Free Falling for Him by Alexandra O'Hurley

instant desire to taste them as she watched him run one long finger over the pale pink flesh.
    A kiss. One he’d been willing to give and still hadn’t accepted. Her lips quivered with the intense need to feel his mouth on hers.
    “So what brings you out today? Doing some writing?”
    “A little. Mostly job hunting.”
    His brows rose as he looked over her face. “What about your career as an author? You aren’t giving up, are you?”
    She smiled slightly at his comment and the worry which had filled his voice. “No, but, as my mother constantly reminds me, I must have a backup plan. She’s terrified that I won’t be able to take care of myself once she and Daddy are gone.”
    “Will you?”
    His question struck her, not so much for the asking of it, but for the fact he seemingly didn’t automatically assume she couldn’t from the tone of his voice. “Yes, I can.”
    “Good enough. It might be good for you to get out and do something on your own. A job could give you a sense of purpose.” He smiled as he added another packet of sugar to his cup. “Do you think the surgery could help you make that happen more smoothly?”
    Talk about a smooth segue. She rolled her eyes inwardly at his comment, and she assumed his banal tone was an attempt to hide his desire for her to agree.
    “Pressuring me isn’t going to make it happen, you know?”
    “I don’t want to pressure you. I don’t. I just want a better life for you.”
    “What’s so wrong with my life that it needs to be fixed?”
    “I just want to give back the life I stole from you.”
    The breath was knocked from her lungs for a moment as his words swelled over her. The words Jenny had spoken at the club filtered back into her brain. You realize his attention is only misplaced blame, right? He blamed himself for her accident? She felt slightly lightheaded at his admission, knowing she had to have heard him wrong. “What you stole from me?”
    “I saw the accident as my fault for many years. Even though I can logically see now that I wasn’t, I can’t help the need I feel to make things right now that I have the ability to do so. I feel it’s my responsibility to make you better.”
    She could barely breathe. “How did you ever think any of it was your fault?”
    “I shouldn’t have chased you. If I hadn’t, you would’ve never fallen.”
    She gazed at him for a long moment, still in shock from his guilt. There was no way he could think he was to blame, but his guileless stare said the absolute opposite. “Liam, it was an accident. There’s no one responsible for it. It just … happened.”
    “I was older. I should’ve known better. I should’ve run faster. I should’ve caught you.” He took a drink from his cup and looked away from her, his eyes glazing over. “There are so many things I should have done that day, but didn’t.”
    *
    Liam saw the glistening of tears swell within her eyes, but he wasn’t sure if he imagined it when they were gone a second later. She looked stunning, her long hair swept up, the riot of curls still tumbling about her head. He wanted to reach out and tuck one of them behind her ear, graze her cheek with his fingers to test if it was as soft as he imagined. The look on her face stopped him.
    She was angry for some reason. She was also lovelier than he could ever remember her being. Her eyes were bright and glittering, her shoulders squared. It was a much better look than the passive wallflower she tried to pass herself off as most days.
    Yet, he hadn’t meant to dredge up any painful memories, but it had just come forth from some unknown well within him. Old demons died hard.
    “It wasn’t your fault. You’re under no obligation to fix me, Liam.”
    “Eight years of college and three years of residency beg to differ.”
    The stunned look that crossed her face rattled him a bit. “You went to medical school … because of me?”
    “I wanted to make sure I did it right. I can’t trust another to do