In His Bed(35)

Had she not felt the same things he’d been experiencing? “Bullshit, Lea. You like the excitement, the passion, the way we touch each other. You like the way it feels when you see a text from me as much as I like seeing one from you. Don’t run from what this. People in a relationship take on the world together. We can do this. My mom will eventually understand.”

“Then what, Colin? We start something and every time we get around your mom there’s tension? I can’t come in between the two of you like that. I can’t hurt her any more than I already have.”

Colin wanted to shake the woman, to make her see the feelings they shared were the only things that mattered. His mom, Lea’s fears, weren’t justified enough to end the best thing that had ever happened to him. “She’ll deal with us—this. She’d have no choice, Lea. We’re a package deal. You and I’ve started something special and I have no intention of ending it like this.”

She dipped her head then looked up, uncertainty and sadness painting her pretty face. “What about our future? What happens when you want to have kids, marriage? You’re going to realize this can never work. You need someone your own age, someone to grow with you. I’m done with establishing my life. I’ve reached a point where I’m content.”

Colin knew she was copping out, letting her uncertainty win. “That’s not true and you know it. Your body, the way it comes alive when I touch you, tells me the truth. You can’t deny the passion between us. We can have kids together. If something goes wrong we can adopt. We can get married. We can have all of that.”

“You can’t keep pretending the age difference doesn’t matter.”

Colin had to prove to her that shit meant nothing to him. He took several steps and had her in his arms before she could protest. “This,” he growled and gripped her waist, unable to resist the urge to feel her body against him, “is real. We can’t worry about the future when we love each other today. The rest of the stuff will fall into place. You’ll see.”

When he felt her pull away, his heart sank.

“I can’t do this. I’m sorry, Colin. I want you to move out. You can take your time packing your things, but I think we shouldn’t talk anymore. If I have any hope of mending things with your mom, I have to stay away. At the very least I owe her that much respect.”

“Lea, listen to what you’re saying. You’re willing to throw this away, what we’ve shared, for a friendship? I know how important my mom is to you, but please see this from my point of view. I can fix this. Please give me the chance.”

Lea took a deep breath. “How did your dad find out about us?”

Colin leaned against the wall, trying to keep from pulling the shirt away from her chest. “He guessed...well, he heard me fucking you by the pool.”

Lea threw a hand up in the air. “Great! Now they think I’m a whore!”

Colin shook his head. “No they don’t. You’re a passionate woman, Lea. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Will you please let me hold you?”

She turned around, cutting his heart out as she stared up the back staircase. “I need you to go.” He could hear the tremble in her voice. He knew she was holding back the tears—hell he was barely holding on. “Please do this for me. I need you to move out.”

She disappeared up the stairway, leaving him with the thoughts he never wanted to face. He was going to lose the woman who carried half his soul.

By the time he got upstairs, her bedroom door was closed. He grabbed the duffle bag in the closet and threw a few items on the bed. Leaving her, knowing she was in her room upset, was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done. Telling his mom the truth would be nothing in comparison. He was ready to take on whatever roadblock kept him from being with the woman who’d stolen his heart.



*****



Lea arranged the stack of papers on her desk, again. She’d finished all the loose ends on the projects she’d been putting off, even gotten several chapters written on the book. She looked over at Charlie who was sulking, lying on the floor. Lea knew moping around the house wasn’t making anything better, but being productive wasn’t an option. She could barely remember to eat breakfast. How was she supposed to get any work done?

Her cell phone dinged. When Colin’s name lit the screen, she sighed. Swiping the screen to silence the ringing, she walked into the living room to once again plant her butt on the couch. She started flipping through channels. Next time the phone rang she’d ignore the damn thing. At this point, the sound made her stomach cramp.