and placed it effectively under his on the table. He was in the process of making a smartass retort of his own when another familiar face appeared in front of the restaurant. He pulled his hand away from Ensley’s as if it’d scorched him, and his easy smile melted away.
“Devon?” he questioned, wondering if maybe he’d really drank too much.
Devon shuffled her feet at the entrance of the restaurant. Her eyes glued to the spot where his hand had been over the other woman’s. She’d seen him right away when she’d first entered the hotel. She’d not even been aware, from the way his table was situated, that anyone one else was seated at the table with him. Shock at seeing him flirting so easily with a pretty blonde crashed her system momentarily and she faltered, not knowing what do… what to say.
Finally, blinking rapidly , she fluttered one hand as indecision warred with the indescribable hurt welling up in her chest. She’d battled in indecision for most of the night about whether to contact Alex or not. Selfishly, most of the indecision had to with the fact she was afraid she couldn’t live with his rejection of her, or to see the coldness creep back into his eyes. But she’d never expected this. Hadn’t expected to find him having breakfast with another woman – a woman he’d probably just crawled out of bed with.
De sperately needing to escape, she turned on the balls of her feet and began to make her way quickly to the automatic doors of the hotel’s entrance. She’d just gotten through the doors and had turned towards the parking lot on the left when strong hands landed on her shoulders jolting her to stop. She gasped sharply against the pain in her hurt shoulder. She knew Alex so intimately - she knew his smell, as well as his touch – and knew it was him behind her. The fear she had rolling around in her belly didn’t have anything to do being caught from behind – it had to do with being left behind. She wanted to jerk away from him, but the pain in her shoulder kept her still. Immediately, the hands loosened their grasp, but didn’t let go. When he drew her back against his body, she closed her eyes and concentrated on calming her rapidly beating heart and rising emotions.
“It was a mistake for me to come here. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your… your breakfast,” she finally gushed.
Forcibly calming his shredded emotions, slowly he released her shoulders and buried his hands in the pockets of his pants. Still staring at the back of her head, he cleared his throat and asked, “Devon, was there something you needed?”
She wanted to rage against him, she wanted to turn around and launch herself at him. She wanted to wail her fist against him until he hurt as much as she was in the moment. But what had he done exactly? They’d never had a commitment to each other. Besides, she’d been the one to send him away. Swallowing hard, she clenched her jaw and inhaled deeply before turning around.
She glanced up into his seemingly detached eyes before her gaze skirted off to take sudden interest in the traffic just beyond them. Glancing down at her hands, she finally said, “I… uh… Cash thought… well, I… um… I just wanted you to know I was okay and that I finally found my mother.”
A gush of air huffed from Alex’s lips. “Oh my God!” he said, before laying a hand against her bicep.
She tensed against his touch involuntarily and immediately he dropped his hand. She glanced up and watched something flit across his features so quickly she almost thought she’d imagined it before he firmly replaced his impassive mask. Clearing his throat once more, he said, “How is she?”
Hating his impassivity, she once again looked away. “She is… well, as good as can be expected. But she’s home now so that’s all that matters.” The air was so fraught with tension, Devon could have choked on it. Darting her gaze up once more, she said, “I just thought you
“Devon?” he questioned, wondering if maybe he’d really drank too much.
Devon shuffled her feet at the entrance of the restaurant. Her eyes glued to the spot where his hand had been over the other woman’s. She’d seen him right away when she’d first entered the hotel. She’d not even been aware, from the way his table was situated, that anyone one else was seated at the table with him. Shock at seeing him flirting so easily with a pretty blonde crashed her system momentarily and she faltered, not knowing what do… what to say.
Finally, blinking rapidly , she fluttered one hand as indecision warred with the indescribable hurt welling up in her chest. She’d battled in indecision for most of the night about whether to contact Alex or not. Selfishly, most of the indecision had to with the fact she was afraid she couldn’t live with his rejection of her, or to see the coldness creep back into his eyes. But she’d never expected this. Hadn’t expected to find him having breakfast with another woman – a woman he’d probably just crawled out of bed with.
De sperately needing to escape, she turned on the balls of her feet and began to make her way quickly to the automatic doors of the hotel’s entrance. She’d just gotten through the doors and had turned towards the parking lot on the left when strong hands landed on her shoulders jolting her to stop. She gasped sharply against the pain in her hurt shoulder. She knew Alex so intimately - she knew his smell, as well as his touch – and knew it was him behind her. The fear she had rolling around in her belly didn’t have anything to do being caught from behind – it had to do with being left behind. She wanted to jerk away from him, but the pain in her shoulder kept her still. Immediately, the hands loosened their grasp, but didn’t let go. When he drew her back against his body, she closed her eyes and concentrated on calming her rapidly beating heart and rising emotions.
“It was a mistake for me to come here. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your… your breakfast,” she finally gushed.
Forcibly calming his shredded emotions, slowly he released her shoulders and buried his hands in the pockets of his pants. Still staring at the back of her head, he cleared his throat and asked, “Devon, was there something you needed?”
She wanted to rage against him, she wanted to turn around and launch herself at him. She wanted to wail her fist against him until he hurt as much as she was in the moment. But what had he done exactly? They’d never had a commitment to each other. Besides, she’d been the one to send him away. Swallowing hard, she clenched her jaw and inhaled deeply before turning around.
She glanced up into his seemingly detached eyes before her gaze skirted off to take sudden interest in the traffic just beyond them. Glancing down at her hands, she finally said, “I… uh… Cash thought… well, I… um… I just wanted you to know I was okay and that I finally found my mother.”
A gush of air huffed from Alex’s lips. “Oh my God!” he said, before laying a hand against her bicep.
She tensed against his touch involuntarily and immediately he dropped his hand. She glanced up and watched something flit across his features so quickly she almost thought she’d imagined it before he firmly replaced his impassive mask. Clearing his throat once more, he said, “How is she?”
Hating his impassivity, she once again looked away. “She is… well, as good as can be expected. But she’s home now so that’s all that matters.” The air was so fraught with tension, Devon could have choked on it. Darting her gaze up once more, she said, “I just thought you
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