Page 80 of The Stranger

I cross the room and place my hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry for putting you in the middle of this.”

“I was worried I was going to have to restrain her,” she replies as her bottom lip quivers, and now I feel like an even bigger arsehole. “I wasn’t sure if I could do that.”

“I should’ve never asked that of you. Why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off? I’ve got things from here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

The second she scurries off, I’m on the move again. I’m a man on a mission.

I remove my suit jacket and toss it over the back of the chair as I pass. My cufflinks are the next to go. I shove them into the pocket of my trousers. I’m rolling up my shirt sleeves as I stalk across the room. I feel like I’m preparing myself for combat … knowing how that feisty little spitfire gets when she is mad, I very well could be.

Amidst all the chaos that has surrounded this pint-sized blonde bombshell, I’ve discovered a profound sense of being. I’ve never been drawn to someone in such a powerful way, and it’s a stark reminder of how rich human emotions are, and how complex desire can be. Throughout my life, I’ve strived to keep my feelings in check, but since meeting Delilah, I’ve been waging an uphill battle.

Maybe it’s time I stopped fighting and gave in to the inevitable.

I knock on the door twice before reaching for the knob. I will not give her the chance to tell me to go away. Which is exactly what she does the moment I open the door, and she sees me standing there.

“Get out,” she screams, picking up the closest item of clothing to her and scrunching it into a ball. She tosses it in my direction, but it only travels about a metre before gravity takes over and it drops to the floor with a very underwhelming swoosh.

“Delilah—”

“Don’t you Delilah me, you … you lying piece of shit.”

“Let me explain,” I say, holding my hands out in front of me defensively.

“There is nothing to explain. You paid Laura a gazillion dollars to get rid of me. You made it sound like she asked to return early because she needed the money. If you wanted me gone that badly, you should have been man enough to tell me.”

“It wasn’t a gazillion dollars.”

“The actual amount is irrelevant,” she growls, shoving a few more things into her suitcase. “The intent was still there.”

“I wasn’t trying to get rid of you … I was distancing myself from you. There’s a difference.”

“Save it,” she says as she turns away from me. “I get it … I’m not wanted here.” Her words end on a hiccup and it’s like a dagger to my chest. “I’m not wanted anywhere.”

“Sweetheart.”

Her gaze snaps back to me, and when I see the tears that are now streaming down her pretty face, I feel a lump rise in my throat. Her tears are my weakness. I hate seeing her upset.

I take a step forward, but this time she raises her arm. “Don’t.”

“You’re wanted. Please believe me … you have no idea how much.” I’m pretty sure I’ve wanted this woman since the moment I first laid eyes on her.

“Hah,” she scoffs. “Please stop blowing smoke up my arse. It’s only making me feel worse.”

This time, I don’t allow her to stop me from advancing. I close the distance between us in three long strides and grasp her petite shoulders, turning her so she’s fully facing me.

“Delilah,” I plead as my eyes bore into hers, “I’m not blowing smoke up your arse. Please believe me. I didn’t move you because I didn’t want you around … I did it because you were a temptation that I was struggling to resist.”

“Do you honestly expect me to believe that?”

“It’s the truth. I’ve been fighting these feelings I have for you from the very beginning. I want you … I want you so fucking much, it’s maddening. Do you know how hard it was for me to leave you standing outside this door and walk away after the night we kissed? Every inch of me wanted to carry you to my room and bury myself so deep inside I wouldn’t know where you ended and where I began. I wanted to live out all those impure thoughts I’ve been having in real time.”

“You’ve had impure thoughts about me?”

“Yes. I’ve even jacked off to images of you in the shower.”