Free Laurie's Time (The Fairfield Series) by Maryann Jordan Page A

life, hesitantly at first and what she considered to be the abbreviated version. But the more he listened, the more he asked questions. His interest was genuine, and for the first time in her life, she felt at ease discussing the death of her grandfather and then the accident that claimed the life of her grandmother and mother.
    He realized he was holding his breath as her story unfolded, as though he were watching a movie waiting for the climatic ending that always shocked the viewers. How could she be so positive having so much happen to her? Wanting to reach across the table and pull her into his lap, he had to fight the urge to blanket her in his arms, keeping everything painful away from her.
    Laurie continued her story about her Aunt Emma becoming her guardian, the tiny apartment they lived in, making their way through college, and working at the restaurant. She glowed when talking about those times, as though the joy of those memories resonated with her very being. She even laughed when telling him that the apartment she shared now with Carol was the first time she had a bedroom to herself.
    Chuckling at the thought, she looked up into his face, and immediately the smile left hers. He was staring at her as though she were some alien creature, one he couldn’t comprehend. Embarrassed, she looked back down at her food. I shouldn’t have talked so much. I shouldn’t have told him about my life. Her embarrassment quickly morphed into anger. Well, screw him if my life seems weird! It was my life.
    Realizing that she was now feeling awkward, he cursed himself for making her feel that way. He reached over the table to grasp her hand, desperate for the contact. She tried to pull it away, but her smaller hand was no match for his much larger one.
    “Oh no, babe, you don’t stop now,” he said. “That story was incredible. You have so much to be proud of, so much you’ve done.” He gently rubbed tiny circles on her hand, willing her to feel what he was feeling. I’ve had everything given to me. She’s had to work for everything. I’ve never known living without. She’s never had a bedroom to herself.
    She raised her eyes back to his warily. “I probably bored you. I did most of the talking during dinner.”
    He shook his head vigorously. “No, babe, I wasn’t bored. Amazed, impressed, awed, proud. But bored? Never.”
    Smiling up at him again, she noted the way her body was reacting to what he was doing to her hand. He’s barely touching me. How is it that I can feel it all the way through me? The electric current running from his hand through hers continued its path right to her very core. She could feel her panties getting wet and her nipples hardening, and all she could think about was …. Stop! She jerked her hand away from his, needing to be back in control. As soon as she did though, she felt the loss and found herself wanting to reach back out and grab his hand again to reconnect the current.
    Rob grinned, knowing what was going through her mind. She does feel it. She’s as affected by me as I am her. Thank god. But go slow. Go slow.
    Knowing that she had shared more than she was comfortable with that evening, he steered the conversation back to general subjects. She asked him about growing up in Fairfield, so he regaled her with tales of him, Jake, and Tom as boys. She laughed at their antics, thoroughly enjoying herself. As he settled the check, she excused herself to go to the ladies’ room.
    Looking at herself in the mirror, she wondered what he thought of her. Just friends. Just friends, s he kept telling herself. It doesn’t matter what he thinks, we are just friends. Raising her eyes back to the mirror, she realized, Oh yes, it does matter. I wish I didn’t care, but I like him. Sighing to herself, she left the ladies’ room and walked back toward the table.
    Approaching the table, she saw the hostess leaning over, her pert breasts perilously close to Rob’s face. Disappointment flooded her