background and tears stinging my eyes.
I stayed at home for the next two days. The city wasn’t a safe haven for me. I spent my time wandering around my house, riding my bike, and waiting to see if she would come back.
On the fourth night, I ascended from my basement hideaway, steeling myself for another lonely night.
My eyes widened in shock as I took in her beautiful eyes, still and calm, watching me. She sat at the kitchen table, hands clenched, knuckles white with tension.
“Bronwyn,” I breathed. “Bronwyn.” I couldn’t hide the relief in my tone or eyes, and both broke her.
In a second she crossed the kitchen and was in my arms, sobbing against me.
“Crowley,” she said when she was able to muster some coherence.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
She peered up at me, eyes red rimmed and aching. “I don’t know why you’re apologizing. I’m the one who needs to say sorry and that’s what I’m doing.”
“Don’t do that to me again,” I said. “Please.”
“I can’t help it,” she said. “When I saw you with that girl . . . I . . .
I . . . it hurt . . .”
“I know it did. I know. But—”
She put her finger to my lips. “I know we’re not together,” she whispered. “I know. I know you’re a free woman. So am I. My head knows all of that. But my heart hasn’t quite caught up yet.”
I nodded. “That’s why you came back, isn’t it?”
She flinched. “I’m not here because I have no better option.”
“You’ve found somewhere else to live?”
She hesitated. “Yes, I have. But I don’t want to.”
“You really should go. If I’m hurting you this much, what good am I to you?”
“You want me to go?”
I gazed into her green eyes and shook my head.
She let out a gusty breath and sank into my embrace. “I’m sorry.”
My disobedient arms tightened around her, and I breathed in the scent of her beautiful, clean, sun-warmed hair, her recent arousal.
“Forgiven, Bronnie. Forgiven.”
We stayed tangled together for a few moments, simply taking animal comfort from one another.
Finally I was forced to pull back when I felt my stomach growl softly.
I gave her a crooked grin. “I have to go out for about an hour.”
She nodded. “You want a bite to eat here?”
I shook my head.
“Be careful,” she said.
I nodded. “I always am.”
We gently disentangled. I wasted no time going out to feed close to home. I was anxious to get home and back to Bronwyn. When I got back, I closed my eyes and listened for her. I smiled when I picked up the soft sounds of the television in the master bedroom. I went upstairs and knocked softly.
“Come in,” she said.
I went in and sat on the edge of the bed. She had schoolbooks resting on her knees and a pencil hanging out of her mouth.
“I’m studying for a test I have tomorrow,” she said.
“Oh. I suppose I’d better let you get back to it, then.”
“No. Stay.” She patted the bed.
I sat beside her, and she closed her books and put them on the floor.
She lay in my arms with a sigh.
“Where did you go?” I asked after a little while.
“I went to a friend’s house and we talked.” She looked up and caught my look of alarm. “Not about you specifically. I remember your rules. I’m not prepared to break them.”
I nodded, relaxed.
“You feel something for me as well, don’t you?”
I sighed.
“Don’t deny it,” she said. “Look at what we’re doing.”
“I just don’t have room in my life for romance,” I said. “Besides.
Think about what you’ve been doing for the past few days. I can smell it on you. You’ve had your fill of a few men. And women.”
“You can cheat on me but I can’t cheat on you?”
“Neither one of us is cheating on the other, and you know it. But how can you keep telling me how much you love me when you can go and do what you’re doing with other people? Say I wanted a relationship with you—what would you want me to think?”
She sat up and met my eyes. “I
I stayed at home for the next two days. The city wasn’t a safe haven for me. I spent my time wandering around my house, riding my bike, and waiting to see if she would come back.
On the fourth night, I ascended from my basement hideaway, steeling myself for another lonely night.
My eyes widened in shock as I took in her beautiful eyes, still and calm, watching me. She sat at the kitchen table, hands clenched, knuckles white with tension.
“Bronwyn,” I breathed. “Bronwyn.” I couldn’t hide the relief in my tone or eyes, and both broke her.
In a second she crossed the kitchen and was in my arms, sobbing against me.
“Crowley,” she said when she was able to muster some coherence.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
She peered up at me, eyes red rimmed and aching. “I don’t know why you’re apologizing. I’m the one who needs to say sorry and that’s what I’m doing.”
“Don’t do that to me again,” I said. “Please.”
“I can’t help it,” she said. “When I saw you with that girl . . . I . . .
I . . . it hurt . . .”
“I know it did. I know. But—”
She put her finger to my lips. “I know we’re not together,” she whispered. “I know. I know you’re a free woman. So am I. My head knows all of that. But my heart hasn’t quite caught up yet.”
I nodded. “That’s why you came back, isn’t it?”
She flinched. “I’m not here because I have no better option.”
“You’ve found somewhere else to live?”
She hesitated. “Yes, I have. But I don’t want to.”
“You really should go. If I’m hurting you this much, what good am I to you?”
“You want me to go?”
I gazed into her green eyes and shook my head.
She let out a gusty breath and sank into my embrace. “I’m sorry.”
My disobedient arms tightened around her, and I breathed in the scent of her beautiful, clean, sun-warmed hair, her recent arousal.
“Forgiven, Bronnie. Forgiven.”
We stayed tangled together for a few moments, simply taking animal comfort from one another.
Finally I was forced to pull back when I felt my stomach growl softly.
I gave her a crooked grin. “I have to go out for about an hour.”
She nodded. “You want a bite to eat here?”
I shook my head.
“Be careful,” she said.
I nodded. “I always am.”
We gently disentangled. I wasted no time going out to feed close to home. I was anxious to get home and back to Bronwyn. When I got back, I closed my eyes and listened for her. I smiled when I picked up the soft sounds of the television in the master bedroom. I went upstairs and knocked softly.
“Come in,” she said.
I went in and sat on the edge of the bed. She had schoolbooks resting on her knees and a pencil hanging out of her mouth.
“I’m studying for a test I have tomorrow,” she said.
“Oh. I suppose I’d better let you get back to it, then.”
“No. Stay.” She patted the bed.
I sat beside her, and she closed her books and put them on the floor.
She lay in my arms with a sigh.
“Where did you go?” I asked after a little while.
“I went to a friend’s house and we talked.” She looked up and caught my look of alarm. “Not about you specifically. I remember your rules. I’m not prepared to break them.”
I nodded, relaxed.
“You feel something for me as well, don’t you?”
I sighed.
“Don’t deny it,” she said. “Look at what we’re doing.”
“I just don’t have room in my life for romance,” I said. “Besides.
Think about what you’ve been doing for the past few days. I can smell it on you. You’ve had your fill of a few men. And women.”
“You can cheat on me but I can’t cheat on you?”
“Neither one of us is cheating on the other, and you know it. But how can you keep telling me how much you love me when you can go and do what you’re doing with other people? Say I wanted a relationship with you—what would you want me to think?”
She sat up and met my eyes. “I
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