Twice as Sexy (The Sexy 2)

But the next morning, Vic was the last thing on his mind because he knew in his gut Scarlett was going to leave, and if he wanted her forever, he was going to have to let her go first.

She was stubborn, his girl, and right now she was staring at him with those intelligent eyes, and she definitely had something to say.

“What is it?” he asked, looking at her across the bed.

“It’s over,” she murmured.

He nodded. “It is.” Instead of beating around the bush, he went right for the kill. “Can I convince you to stay?”

She blew out a long breath. “It’s so fast. We’re so new.”

He’d expected this. After all, as her father had said, she’d raised herself and was scared of heartbreak. Not to mention she’d lost both her mother and her brother. Fear lived inside her. If he wanted her with him, he needed to be patient. But that didn’t mean he’d make it easy.

“I can’t just move in with you and assume everything is going to be okay,” she said softly.

“Why not?”

She blinked nervously. “Well, we’ve only been together under stressful circumstances, for one thing. You still don’t know that my crazy work schedule and your night one is compatible.”

“Faith and Jason make it work.”

She opened and closed her mouth. He’d obviously stumped her with that one.

“But if you think we need time, I’ll give you time.” With more emotional difficulty than he’d ever had before, he rolled out of bed and stood facing her. “Come on. I’ll help you get your things together and take them back to your place.”

It killed him to do it this way, but she needed to see they could work under ordinary life circumstances. That he was a man who stuck. And that despite what she was telling herself, she really wanted to be here with him. All things she needed to learn for herself. She needed to miss him.

As he’d thought, she was a stubborn woman. But she’d needed to become self-reliant out of necessity. Once he took her home, he hoped she’d realize how very wrong her way of thinking was. Otherwise he was shit out of luck and in a lot of trouble.

* * *

Scarlett had been back to her normal routine for one week. Today was the second Monday of normal. One week of waking up alone and going to sleep the same way. A week of getting her own lunch and eating by herself. A weekend of working from home, buried in files, but this time Tanner wasn’t patiently by her side. And she hated it.

“I just need time to readjust to normal.” She said it so often, she was just waiting to believe it.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Leigh said from behind her desk.

Instead of Leigh seeking Scarlett out to talk and take a break, it was Scarlett who’d come knocking to see her friend. She’d even taken a walk downstairs and bought Starbucks for them both.

“Tell me again why you left the man you obviously love?”

“I…” She opened and closed her mouth. “I love him.”

Leigh narrowed her gaze. “Are you just figuring this out?”

Blowing out a slow breath, Scarlett nodded. “In words, yes. I mean, I never put the words to the feelings.”

Leigh steepled her hands and shook her head. “You are really something. For a smart woman, you can be so slow emotionally.”

“Hey, it’s been hard for me.” She could list all the reasons, her background, childhood, history, and none of it mattered. She’d screwed up badly.

“Call him,” Leigh said. “Or go see him. But for the love of God, don’t lose him.”

“I know. I am. I will.” She pushed herself up from her seat, gathering the courage as she walked back to her office, where she’d left her cell.

She settled back into her chair, placed her coffee cup on the desk, and picked up her phone to find a text waiting for her.

Are you free for lunch?

Her heart leapt inside her chest at the sight of Tanner’s name on the screen. Yes.

Sandwich or salad? he asked.

So he was coming here so she could work for as long as possible. Excitement over such a little thing lit her up inside because it showed how well he understood her.

Sandwich, she texted back. I’m starving.

She’d skipped breakfast, something she’d been doing because she’d gotten used to having his company over a bowl of cereal or a cup of yogurt in Tanner’s kitchen and now she was lonely. Something she didn’t want to admit to herself.

Instead of working, she counted the minutes until Tanner stood in her doorway. He cleared his throat. “Did someone order a sandwich?” He held out a plain brown bag.

And God, was he a welcome sight. He wore his faded black jeans and his olive-green Henley. His muscles bulged in the sleeves. She knew he hit the gym after he dropped her off at work. Now he could go whenever he wanted to.