Page 81 of The Banned Books Club
Not him, she thought.Anyone but him. And yet...as he led her upstairs and stripped off her clothes before pulling her into his bed, she told herself she didn’t have anything to worry about. She’d never fallen in love before. She didn’t think shecould. Chances were much greater that this was just another relationship she’d enjoy for now but wouldn’t make a meaningful impact.
When Cormac’s alarm went off the following morning, he was loath to move. He could feel Gia in the bed next to him and wished he could roll over and make love to her again. Instead, he kissed her neck, her jawline and then her lips before, with a regretful groan, forcing himself to climb out of bed.
“Don’t tell me it’s morning,” she mumbled, clearly not any happier than he was to find the night already over.
“It is for me. I promised to take one of my clients to the park to walk their dog. Then I have to get to the clinic. But it’s pretty early. You can stay and sleep if you want.”
She shoved the hair out of her eyes. “And if my parents realize I’m gone?”
“I doubt they’ll come looking for you over here,” he said with a chuckle.
She gave him a wry smile. “I can only imagine what they’d think to see me walking back through the gate looking this disheveled. They’d definitely be able to tell I spent the night here.”
“Whatwouldthey think about that?” he asked. “Would they be upset?”
Her smile disappeared. “Who knows? They’ve been through so much lately.”
She pushed up onto her elbows, which inadvertently caused the sheet to fall to a tantalizing level—where it barely covered her breasts. Having her in his bed made it that much harder for him to fulfill his word to Mrs. Wood, but how could he cancel on her again? He’d already sent her a text in the middle of the night saying he’d be thirty minutes late.
“I wouldn’t want them to find me gone in the first place,” Gia added, “especially given that their other daughter is missing.”
After they’d made love, she’d told him what was going on with Margot while lying in his arms. It was arguably his favorite part of the night because it was so...companionable. That she’d trust him with information about her family and her concerns, and wasn’t eager to get up and hurry home, came as a welcome surprise. “You think Sheldon will show up today and cause trouble?”
“He might. If his parents were able to get hold of him, I bet he’s already on his way home.”
Cormac got a pair of jogging shorts out of his drawer. “Where do you think Margot could be?”
“I can’t even venture a guess. After three days of travel, she could be anywhere. I still can’t believe she took off like that on her own.”
“Maybe she’ll call again.”
“I hope so. I really need to talk to her.”
He dug through a stack of T-shirts. This time of year, he started out with a sweatshirt, too, but he usually peeled that off after the first mile. “I’m afraid of what Sheldon will do when he realizes she’s taken their money.”
Gia grimaced. “Yeah, something tells me he might care more about that than the kids.”
Cormac looked back at her. “Are you serious?”
“Not entirely,” she said. “Although he’s left taking care of them almost completely to her.”
He imagined the desperation Margot must’ve felt to do what she’d done. “You don’t believe he’d ever getviolentwith her...or with you?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. She’s obviously afraid of him, but maybe it’s mostly a fear of losing the children. He’s been large and in charge for so long, I don’t think she has a lot of confidence in her ability to defy him, which is why she left him the way she did.”
She got out of bed, and he couldn’t help admiring what he saw. “God, you’re gorgeous,” he said. “I’ve always thought so.”
She looked slightly startled by the compliment, and he thought the smile that spread over her face as her gaze briefly met his was more beautiful than any other part of her. “I’ve got a heart of gold, too,” she joked. “After all, I was just about to offer to make you breakfast.”
“Don’t you have to get home before your parents realize you’re gone?”
She picked up her phone, presumably to check for any texts or calls she’d missed. “They won’t be up for another hour. I think I’m okay.”
“Then I’ll gladly let you make breakfast.” He grinned. “That’s the nicest offer I’ve received since...well, since what you gave me last night.”
She laughed and tossed the clothes he’d left on the floor at him. “Go ahead and finish getting ready while I fumble my way through your kitchen, hoping to find the groceries I need.”
“What do you plan to make?”
