Grace shot off Jamie’s lap seconds before he closed the distance between them and kissed her. If he did that—
No. She wasn’t throwing caution to the wind a second time.
Kissing Jamie would be the height of foolishness. They were no longer hormone-riddled teenagers. They had more sense than this. For God’s sake, the man had just been through a harrowing divorce!
While she wasn’t changing her entire world, her hopes and dreams, for any man again.
Closing his eyes, Jamie pinched the bridge of his nose. She pulled in a breath. He’d deserved more from her fifteen years ago and he didn’t deserve her panic now either.
‘I’m sorry, Jamie.’ Her hands twisted together. ‘I didn’t mean to give the impression that I’m in the market for anything…romantic.’
‘No apology necessary. I’m sorry if—’
‘Oh, lord, please don’t apologise.’ He hadn’t misread the situation. ‘I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find you attractive or that I’m not tempted.’
He stood then too, as if one word from her would have him dragging her back into his arms and kissing her with the passion she craved. She gripped her hands in front of her.
‘But?’
‘You’ve just been through a divorce. And I recently ended a long-term relationship of my own.’
He shifted his weight from one leg to the other. ‘How long-term?’
‘Long enough,’ she countered. She and Mal mightn’t have been married, but she’d expected they’d have become engaged at some point in the near future.
‘Why did you end it?’
She hesitated, but…what was the harm in telling him? ‘Mal expected me to make all the compromises in our relationship. From where we lived, to what we did with our leisure time, to where we’d spend Christmas.’ She stared at her hands. ‘I overheard him tell a mate that he’d never have kids. That’s not what he’d told me. When I told him I’d eventually love to have two kids, he said he thought that sounded great.’ She ached with remembered pain and betrayal. He’d lied to her so easily. ‘So I confronted him and he admitted he didn’t want kids and had thought, given enough time, that he’d be able to change my mind.’ She shook her head. ‘That was one compromise too many for me, so…we parted ways.’ She hitched up her chin. ‘And I made a promise to myself then to focus on creating the life I wanted. Once I have that life then maybe I’ll be lucky enough to find someone who wants to share it. But until then…’
His smile, when it came, made her stomach flutter. ‘Good for you, Gracie.’
Oh, Lord, that pet name could still make her melt.
‘Just so you know, I’m not looking for romance either. Eric, my father-in-law…’ He rolled his eyes. ‘Ex-father-in-law.’
The ex-father-in-law he’d loved and respected.
‘Told me I’d turned into my father.’
Her head rocked back.
‘I’ve come out here to work out if that’s true. And to devise a plan to change it if it is.’
Just…wow.
‘But enough about that. The other day you said we should forgive ourselves for our youthful mistakes. I want you to know I’ve never regretted making love with you—it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.’
His gaze had turned intense and piercing, and her heart gave a giant kick.
‘But I do regret not protecting you, for not using contraception. I’m sorry for that.’
Luckily, she hadn’t become pregnant, but it didn’t change the risk they’d taken. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t protect you either, and that I panicked so badly afterwards.’
‘The other day you said you wanted to be friends. I’d like that if the offer still stands.’
Log in or create an account to read the next chapter of "Second Chance in the Outback"
Every month we select a new title from one of our authors so that you can discover new stories, locations and genres for free.