Her Hometown Redemption. Rachel Brimble

walked back to the door and bent down, pushing open the letter box. “Tanya, open up. I know you’re in there. Look, I just want to talk to you, okay?” Liam darted his gaze over the gleaming white floor tiles and a stack of boxes. “If you’re still upset about the whole ‘tossing you on the couch’ thing, I’m sor—”

      A brief glance of black denim–clad legs whipped into his limited vision before a lock clicked. Tanya flung the door open with such force he nearly fell face-first onto her office floor. He gripped the doorjamb and straightened.

      Her sad, dark brown eyes bored into his. “You’re right. We do need to talk.”

      “Good, because—”

      “She’s right.”

      Liam frowned. “Who?”

      “Marian.”

      “Ah. She bulldozed you, right? She talked so much sense at such speed you now feel like you’ve done something wrong, or not quick enough, or not the right way. We’ve all been on the receiving end of that. It’s what Marian does best.”

      She crossed her arms. “Why do I get the impression you’re finding it funny that I’m her latest victim?”

      He smiled. “You could never be anyone’s victim, but that doesn’t mean I want you upset by anyone, either.”

      “Right.”

      He frowned. “Are you okay?”

      She blinked. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

      His smile dissolved and something inside kicked painfully. “What?”

      “I’m sorry for a lot of things, but I’m sorry for hurting you most of all.”

      When a tear slipped down her cheek, Liam reached for her before he could think just how stupid a mistake that might be. “Hey, come here.”

      He dropped his briefcase and pulled her into his arms. She lowered her head onto his chest, her body trembling. What the hell had Marian said to her? He gently maneuvered Tanya inside.

      Keeping one hand on hers, Liam leaned down to retrieve his briefcase before kicking the door closed. Dropping the case a second time and leading Tanya to a low wooden cabinet, he lifted her up and settled her on top of it. Her knees parted and he stood between them...just the way he used to.

      His heart thundered with the sudden need to kiss her, to feel her warm, soft lips on his. He dropped his gaze to her mouth. He couldn’t do that. Correction, he wouldn’t do that. Unless she asked him to.

      He smoothed some fallen hair from her face. “What happened between us is in the past.”

      She stared deep into his eyes. “Is it?”

      He tightened his grip on her waist. In that moment, nothing felt in the past. She was here in his present and, God help him, he had a horrible feeling he’d soon want her in his future, too.

      “Kiss me, Liam.”

      Her whispered invitation cut through his heart and memory like a knife. He snapped his gaze to hers. “Tanya...”

      “Please. Just one kiss.”

      Her eyes were soft with pleading and when she flicked out her tongue to wet her lips, Liam came undone. A groan rumbled through his chest and into the quiet of the room before he leaned in and softly brushed his lips over hers. The contact, the memory, was too much to resist. He tightened his hold on her waist and took everything he’d missed for so damn long. Every hour, every week, every year of his past longing surged through him on an avalanche of pain that hurt as much as her abrupt departure.

      Yet he didn’t pull away, and he didn’t refrain from putting his tongue to hers and kissing her deeply, passionately. Her hands slid up his arms to score through the hair at the back of his neck, and like a man starved, he fed deeper, longer and harder.

      A whimper escaped her lips, and he slowly opened his eyes.

       What the hell am I doing?

      He abruptly released her and stepped back. Their harried breaths joined before Liam whirled away and pushed his hands into his hair. “I can’t do this.”

      “Liam...”

      He raised his hand, his back still turned to her. “No, Tanya. I can’t. It’s bad enough you’re here, but starting something with you would be too hard.”

      The silence stretched before she released a shaky breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you to kiss me.”

      She’d gotten off the cabinet and stood before him, wringing her hands and darting her gaze from his to around the room. Her uncertainty wrenched at him and his need to distance himself from her suddenly vanished as though she’d reached in and yanked it straight out.

      He fisted his hands on his hips and exhaled. “What did Marian say to you?”

      “Well, she called me a pussycat, for a start.” She huffed out a laugh and wiped her fingers under her eyes. “That was a first from anyone.”

      He couldn’t meet her smile. He wanted answers. “I saw her come in here this afternoon. You looked scared just now. Something I never thought I’d see. What did she say to you?”

      Her gaze lingered a moment at his lips before she abruptly turned and walked to her desk. “That I need to show the people my ugly before I can expect to move forward.”

      “She’s right.”

      “I know.” Standing behind her desk, she crossed her arms in a feeble act of defiance, considering the panic so clearly etched in her gaze. “I shouldn’t have left as I did, but I was scared.”

      He frowned. “Scared?”

      “Of you.”

      Liam dropped his arms and stepped closer. “Me?”

      “Yes. Of what we had. Of what I felt for you. You were becoming more important to me than anything, and Mum had drummed into Sasha and me that love doesn’t last, money does. I was scared of losing everything I’d worked so hard for. Now I know just how stupid I was because ultimately, I lost you and everything else.”

      Liam tried to fight the urge to walk out. How could he when there was so much unfinished business between them? Hating his need to have everything tied up in nice little boxes, Liam shook his head. “Okay, let’s get out of here.” He moved across the room and plucked her purse from an old-fashioned coat stand by the door. “We’re going back to my place. I’m going to cook you dinner and we’re going to talk. Properly.”

      “What else is there to say? I’ve said I’m sorry.”

      He spun around and glared, his anger and frustration returning. Her cheeks blazed red and panic shone in her gaze, but there was no way she wouldn’t be telling him more. Tonight.

      “No more lying to me, Tanya. Something’s wrong. I’m not questioning if this is where you need to be. I’m questioning why you look so damn sad and nervous. Since when have you been afraid of anything or anyone? You’re in trouble. This isn’t all about you and me and what we had before. If you want my friendship back, you’ll level with me. If you can’t do that, I walk out the door and you don’t speak, look at or touch me again. Now, what’s it to be?”

      Her study ran over his face, lower to his chest before she met his gaze. Liam clenched his jaw and pretended not to notice the way her eyes had darkened with unmistakable hunger.

      “Fine.” She snatched a bunch of keys from her desk. “Your place it is.” She shot him a loaded stare before coming around the desk and brushing past him through the door.

      She stood on the sidewalk, her brown eyes glinting with determination. She looked phenomenal. So like the woman he remembered and loved. Ignoring the hum of angry arousal simmering in his gut, Liam picked up his briefcase and