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with Sam, but he had never made her heart beat erratically, or her breath catch in her throat. She had loved their intimate interludes, but had never wanted to rip his clothes off and drag him into the bedroom. She seriously needed to get a grip on herself! “Rachel? Honey, you need to make a decision here. Do you want to talk to someone else who can vouch for the Marshall’s? They’re going to be here in about twenty-five minutes now.” Rachel watched his mouth as he spoke and memories of his kiss stopped whatever thoughts had been rolling through her brain. Had she only imagined the emotion behind his kiss? Had it really been that good, or had she just embellished reality? Chance looked at her eyes as they darkened with desire and stayed focused on his mouth. She wasn’t listening to him speak - she was remembering their kiss. As she leaned towards him, he met her halfway, placing a gentle kiss upon her lips. When she closed her eyes and swayed towards him, he gently wrapped his arms around her, bringing her body flush against his own. “Rachel, I would love to stay here and kiss you for the next several hours, but Shawn and his wife really are on their way over here. Let me take you to dinner? Just the two of us. I would trust Shawn with my life.” Rachel gave in to her impulse and laid her cheek against his strong chest. Hearing the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear was so soothing. The heat from his body and the comfort she found in his arms was so confusing, yet felt right somehow. Closing her eyes, she inhaled his scent, snuggling her head against his chest without being aware she had done so. Chance gave her one last hug and then pushed her away from himself, “Go shower or change. Whatever you feel up to. We’ll grab a quick bite to eat and then come right back.” Rachel looked at him one last time and then headed towards her bedroom. Chance watched her go, quickly adjusting himself and telling his body to cool off. They were only going to dinner! Chapter 11 When Shawn and Janet arrived, Rachel had already prepared bottles for the boys and placed them in the fridge. She kept herself busy while waiting for their arrival, her nervous energy infecting the boys and making them fussy. Chance had attempted to calm her down, but knew that completing this adventure would be the only way to do that. She just needed to take that first step towards claiming her life back and realizing that becoming a mother hadn’t erased her adult needs. She was still a vibrant woman; she just needed to be reminded of that fact. Rachel had opted for jeans and a button down shirt. She had lost most of her baby weight, but most of her pre-pregnancy clothing was still a little too tight to wear comfortably. She promised herself that she would begin to deal with the extra weight first thing tomorrow. Chance didn’t seem to mind and kept giving her heated stares across the room. After introducing her to the Marshall’s, she took them on a tour of the house, showing them where the babies things were kept, going over the bottle warming directions for a third time, and then giving them a list of emergency numbers for herself, the ambulance and fire department. Shawn had patiently taken it all in while Janet cooed and played with the tiring babies. It was almost time for their bedtime and Rachel debated about cancelling dinner to put them to sleep. This would be the first time she had ever left the house without them and she was already suffering separation anxiety. “Rachel, let’s go.” She nodded and took a huge breath before walking determinedly towards the front door. Chance gave Shawn of nod of thanks and followed her closely, not wanting to give her an opportunity to change her mind. He helped her into his SUV, fastening her seatbelt, before walking around the vehicle and joining her. “So, take a deep breath.” Rachel followed his direction and let the air whoosh from her lungs in a giant rush. “I don’t know if I can do this.” “Sure you can. They’re only a phone call away. Now, what sounds good for dinner?” After some discussion, they opted for a buffet restaurant that served a little bit of everything. They both ate their fill, and when Rachel glanced at her watch for the tenth time in as many minutes, Chance sighed and reached across the table for her wrist. When she moved to pull away, he tightened his grip, removing her watch quickly and placing it in his shirt pocket. “Why did you do that?” she asked, rubbing her wrist once he released it. “Because you can’t seem to relax and that watch is only a reminder of how long you’ve been away from the house.” Rachel stared at him for a moment before dropping her gaze and continuing to eat. He was right! She could do better than this and she would. “So, you worked for the FBI?” she offered, wanting anything to take her mind off her babies. Chance smiled at her and went with it, “Yeah. But only for a few years. The bureaucracy got to me and I decided to join my brother and Shawn.” “What do they do exactly?” “Shawn and Seth run a company called MJI. They offer private security services, both here and abroad. Tell me about your husband.” Startled, she glanced at him, “Why do you want to know about Sam?” “Because I want to understand what type of relationship you had with him. Rachel, I like you and I know you feel the chemistry between us. I want to keep exploring that, but I don’t want to unintentionally do something that would cause you emotional pain. I need to know what kind of relationship you had with Sam so I can avoid any minefields.” Rachel set down her fork and pushed away from the table, taking a huge breath before looking up at him. “He was my world. He’s gone. I’m alone. End of story.” Chance’s heart broke for the sadness he heard in her voice, “Not true. You’re not alone and this is not the end of the story. Tell me where you and he met.” “We went to high school together.” “Were you always boyfriend and girlfriend?” Rachel shook her head, “No. We were buddies first. We got paired up in science class our freshman year and then things just slowly changed into more than friends.” Chance was quiet for several seconds before he asked, “So, you just woke up one day and realized you loved your best friend?” Rachel shrugged, “I don’t know that it happened that fast. We always hung out together, and when the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
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