Swear (Landry Family #4)(6)

"Look, Ellie, I-"

Silencing him with a shake of my head, I half-laugh. "I don't know what you're going to say, but I don't want to hear it."

His face falls a bit. "What if I wanted to say I'm sorry?"

"I would try not to laugh."

"Ellie-"

"If you're sorry for what you should be, you're about a decade too late."

"I know."

For a split second, I look at him objectively. There's a hint of sadness behind those baby blue eyes, and if I looked deep enough, I would remember the Ford I used to know. A look of vulnerability. A glimpse of uncertainty. Not the fine-as-hell man in front of me, but the boy that wasn't sure how he fit in the world around him.

It's a good thing I don't look too hard because it makes it that much easier to remember everything else.

"What's been going on with you?" He leans against the wall, finding his footing. The hesitation has cleared from his eyes and he's watching me now, looking for a weakness.



       
         
       
        

He's my weakness. It's a good thing he doesn't know that.

"I don't have time for small talk," I scoff, feeling my determination to resist him begin to wane. "I have a million things to do."

"As do I," he grins. "But my day was scheduled prior to knowing you were in town." He shoves off the wall, towering over me with his six-foot-three frame. "It's been a long time, Ellie."

"Not long enough."

Instead of backing him down, my words seem to only rile him up. He grins. The asshole grins at me.

My eyes involuntarily roll in my head. "Some things never change."

"You're right. Some things don't." His head cocks to the side, his smile deepening. "And some things do."

"I'm not playing words games with you," I huff. "Why don't you see yourself out?"

"Why don't you go to dinner with me?"

"What part of this conversation are you not understanding?" I take a step towards him, my eyes narrowed. "I don't want you in my building, and I sure as hell don't want to go to dinner with you."

It's only when I'm standing directly in front of him, head tilted back to look into his face, close enough to be able to lean my head against his chest and have him wrap his powerful arms around me, do I realize what a bad idea this was.

Our breathing quickens, his eyes growing stormy. A chill tears through me as he accidentally-on-purpose brushes his arm against mine. It's like muscle memory, my body remembering exactly what to do around his.

My knees dip, my mouth waters, and I fight the ache in between my thighs as he looks down at me like it's me he wants for dinner.

"What if I throw breakfast in afterwards?" he prods. "Does that make me, I mean it, more appetizing?"

That's all it takes, that one little hint of arrogance, that brings me back to reality.

I flip him a smile. "It makes it less, actually."

His own smile wavers. "I get that you might dislike me."

"Dislike you? Try again. It's much more than that."

I'm not sure that's true-I don't know how to put into words how I feel about him. I just know that right now isn't the time to try.

"I want the chance to explain," he says. "Give me the chance to sit down and talk to you."

"You have the same chances of getting the chance to explain as I do of getting what every woman wants."

"What's that?"

I lean in, like I'm going to tell him a secret. "Being able to eat all the pizza and not gain an ounce." 

I start to head to the back as his chuckle fills the room. "That was good. I'll give you that."

I shrug and keep walking.

"You can at least let me apologize."

The authority in his tone, like I owe him something, stops me in my tracks. I whirl around to face him. "You don't deserve a chance to apologize to me."

"I didn't say I deserved it," he says earnestly. "But I would love the opportunity to do so." He forces a swallow, my eyes glued to his lips. "I would appreciate the chance to get to see you again."

The snicker that comes from me is unexpected by both of us. "So charming. I forgot how good you are with words."

"Does that mean that's a yes?"

"That means that's a no," I smile. "That means I'm not about to let you come in here and look at me with those bright blue eyes and make me forget what it felt like to have you rip my heart out."

"I didn't mean to do that, Ellie."

"Don't act surprised," I laugh angrily. "There's no way you thought I just went on with my life after you left. I dated you for four years, Ford. And after what we went through . . ."