Page 11 of Words We Didn't Say

But it wasn’t good. She’d called it casual. Anarrangement.I called it four times too many.

“So,” she pressed, “can I tempt you?”

“Mac, I…” The word ‘no’ was simple, yet I couldn’t spit it out. She was confrontational and still too close to Chris to risk any more frayed feelings.

I shook my head.

The elevator doors opened, and I waited for Michaela to head out first.

“Always the gentleman,” she said, the cut of her voice making the words anything but a compliment. Her heels echoed through the empty foyer. When she glanced back at me, she smiled. “You sure I can’t change your mind?”

“See you tomorrow.”

I didn’t wave goodbye.

The front door bumpedto a stop. Sighing, I wedged myself through the gap, careful to sidestep the cardboard boxes stacked against the wall.

Day thirty-two.

Why hadn’t Eden unpacked yet? She’d moved in over a month ago, and I wanted her to crowd my space. I wanted to see her in every inch of the apartment. The cup on the bathroom vanity looked less lonely with two toothbrushes stuck in it instead of one.

But it was almost like Eden had one foot out the door, never quite all in. My chest tightened. Was she waiting for someonebetter?I ticked most of the boxes of being the better kind of man, didn’t I?I hadn’t fully outgrown my blue-collar roots to become as successful as someone like Chris, sure, butalmost.

I took off my shoes and butted my socked toe into the box until it slid flush against the wall. I dropped my briefcase on top.

Lights burned in every room. I flicked off the switches as I wandered through the apartment—hallway, living room, kitchen—and, shaking my head with a smile, I switched off the bedroom light, too. I liked Eden’s quirks. The apartment was never dark when she was home. The scattered vegetable scraps on the kitchen counter after one of her late-night cooking frenzies was an adjustment, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker. Some people were just messy cooks.

Light splintered through the gap of the door to the ensuite. I peeked inside. Eden stood at the vanity. She had drawers stuffed full of cute pyjamas, but she’d thrown on one of my T-shirts, the hem barely skimming the tops of her thighs. Her dark hair hung loose over her shoulders.

She didn’t notice when I leant against the doorframe. All her concentration was on squeezing cream into her palm and dabbing it on her face. I smiled. I’d binge-watch Eden in front of the mirror before any TV show. She was all my favourite things—the bone-deep sigh of the first sip of coffee in the morning, the contract with no red lines through the terms.

She sniffled and rubbed at her nose, the red tip matching the blotches on her cheeks.

Shit, what did I forgetthistime?

I shuffled behind her. Wrapped my arms around her waist. Breathed in a whiff of her powder-scented face cream. She was the little patch of heaven in all my gloom.

I kissed the crook of her shoulder and murmured, “Why the tears, Denny Dee?”Please don’t say me.

“Tears—wha—oh! No!” Flustered, Eden flapped her hands and capped the bottle of face cream.“Allergies.One of my clients dropped by with flowers this afternoon to say thank you. Roses.” She wrinkled her nose. “It was thoughtful of her, but those weeds are havoc for my sinuses.”

“Need something from the pharmacy?”

“Nah, now that you’re finally here, I’m not letting you out of my sight.” Grinning, she twisted around and threaded her arms around my neck. “You know, this is the first time we’ve seen each other today.”

“Mmm?”

“You’d already left for the office when I woke up. It’s time to pay up and say hello.” Her smile turned sly. “Properly.”

“Properly, huh?” I pecked a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

She huffed—that wasn’t theproperkiss she wanted—but I laughed away her frustration, my grip tightening on the curve of her hip, fingers embedding my old T-shirt possessively into her skin. I needed her closer.

The kiss was slow to start, my lips soft on hers, soft again, and then, grinning, I pinned her minty little mouth with mine. I devoured her, slipping in my tongue, meeting hers, her throaty moan encouraging me to keep going…and going…until one final peck sealed the end of herproperkiss.

“Hello.” I bumped the tip of her nose with mine.

Eden dissolved into a breathless giggle. “Hi.” She popped a kiss on my chin before turning around to fiddle with the potions on the vanity. “So, how was your day, handsome man?”

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