“So there’s hope?” she asked him, not quite meeting his gaze. “For us, I mean?”
“I haven’t stopped hoping.” His biceps flexed as he fought against himself to run to her. “And I won’t stop, not until you say there’s no hope.”
Her chest rose as she took a deep breath in. She moved again, the minutest of steps. She was right beyond arm’s reach now. One step and he could have her against him.
Finally she looked up, her eyes scanning his face. “I hope. I hope so much it hurts.”
Damn it. Within a second he’d let go of the desk and took a single stride toward her. Her eyes widened as she saw him approach, her lips opening to take in another gasp of air. He stopped short of her, only inches between them. She looked up at him, her eyes wide and shining – like a piece of green glass rubbed smooth by the sea. “Have you changed your mind?” His voice was rough. “About us?”
“I’ve never changed my mind about you,” she told him. “You were always the one. It was me I needed to work on.” Her smile was as tentative as her voice. “I’ve done a lot of thinking over the past few days. Having Nick at home meant I didn’t have much choice. And I realized something important.”
“What is it?”
She licked her lips, the pink tip of her tongue moistening her plump skin. “There’s a difference between somebody caring for you and somebody wanting to control you. When I walked into the hospital and saw you all there for Nick and me, I knew it wasn’t about control. It’s because you care for us.” She took another fast breath. “And there’s no point in having total control if it means you push away the ones who care for you the most.”
“Caring seems too weak a word,” he told her, reaching out to brush his finger tips along her heated cheekbone. It was the softest of touches, yet it sent a shudder through her. “I love you.”
Her smile grew until it lit up her face. She grabbed his hand, pressing his palm to her face. Closing her eyes for a moment, she kissed his palm, her breath dancing against his rough skin. “Another thing I’ve learned,” she told him. “Control can be overrated.”
“It can? Tell me more.”
She rolled onto her toes, trying to lessen the distance between them. He looked down at her, taking her in. His heart ached at the sight of her.
“For example, if I was to lose control and kiss the hell out of the guy who runs this resort site, in his office, would it be a bad thing?”
He slowly shook his head. “I don’t think so, no.”
She rested her hands lightly on his shoulders, her fingers brushing against his neck. It was his turn to shiver. She inclined her head until her lips were only a breath away from his. He could taste the anticipation in the air, soft and sweet, exactly like her. The next moment she was pressing her mouth to his, her arms around his neck, and he was kissing her back like his life depended on it. His arms circled her waist, pulling her as close as he could, until her body melted into his. Her mouth was warm and welcoming, opening up to him when his tongue slid along the seam of her lips. His hands were moving up, tangling in her hair, and his heart clattered in his chest in response to her boldness.
Control was definitely overrated. He’d had precious little since he met her, and had even less now.
And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Epilogue
How could she be late today of all days? Brooke ran up the courthouse steps, smoothing her hair from her face, grimacing at the way her hands still smelled of dog no matter how many times she’d scrubbed them. It had been a hell of a morning at the veterinary clinic, with three emergency cases being brought in, the last involving a sock, a Labrador, and a twisted gut. The Labrador won, thankfully.
If it hadn’t been for this court date looming, she’d have loved every minute of it.
“Can you he
lp me?” she asked the clerk in the main lobby once she made it through the small line at security. I’m looking for Case 2114. Newton vs Black.”
“Courtroom Three. They’re about to start.”
Damn. She flew across the lobby to the door labeled three. Taking a moment to steady her breath, she pushed it open and walked inside, trying to ignore the way the sound of her heels hitting the wooden floor echoed through the courtroom.
Her lawyer gestured at her, and Brooke slid into the seat next to him. She could feel the heat of a hundred eyes searing against her skin. Twisting her neck, she saw her family and friends filling the seats in the gallery, along with a man whose warm, brown eyes were staring at her in question. Slowly he raised his brows.
“Work,” she mouthed. He smiled and shook his head. In the months since she’d graduated and become a veterinary technician, work had made her late more than once. Emergency call outs, surgeries going wrong, and of course there were always animals who needed her attention. Between that, and making sure Nick was always taken care of, she was amazed she’d found time to nurture a new relationship.
“I love you,” he mouthed back, and it made her heart heat up.
“I love you, too.”
“This court is now in session. All rise for the Honorable Judge Lawrence McCafferty,” the clerk called out. The courtroom echoed with the sound of shoes against the wooden floor. Brooke glanced at the table next to hers. The defendant’s table. Only a solitary attorney sat there.
The judge took a seat and everyone else followed. When he’d unfolded his glasses and got them settled on the bridge of his nose, he lifted the paper up before him. “Case 2114, Newton versus Black.” He peered over the rim of his glasses. “I presume you’re Newton?” he said to Brooke.