Complicated Read Online Free PDF Page B

against her back. Wrapping his arms around her, he
murmured, “Nothing needs to change between you and me.”
    Victoria gave an undignified snort, even as
she instinctively relaxed back into his strong embrace. He felt so big and warm
and solid behind her, and he smelled so incredible—masculine and faintly
expensive. “It has changed. I never thought of you as a father before.”
    “I am a father,” he admitted, rubbing his
jaw against her cheek. He was bristly again, as he always was in the evenings. She
loved the way it felt when his rough skin scraped against hers. “But I’ve been
one for as long as you’ve known me, and this has never been about who we are
when we’re not together.”
    It was true. And it was oddly freeing at the
same time it felt like a kick in the gut.
    This was just physical. Just sex.
    And it didn’t matter who Greg was when they
weren’t fucking—whether he had a family she hadn’t thought about, what he was
like at work, what he did on Saturdays, whether he liked to watch sports on TV.
    None of that mattered, any more than her
life mattered to him.
    All that had ever mattered was the sex.
    That was what both of them had agreed to.
    That was what she’d wanted.
    And the strange ache of loss in her belly
was completely irrational.
    “Right.”
    He kissed her jaw. Then the side of her
throat. And one of his hands moved up to her breast.
    “Greg, I don’t really feel like it tonight.”
    His hand moved back down to her waist, but
he didn’t remove his arms from around her.
    “I’m not being bitchy or anything. I was just
really upset earlier and don’t feel sexy tonight.”
    “Okay,” Greg said.
    She waited, somehow sure that he’d withdraw,
that he was going to end this after all. What he wanted from her was sex and—if
he couldn’t get it when he wanted—why would he even bother?
    He was silent for a long moment, during
which she could hear her heart pounding in her chest.
    Finally he said, “Do you want to spend the
weekend with me?”
    Victoria stiffened and looked over her
shoulder to stare at him in astonishment.
    Greg frowned, looking a little uncomfortable
at her obvious shock. “I just thought maybe it would give you time to adjust.
You could come to my place.”
    She almost choked. “To your place? With your
daughter?”
    “Fuck, no,” Greg said hoarsely. “She’s in
college. She’s lived in the dorms for two years. Besides, she’s going on a
weekend trip. I have the place to myself.”
    This news reassured Victoria, and she was
immediately tempted to accept. Spending the weekend with Greg—just the two of
them—sounded like heaven.
    But going to his place might change things.
Might make everything more of a tangle.
    She needed to be honest with herself, and
that kind of weekend had the potential to raise expectations in her that could
never materialize.
    But he didn’t want to end this. He wanted to
spend the weekend with her.
    She wanted to spend the weekend with
him.
    She’d just need to be careful and realistic
about the whole thing.
    “Okay,” she agreed, her voice cracking a
little.
    “Good.” He brushed his lips against her
loose, blonde hair and inhaled deeply, as if he was smelling it.
    It caused the most inexplicable sensation in
Victoria’s belly—half-thrill and half-terror.
    “You should wear your hair down more often,”
he added, finally releasing his hold on her waist. “It’s beautiful.”
    “Thanks.” She smiled despite herself. “Sorry
I kind of freaked out.”
    “I’m sorry you had to learn about my
daughter that way. She’s a little spoiled, but she’s a nice girl. She’ll come
around.”
    Victoria showed him to the door, feeling
exhausted, confused, and kind of fluttery.
    She got even flutterier when Greg stood in
the doorway staring at her before she closed the door.
    His look was so intent, so deep, that she
squirmed and finally asked, “What?”
    Greg shook his head slowly. “Victoria,
there’s nothing