The Secrets She Must Tell - Lucy King Page 0,17
vision blurred and a cold sweat broke out all over her skin at the thought of how much she’d revealed, how vulnerable she’d made herself. What had seemed such a relief a mere half an hour ago now felt like the biggest mistake of her life. What did he think about it all? What could he be plotting? How could she possibly sleep, not knowing what he intended to do next? Morning was too far away. She needed clarification now.
Throwing back the covers, Georgie leapt out of bed and crossed the hall. When she reached his room she didn’t think to knock; all she could focus on was protecting Josh and herself and fighting her corner. She opened the door and strode in. Finn was standing next to the bed, wearing a look of surprise on his face and nothing but a towel wrapped around his hips.
‘I have one more thing to say,’ she said hoarsely, barely able to hear her own voice above the thundering of her heart, ‘and it can’t wait until morning.’
‘What is it?’
‘I am not perfect. I am still in recovery. But I can do this. And I am capable. I am not a risk to either myself or Josh and I never will be. I will not let you take my son away from me. I will never let you take him away from me.’ She stopped, breathing hard, the force of the emotion swirling through her nearly knocking her off her feet.
‘What are you talking about?’ he said with a frown. ‘I have no intention of taking him away from you.’
‘You did earlier,’ she fired back. ‘In the bedsit.’
‘Yet here you are.’
His dark, steady gaze was locked on hers and something in it, together with the very valid point he’d just made, calmed some of the wildness whipping about inside her. ‘How can I believe you?’
‘You have my word.’
‘I don’t know you well enough yet to know if that means anything.’
‘Then you’ll just have to trust me.’
‘How can I?’
‘My mother died when I was ten,’ he said, a shadow flitting across his face. ‘I know what it’s like to grow up without one. It is not something I’d ever wish to inflict on my own son. Josh will always know both his parents.’
His words sank in and she swallowed hard. ‘Do you really mean that?’
‘I do,’ he said with a brief nod.
‘OK, then,’ she said, letting out a breath as the tension and steam inside her eased. ‘Good. Thank you.’
‘Was there anything else?’
‘Ah, no. Sorry to barge in like that. I didn’t realise you were...’ What? What had he been doing? Her gaze, which had been fixed firmly to his, broke away to travel over the rest of him. His hair was damp. The exposed skin of his broad, muscled chest gleamed in the soft golden light of the room. He’d clearly just come out of the shower, and, now that she wasn’t all fired up with needing to say her piece, it hit her with the force of a freight train that she was standing in his bedroom and he was practically naked.
‘...In the middle of something,’ she finished lamely, feeling her cheeks burn as she dragged her eyes back up.
‘Obviously not.’
‘Sorry.’
‘Next time, knock.’
There wouldn’t be a next time. ‘Right. Yes.’ She cleared her throat. ‘Of course. Sorry. Again.’
His dark blue gaze glittered. ‘Goodnight, Georgie.’
‘Goodnight.’
When Georgie woke up the following morning, it was with great reluctance. Not only was she so warm and cosy she didn’t want to leave the cocoon she’d fashioned out of the duvet, but she was also still utterly wiped out.
It had taken her a long while to fall asleep. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about everything that had happened the evening before, starting with the moment Finn’s bouncer had told her to stop and wait. She could scarcely believe any of what had subsequently unfolded was real, yet here she was, safe and warm and no longer wretched and desperate and on her own.
And then there were the dreams she’d had once she had managed to drift off, dreams that seemed to involve her and Finn and what might have happened if, instead of fleeing his room, she’d walked up to him and rid him of his towel. Details of what followed were hazy and the whole idea of it was absurd, of course, but nevertheless, why she should be going there, even subconsciously, was a bit baffling.
As was the fact that light was streaming in