Page 19 of Nightclub Surprise
“And you’re an amazing man, August Harlow. I think we make a pretty great couple, don’t you?” she asked with a sexy lilt to hervoice.
Pushing my hand through my hair, I had another thought. If I’d frightened her son, then why would she want anything else to do with me? Tawny wasn’t acting like the mother my sister said she’d be. She wasn’t taking her son and running in the oppositedirection.
“A couple, huh?” I had to ask. “You’re not going to stop seeing me now that Calum’s afraid ofme?”
“He’ll come around, eventually. I can talk to him, get him to understand things better,” she told me. “I don’t want to stop seeing you just because this happened. As a matter of fact, if I did stop seeing you over this, then that might adversely affect your PTSD, making it worse. I’d never want to do that toyou.”
But what about her son? What about him and how he felt aboutme?
“Tawny, I want you to know that I’d never fault you for ending things with me. I know that your son is the most important thing to you, as he should be. And he’s afraid of me now. I would never say one harsh word against you if you ended this.” I waited to see what she’d say to that. I’d given her a pass to end it all and walk away without afight.
“Listen to me, August,” she began. “Calum is my life. He has been for six years now, and he always will be. But you have a place in my heart that no one else has been able to take. I know we weren’t close in any real way back then, but what we did that night made us close, closer than a lot of couples are after years together. I’ve told you this before—I feel a bond with you. I don’t know if you feel it,too.”
I jumped in. “I do feel it. But why do you think two people who barely know one another have such an important bond,Tawny?”
Please, tell me Calum ismine!
My fingers crossed and I waited for her next words, which I prayed would be the ones I wanted tohear.
“That night, you took more than just my virginity. You took a piece of my heart,” she said, her voice but a whisper. “I fell a little bit in love with you that night, and spending time with you these last few days has made me realize that it was more than just some girlishinfatuation.”
“You love me?” I asked, as that hadn’t even entered my mind. But I had to admit, this girl had a hold on me that no one else had evermanaged.
“I have since that night, August. And I think I always will,” she saidsoftly.
Her words echoed in my mind, and I couldn’t hold back my own confession. “I thought about you over and over these past years. I replayed that night in my head so many damn times I’ve lost count. And when you brushed my arm as you walked past me at the Science Center, I felt an electric charge. Is that love, Tawny? Because I’ve never felt that with anyone else—not before our night together, and certainly notafter.”
“I can’t tell you if that’s love, August, but I’d like to explore the idea with you.” She paused for a moment, as if thinking if there was anything else to say on the matter. “We had a long day, and it’s late—I should get somesleep.”
The phone seemed glued to my hand; I couldn’t put it down. “Wait.”
“Yes?” sheasked.
“Tell me, Tawny. Say the words tome.”
“I love you, August Harlow,” she said sweetly. “Now you have a good night, babe. Call me in themorning.”
My head started spinning at those words, and I was overtly aware that I hadn’t said any words of love back to her. But I couldn’t make the words come out of my mouth. “’Night,Tawny.”
Lying in my bed, alone, I ran my hand over the empty space beside me. Had Tawny’s feelings about me grown into love because she’d had a constant reminder ofme?
Had all those fantasies and thoughts I’d had through the years made me fall in love withher?
God knew I never gave any female half a chance to win my heart. Hell, I hadn’t slept with any woman more than a handful of times, and each and every time was purely fucking—no emotions involved. Not the way I’d been with Tawny that night. Not the way I’d been with her on our dinner date,either.
Shit, do I love thewoman?
ChapterTwelve
Tawny
My feelings for August were out in the open now, to him at least. But my son was unaware of them. Any time I brought up the man’s name, Calum made a face. He’d cross his arms in front of his chest, puffing it out and telling me he didn’t like August so much anymore, and he didn’t think he wanted to see himagain.
August and I had let a few days pass, talking on the phone each day, making suggestions to each other about what the best way to handle this situation would be. All the while, August never confessed any love for me, but asked, each and every time our calls came to an end, to hear the words I’d told him. So, each conversation ended with an ‘I love you’ from me, and a goodbye fromhim.
Lopsided, Iknew.
I also knew it was early to be throwing around the L-word, but I’d pushed those feelings deep inside myself for so many years already. It was hard saying goodbye to August all those years ago, having to let go of the incredible spark between us, no matter how important I knew his leaving to be. But seeing him again and us spending time together had only made me realize that I’d been holding onto those feelings for seven long years—it was no wonder they came blooming to the surface soquickly.
