“No. Not that.” She was glad of an excuse to turn away from his troubled gaze to stir the sauce and dump the spaghetti into the now-boiling water. “I was afraid of him. And yes, he’s a lot more compelling than I am. I didn’t think anybody would believe me.”
“Even your family?”
“If Dad had still been alive, I would have gone to them.” She thought. “But if I’d put Mom and Allie in the position of having to defend me, I don’t know what Richard would have done. He had a temper, but mostly he was so cold.” Hard not to shudder. “He could be smiling one second, knocking me to the floor the next. No warning. I didn’t want him even remembering I had family.”
Seth swore again. “How are you talking about this so calmly? Working on dinner as if it all happened to someone else?”
She huffed in disbelief. “You think I’m calm? I’m refusing to crumple up in a sobbing heap, that’s all. Your people-reading skills need some fine-tuning.”
He moved so fast, she didn’t have a chance to retreat. He was suddenly right there in front of her, inches away, his fingers flexing as if he wanted to reach for her. His visible regret, even anguish, brought a lump to her throat. “I’m sorry,” he said roughly. “I know better.”
“No.” Damn it, her eyes stung. Refusing to let herself cry, she took an angry swipe at her cheeks with the back of her hand. “Oh, crud. I’m a mess.”
“Robin.” Now his hands did close on her shoulders. “I swore I wouldn’t do this, but I think I need...” He didn’t have to finish the sentence. His hard embrace said it all.
She responded the way she had last time, taking comfort from him she didn’t deserve but couldn’t resist. Laying her cheek against his shoulder, she wrapped her arms around him and let herself lean against that solid body and soak in his strength. It could be for only a moment; she didn’t want his father to walk in on them, and she couldn’t let herself weaken for too long.
His heart vibrated against her breast, and she felt him rub his cheek against her hair. Or had he kissed her on the head? That lump in her throat had swelled to monumental proportions.
“Robin,” he murmured. “You really get to me. You know that, don’t you?”
She straightened enough to be able to see his face, eyes that had never been so blue. “Because you feel sorry for me?”
“Angry for you,” he corrected. “You’re a strong woman.” His jaw flexed. “A beautiful woman. And I shouldn’t have even said that.”
“Why not?”
“As much as I want to kiss you, I need you to be able to trust me more.” He made a sound in his throat. “Which means I should get my hands off you.”
His arms tightened instead, for only an instant. Feeling his arousal, heat settled low in her belly.
“I like your hands on me,” she admitted.
He groaned. “I’m trying to behave myself.”
She ached to feel his mouth on hers, but how could she initiate anything when she still had secrets? Still, she gripped his shirt in both hands, unable to look away from him.
His head bent slowly, so slowly she knew he was giving her time to retreat. Instead, she pushed herself up on tiptoe to meet him.
* * *
APPARENTLY HIS RESOLVE was tissue thin, because Seth did exactly what he’d sworn he wouldn’t: he kissed the woman who depended on him to protect her son and keep her safe.
The woman who’d drawn him since first sight.
He might want to devour her, but he did keep enough of a grip on himself to make the first contact gentle. A brush of his lips over hers. Back again. He lifted his head and saw the stunned pleasure on her face, her eyes melting caramel, her lips parted. That’s all it took for him to lose it. He groaned, cradled the back of her head so he could angle it for the best fit, and deepened the kiss. His awareness of his surroundings blurred. All he knew was her, the soft press of her breasts against his chest, the taut arch of her back, her taste and breath and small, involuntary sounds. He gripped her butt to lift her, and somehow pulled out the elastic in her hair to free the silky mass to fall over his hand and her shoulders. He turned her, wanting to boost her onto the counter so he could get between her legs.