you’d humored me through high school before moving on.” At times, she even thought that he’d used her, Holly thought.
She bit down on her lower lip, not wanting Dylan to see the extent to which he’d hurt her. Certainly she didn’t want him to know his betrayal had probably ruined any chance she had at trusting any other guy. Now that she was beginning to understand how deeply he still affected her, in a way, she resented him even more.
He gazed at the needles on the tree as if they could offer clarity until finally he spoke. “The closer we got to graduation, the more trying for Broadway and acting in New York seemed like a sacrifice,” he admitted. “Like I’d be accepting second choice without even trying for the big-time.”
“So why didn’t you just tell me? Or was I that much of a burden?” she asked, admitting her fears out loud for the first time. “Were you afraid I’d hold you back?”
He jerked backward and stared. “Are you serious? It was just the opposite. I didn’t want to hold you back. Your family had dreams and goals for you. You had those same dreams.”
Then, at the same time, they both said, “Yale, like your father and his father before him,” laughing despite the serious conversation.
“You see? I knew if I told you I wanted to go to L.A., you’d probably have insisted on going with me. Yes, there was Stanford or other schools, but none of them were Yale, and none would uphold your family tradition.”
“Wasn’t that my choice to make? Unless it was an excuse and you really didn’t want me—”
He grasped her hand hard. “I didn’t want you to end up resenting me. And in case you need a reminder or proof of how much I did and still do care, here it is.” Taking her by surprise, he leaned over and met her lips in a searing, demanding kiss.
A kiss she both wanted and needed, and this time she didn’t hesitate. She parted her lips and allowed him inside. His tongue swirled in her mouth, teasing, tasting and demanding she understand. And though she still held the pain in her heart, a part of her accepted the explanation. His kiss and gentle touch went a long way towards helping her heal.
She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed backward. He toppled to the floor, pulling her on top of him until they lay sprawled beneath her Christmas tree, her legs tangled with his. Their bodies fit tightly yet perfectly together, the hard ridge of his erection thrusting upward against her, making her very aware of his desire, which found a feminine answer inside her.
She couldn’t deny the aching emptiness only he could fill or the trickle of desire dampening her panties. She wanted him. S