The Other Side - J. D. Robb [126]
The way he spoke her name, almost like a prayer, made her feel like weeping.
“While I was working in your office, I used to close my eyes and listen to the sound of your voice while you talked with clients.”
She glanced at him shyly. “And I used to walk over and pretend to look at the cabinets just so I could look at you.”
They stared at each other in awe, like two people who had just discovered a rare and wonderful treasure.
It was Christina who pulled away first. Taking a step back, she moistened her lips with her tongue, avoiding Jake’s eyes. “I have no right to have these . . . feelings for you. I’m engaged.”
“Do you love him?”
She stared at the floor. “I thought I did. But lately . . . ” She looked up. Met his direct gaze. “I guess I’ve known for some time that it’s over. I just didn’t want to probe my feelings too deeply. But honestly, Jake, I never expected to feel like this about you. About anyone. I’ve never felt this way before.”
He closed his eyes a moment, letting her words wash over him, savoring the knowledge, before dragging her close. Against her temple he whispered, “Before we take this to the next level, I need to tell you about myself. I . . . was married. My wife and unborn baby . . . ”
Vanessa caught her husband’s hand. “This has become much more intimate that I’d expected. I think Christina and Jake deserve some privacy, Ted darling.”
“Right.” He drew her close and brushed a kiss over her mouth. “They’re on the right track now. I have no doubt they’ll connect in every way, thanks to Gram’s absolutely brilliant thunderstorm. It worked so much better than a walk in the rain.”
He and Vanessa looked around, but all they could see of his beloved grandmother was a haze of light lifting into the sky.
They hurried away, leaving Jake and their daughter to their much-deserved privacy.
It was more than an hour before Jake and Christina emerged from the garage, having shared their life stories before giving in to the passion that had caught them both by surprise. By the time they walked back to Jake’s truck, they were holding hands and staring at one another as only intimate lovers can.
The sudden storm had fled as quickly as it had appeared, leaving the gardens awash in glistening sunlight.
Christina felt the softest of touches against her cheek, like the press of her mother’s fingertips. She glanced around. Instead of the expected breeze, the leaves on the trees were completely still.
She stopped in her tracks as she caught a whiff of her mother’s favorite perfume.
“What is it, Christina?”
At the sound of her name on Jake’s lips, she smiled. “Nothing, I guess. Just a memory.”
“A happy one, from the look in your eyes.”
“It is. It always will be. A sweet, beautiful memory.”
Beside her, Vanessa and Ted wiped tears from their eyes.
Though Jake was reluctant to leave, he opened the truck door. Before he could slip into the driver’s seat, Christina drew his head down for a slow, lingering kiss.
Against his mouth she whispered, “I intend to call Mark as soon as I go inside. He deserves to know the truth.”
“I hope you won’t have regrets.”
“I won’t, Jake. I feel at peace with my decision. I feel . . . suddenly free.”
“And I feel more alive than I ever believed possible.” He settled himself behind the wheel and turned the key in the ignition. “I’ll call you later tonight.”
“You’d better.” She blew him a kiss through the open window. “Better yet, why don’t you come back and have dinner with us? Tyler will be as happy to see you as I will.”
“I’d like that.” He smiled. “I’ll see you around six.”
As he drove away, Christina turned toward the front door.
There was a spring to her step that hadn’t been there in such a long time. And her heart was so light, she wondered that she didn’t simply float through the air.
“Oh, Miss Christina.” Mrs. Mellon’s face bore a pinched, agitated look. “I’ve been