Free Stand of Redemption by Cathryn Williams Page B

exclusively with my dad. I’ve been doing this since I was a kid, and didn’t realize how much I would enjoy working with someone else.”
    T hey continued the walk, settling into a comfortable silence. Ria debated on if now was the time to tell him she would be busy with her mother. She didn’t want to pull him into the mess of her life. She decided she wanted to enjoy the night, as planned. If he asked her out again, she would explain then.
    They finished the walk and Nicholas drove her home.
    She knew her apartment was a dump and hadn’t wanted to see the pity in his eyes at the start of their evening, so she had met him outside when his car had pulled up.
    As he parked the car in front of her apartment, he got out and opened her door. He was being such a gentleman; not many men took the time for chivalry these days. Ria did appreciate his efforts, but she was embarrassed of her living conditions.
    “I’m fine. You don’t have to walk me—”
    “No,” he said firmly, cutting her off. “You didn’t let me come to the door before, which I didn’t care for. I’m walking you to your front door, Ria.”
    Ria sighed. “Fine.”
    They walked to her front door and she pulled her keys out. She fiddled with them for a minute, unwilling for the night to end. She looked up at Nicholas and caught him staring intently at her.
    “Ria, that was one of the best evenings I’ve had in a long time. Thank you for agreeing to dinner.” He leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek.
    Ria groaned. She wanted a real kiss. He was behaving completely appropriate, and it sucked.
    Nicholas laughed. “What was that for?”
    Ria gasped. She hadn’t realized that she had groaned out loud.
    “I don’t know,” she mumbled to the ground. She felt the sinking disappointment deep in her gut.
    “Ria, you were physically assaulted less than a week ago. If you think I don’t want to throw you against the door and touch every inch of you, you’re wrong,” Nicholas said, his face hardening. “But I don’t want to scare you away, either.”
    Ria stared into his eyes and could see the desire he was no longer trying to hide from her. She caught her breath then quickly put the key in the door to unlock it.
    “Does it seem like I scare easily?”
    He took a step forward, but a hand on his chest held him back. “My mother lives with me, and she hasn’t been feeling well.”
    His eyes searched hers before Nicholas moved away. “Perhaps another night, then. I’ll give you a call.”
    “Goodbye, Nicholas.”
    “Night, Ria.”
    She knew, when he walked away, he wouldn’t be calling again. He probably thought she led him on to shut him down.
    Before she could change her mind and run after him, making a fool of herself, she quickly went inside her apartment where she leaned her head against the door. She had just wanted one real kiss from him before her life intruded, but when he had moved closer, some instinct within her had told her to run. Her head told her she had made a wise decision, yet her body had wanted to be held by the gorgeous Nicholas, and to touch the flames she had seen burning in his blue eyes.
    *  *  *
    Nicholas started his car, coldly furious at himself. He had dropped his guard during dinner, and had actually enjoyed spending time with Ria. She was funny and very similar to his sister Melanie, making it easy to relax. He had already told himself before dinner was over that he wouldn’t be seeing Ria again, though. She was the type of woman who would become too ser ious and get hurt.
    When she had looked up at him with those soulful eyes at her door, he had felt a burst of desire so strong it had almost undermined the stringent control he kept himself under unless he was in the ring.
    Thank God she had been smart enough to pull back and bring a halt to the evening, dousing the flames in his cock by telling him her mother was inside the apartment.
    His instinct told him to stop seeing her, and he always listened to his