Too Good to Forget

Chapter 3

She stood without moving for several anguished minutes, or maybe it was hours, until her phone chimed against her thigh. Reaching to silence its betraying ring, her numb fingers fumbled and missed. It chimed again, the distinctive ringtone she'd set for Marcus making her stomach twist with dread.

''Coleen?'' Marcus called from his office, his chair squeking as he stood. ''Are you there?''

She lurched from behind the door, scuttling back toward the elevator so she could approach his office as if she'd just arrived.

''Hey,'' she said when he appeared at his door.

He slid his phone into his pocket and strode toward her. ''We must be on the same wavelength''. Before she had a chance to avoid him, he'd closed the space between them and reached for her. His lips caught hers and the lush warmth elicited the same shock of response it always did. Every part of her body reacted. She swayed unsteadily when he withdraw, his soft exhalation warming her half-open mouth.

''I missed you this morning,'' he said against her lips.''I missed waking up next to you.''

She heard the smile behind his words and closed her eyes, mustering her strength. ''I had to be at work early,'' she said. ''I'm just heading back for the afternoon shift now.''

Leaning back, he peered into her face. ''So why are you here?'' His blue eyes glittered with fresh fury while his jaw knotted. ''Did my grandfather or cousin say something to you?''

Blinking against a sudden blur of tears, she sucked in a steadying breath. 

Don't fall apart now. You can do that later.

''No. I just . . . needed to talk to you,'' she managed, swallowing hard.

His hands drifted from her waist up to her arms, a hint of wariness clouding his expression. ''About what?''

''I. . .'' She inhaled his lovely scent, gulping air to no avail. ''I need to sit down.''

Wordless, he ushered her into his office and over to the brown leather chair angled before his desk. He squatted before her, his expression incrementally more concerned as his thumbs caressed the skin beneath her white T-shirt sleeves. ''What is it?''

After a few moments of torturous silence, while she struggled to find the right words, he inhaled sharply and dropped his hands to the leather armrest.

''You want to break it off don't you?'' he said, his expression shield of blankness.

She dipped her head in a single nod and dropped her gaze to her tightly knit hands. ''It's time.''

He stared at her in silence for several long beats before speaking. ''Care to tell me why?'' his voice cool and remote.

''We promised no question.'' She hawled in a breath and formed herself to meet his blue eyes. ''And we both knew this---''

''You're right,'' he interrupted, walking toward the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the Thames. ''You don't owe me any explanations,'' he said in a clipped voice.

She stared at his wide shoulders, the crisp line of his charcoal suit, and the sleek, muscled transition from buttock to leg. ''This is what we agreed to.'' she started again. ''Remember? We said---''

''I said you were right.'' he shoved his hands deep in his pockets and turned back to face her.

''If you want to end things, I wont stand in your way.''