I nudge the door the rest of the way open. Itโs an office. Grahamโs office. Heโs got a mahogany desk set up with a black leather chair, and a bookcase pushed up against the wall, stuffed to the brim with books and papers. Heโs got a laptop on the desk, and next to it is a picture frame containing a photograph of me and Graham.
I pick up the frame. Itโs the two of us on a beach somewhere. My hair is long and thick in the photograph, and my skin is several shades darker than it is now. And I lookโฆ happy. Grahamโs arm is around me and weโre both grinning for the camera.
I replace the frame on the desk where I found it. The next item I pick up is a pen. I twirl it around and notice thereโs gold lettering on it.ย My Home Spa. I test the pen on a blank piece of paper on the desk. It writes nicelyโgood quality.
Thereโs a large drawer below the desk. On an impulse, I reach for the handle of the drawer and try to pull it open. It doesnโt budge.
Itโs locked.
โTess? What are you doing?โ
I jump away from the desk at the sound of Grahamโs voice. Heโs standing in the doorway to his office, his light brown eyebrows bunched together, staring at me.
โIโฆโ I wipe my hands self-consciously on my jeans. โI was justโฆ curious.โ
Grahamโs blue eyes are still on me. Itโs making me uncomfortable. Despite what Lucy said about him being โa good guy,โ I donโt know him at all. I donโt know what heโs like. And if Lucy never lived with him, she doesnโt know either. Not really.
โItโs not your concern,โ he says. โItโs work papers.
Contracts.โ
โWhy is the drawer locked?โ
He shrugs. โI donโt want anybody stealing it. There are some sensitive documents in there. Work related.โ
I meet his gaze. Is he telling the truth? Whatโs in this drawer that he felt the need to lock it? But I have something much more pressing to ask him:
โWere you lying when you told me we met when you saved my life?โ
Graham blinks at me. For a moment, I am certain heโs going to deny it, and if that happens, I donโt know what to think anymore. But then he hangs his head. โIโm sorry.โ
I let out a breath. The conversation we had this morning was real. โSo you lied?โ
โYes.โ He pulls off his glasses and rubs his eyes. โIโm sorry. I shouldnโt have. Butโฆโ He looks back up at me. Without his glasses on, the purple circles under his eyes look darker. โYou donโt know what it feels like to wake up every morning and your wife is sobbing for some guy who treated her like shit.โ
โGrahamโฆโ
โIโm not the hero type.โ He puts his glasses back on. โIโm all Clark Kentโno Superman. But I thought there was no harm in telling you I did something heroic for you. Something that mightโฆโ A flush fills his cheeks. โSomething that would make you like me better.โ
When I came up the stairs, intending to confront him, I felt a mixture of anger and fear. Anger that he might have lied to me. And afraid that I imagined the whole thing. But now that heโs admitted the truth, my heart goes out to him. He looks so guilty about the whole thing. And I canโt even blame him. My life is ruined because of the accident, but his life isnโt any picnic either.
โAnyway.โ He heaves a sigh. โIโm sorry. I should never have told you that. It seemed like a harmless white lie, but I
shouldnโt have done it.โ
โNo,โ I agree. โYou shouldnโt have. I need to be able to trust the things you tell me. You canโt lie to me.โ
โI know. Iโm so sorry.โ โEver.โ
He lays his right hand on his chest. โI swear to you, Tess. I wonโt do it again.โ
Our eyes meet again, and a little tingle goes through me. I almost feel likeโฆ maybe I remember something about him. Some little moment between us. The first time he smiled at me. The way his glasses always slide down his nose and he has to push them back up. Tying his tie for him in the morning, then pulling him close for a kiss.
โYou donโt have to make up any stories,โ I say. โI mean, look at what you do for me every day. You could have dumped me in a nursing home somewhere. But instead, you do everything you can to make me happy. Youย areย my hero.โ
A smile creeps across Grahamโs face. โOf course I do everything to make you happy. Youโre my wife. Andโฆ I love you.โ He wrings his hands together. โChrist, I really want to kiss you right now. But I donโt want to make you feel likeโโ
โKiss me,โ I breathe.
Graham bridges the space between us. He cups my cheeks and brings my face close to his. He presses his lips onto mine and my body melts into his. The kiss we had this morning was just a quick peck, but this is something so much more. When our lips separate, Iโm trembling.
โThat was nice,โ I gasp. โIt sure wasโฆโ
He leans in to kiss me again, but then I hear a ringtone. He pulls away from me and curses under his breath. โShit. Iโve got a meeting I need to call into now.โ He hesitates like heโs thinking of blowing it off, then he shakes his head. โBusy afternoon. Iโm sorry.โ
โNo problem.โ Iโm not sure whether to feel disappointed or relieved. If not for his phone going off, I have a feeling
this would have progressed to the bedroom. And despite this sudden surge of attraction I feel for Graham, Iโm not sure I want that. I still barely know who he is. And despite whatever Harry did to me, it still feels like heโs my fiancรฉ, and being with another man would be cheating. โIโll go downstairs.โ
He nods and gives me a quick kiss on the lips before taking the call.