Page 33 of Bold Encounter
"Do you ever regret it…the danger, the stress on relationships?"
"Sometimes," he said, "especially after my divorce.I spent a lot of years thinking I wasn't cut out for serious relationships."
"And now?"
He looked at her, sitting in his patio chair with the afternoon light playing across her features.His heart swelled with an emotion he'd thought was long dead.
"Now I'm thinking maybe I just hadn't found the right woman yet."
The admission hung between them, charged with possibility and the promise of something deeper than the crisis that had brought them together.Genevieve's cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't look away.
"I've been thinking the same thing," she said.
Abe felt the overwhelming urge to lean over and kiss her, to pull her into his arms and forget about Jason Thornton, and stalking, and everything else that threatened their growing connection.But he held back, knowing that her safety had to come first, that his feelings couldn't interfere with his judgment.
"Tomorrow," he said, "I want to take you somewhere fun.Somewhere that has nothing to do with any of this."
"What do you have in mind?"
"It's a surprise," Abe said."But I promise I'll do my best to make it a good day."
Genevieve smiled."I'd like that."
For the rest of the afternoon, they continued talking about everything and nothing.They shared childhood memories, favorite books, and places they'd traveled.The conversation flowed naturally, with comfortable silences and shared laughter.
Despite the circumstances that brought them together, Abe felt a lasting relationship was possible.A trite phrase entered his mind, yet it seemed appropriate.Sometimes the best things come from the most unexpected places.
Chapter 8
Genevieve looked forward to what Abe had planned for tomorrow.For hours they'd relaxed and talked.She breathed the sweet scent of jasmine in the air, wafting over the patio.She took pleasure watching Abe check his garden plants and adjusting the outdoor lights before they went inside.
The past few days had been a whirlwind of fear and uncertainty, but here in Abe's backyard sanctuary, she felt safe in a way that went beyond physical protection.It was emotional safety, the kind she hadn't experienced with any man.
He caught her watching him and smiled, that slow, warm expression that made her stomach flutter."What's on your mind?"
"I'm just enjoying the view," she said, then realized how that sounded.
Abe chuckled and settled into the chair next to hers."I was thinking," he said, stretching his long legs out in front of him, "about what you said earlier.About feeling like you have to choose between your music and relationships."
Genevieve turned to study his profile in the evening light."That's been the story of my life."
"I've been wondering if maybe the problem wasn't your priorities.Maybe it was just that those men didn't understand what it means to love a woman with that much passion."
He'd saidloveso casually, but the word hung in the air between them, charged with possibility.
She smiled."Now you're a poet."
"I'm just saying that when you care about someone, really care, you want to see them succeed at what makes them happy," Abe said."I'm speaking for myself."
She reached over, took his hand, and laced their fingers together.His hand was warm and strong, calloused from years of physical work."Thank you for saying that."
They sat in comfortable silence as the sky deepened from gold to purple.Fireflies began to dance among the trees, and somewhere in the distance, jazz music drifted from a neighboring house.It was quintessentially New Orleans, and Genevieve felt a deep sense of belonging that had nothing to do with the city and everything to do with the man beside her.
When the first cool breeze stirred the leaves above them, Abe squeezed her hand."It's getting chilly.Shall we head inside?"
When they entered the kitchen, he opened the refrigerator and began pulling out containers."I hope you don't mind leftovers," he said."I made jambalaya yesterday, and it's always better the second day."
Genevieve perched on one of the barstools, watching him work."You really do cook."
