"She's grieving. We will talk again once she's had time to process everything," he said into my hair. "I missed you."
I smiled sadly and pulled back so I could look up at him. "You were gone for about an hour. Not much time to miss me."
Woods ran his hand through my hair, brushing it out of the way, and then cupped my face. "I missed you the second I walked out that door. I want you with me all the time."
Smiling, I turned my head and kissed his hand. "I can't always be with you."
Woods's eyes darkened with something I recognized well. "But I want you with me." He slipped one of his hands around my waist, tugging me up against him. "I can't concentrate when I'm not close enough to touch you."
I grinned as I pressed a kiss to the inside of his wrist. "When you touch me we tend to get carried away."
Woods's hand slipped under my shirt and I shivered as he moved it closer to my chest. "Right now I want to get carried away."
I wanted that too. I always wanted that, but he needed to talk. He needed to say something.
His phone rang, interrupting both of us.
His face tensed and he let his hand slide out from underneath my shirt reluctantly before reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone.
"Hello," he said in his business tone. He looked at me apologetically. "Yeah, I'll be there in five minutes. Tell him to meet me in my dad's . . . in my office."
He was having a hard time calling his dad's office "his." That was only another glimpse into the pain he was ignoring.
"That was Vince. There are several board members in town and they want to meet with me in an hour. Gary, my dad's adviser and best friend, wants to brief me first. I'm sorry," he said, reaching out to take my hand and pull me against him.
"Don't be sorry. There is nothing to be sorry about. If there's anything I can do to help you, then I will. Just tell me."
Woods chuckled. "If I could get away with keeping you in my office all day with me, then I would."
"Hmmm . . . I don't think you'd get a lot of work done."
"I know I wouldn't," he replied.
"Go, show that board that you're ready for this."
Woods pressed a kiss to my head. "What are you going to do?"
I wanted to work again. I missed seeing everyone and having something to do. Lying on the beach every day wasn't really me. "Could I have my job back?" I asked.
A frown wrinkled Woods's brow. "No. I don't want you working in the dining room."
I had been prepared for this. "Okay. Then I'm going to go find a job somewhere else. I need something to do. Especially with you being so busy."
"What if you need me? Where would you want to work? What if I can't get to you? That won't work, Della. I can't protect you if you aren't near me." I was only adding more stress for him. He needed more time to adjust. I would give him that. He needed to heal. I would have to find a way to spend my days.
"Okay. We'll wait a couple weeks and talk about it again," I said with a smile, hoping to reassure him.
He looked relieved. That was what I had wanted. "I'll call you once this meeting is over. We'll have dinner together. I won't leave you here alone long. I swear."
I just nodded.
Woods pulled me to him and kissed me. It was a possessive kiss. Right now he needed me to be there for him. For now, that is what I would do. Be there for him.
"I love you," he whispered against my lips, and then pressed one last kiss to them.
"I love you too," I replied.
Woods left and I stayed outside on the balcony looking out at the gulf. I had missed out on life for so long and now I was learning that life was about sacrifice. Especially when you loved someone.