The Secret Brokers by Alexandrea Weis Page B

needle into his finger once more. “I couldn’t live with the lies anymore. I was tired of people asking when we were going to have children, knowing we had never…” her voice faded.
    Dallas said nothing as he observed Gwen’s delicate features. She had a refined quality about her, he decided, something that made her appear as if she came from some wealthy blue-blooded English stock. Her creamy skin and pink cheeks reminded him of portraits done of corseted Victorian women who were prized for their femininity and social graces.
    He placed the bottle of vodka on the nightstand. “So why haven’t you found someone you can have a real relationship with?”
    Gwen tied off the fourth stitch. “I don’t think you need anymore stitches,” she reported, avoiding his eyes.
    “You didn’t answer my question.”
    Gwen sat back on the floor. “Dallas, I’m no good with people. Haven’t you figured that out by now? I married a gay man because I thought I would be safe from getting hurt, but in the end I hurt myself because I wanted more from Doug. I guess I fell in love with him in a way, and when I realized what had happened, I had to walk away. Staying with him would have only hurt more.” She began to quickly gather up her equipment. “There, are you happy now? You’ve humiliated me, just like you wanted.”
    “I didn’t mean to humiliate or embarrass you, Gwen. I was just trying to understand—”
    “What?” she shouted, cutting him off. “Why I was stupid enough to marry a man I knew I could never have?” She marched into the bathroom.
    Dallas got up from the bed and followed her into the bathroom. “You weren’t stupid for marrying Doug. No more stupid than I was. I fell in love with a woman I knew loved another man. But I thought, like you, that maybe I could make her love me. But I couldn’t…just like you couldn’t change Doug.”
    Gwen threw the scissors and hemostat in the bathroom sink. Then she tossed what was left of the suture and her gloves into the garbage. “We need to dress that,” she said while pointing at his finger. She walked out of the bathroom.
    Dallas followed her back into the bedroom. She stopped in front of the armoire and pulled out a tube of ointment. After squeezing the ointment on to his sutures, Gwen placed a piece of square gauze on his finger and reached for a roll of clear tape.
    “Talk to me, Gwen,” Dallas pleaded. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
    “I’m thinking that maybe I have said too much already,” she admitted while wrapping the tape around his finger. “I should have never told you that.”
    Dallas took his right hand and lifted her chin until their eyes met.
    “I’m glad you told me,” he whispered to her.
    She pushed his hand away. “Dallas, what good would it serve for us to learn anything more about each other if after two weeks all you’ll do is walk away? You said before, I’m just an assignment. I’ve had so many people walk out of my life that I’m tired of making the investment in getting to know anyone anymore.”
    Dallas leaned his head closer to hers. “If you let me in, maybe I won’t walk away.” He placed his right hand on the side of her face. “Try just this once, Gwen. Let me in.”
    Dallas kissed her tenderly on the lips. She instantly went stiff, but as he tempted her with his mouth, he felt her body relax and then her lips slowly parted. He deepened his kiss to her as he ran his hand up into her silky hair. Dallas was surprised by how much he liked kissing her. He wanted more of her, but he was also afraid of pushing her too hard
    Dallas pulled away and took a step back from her. He said nothing, but stared into her eyes, searching for some glimmer of emotion.
    Gwen nervously lowered her eyes to the floor. “Why don’t we go downstairs and have some of your stew?” She turned away and headed out the bedroom door.
    Dallas sighed and went to the nightstand to get the vodka. As his finger began to throb beneath the