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EXCERPT:
Rick turned just in time to see her flinch. His anger exploded at that movement. "Damn it, Tamia!
What are you so damned afraid of?"
She looked up and met his eyes, and the pain in those mahogany depths slammed into his heart.
"I was afraid of losing you," she said quietly, even as she rose and slipped her feet into her shoes.
"But now I see that I was foolish to think that, because I never really had you, did I? Good-bye,
Rick."
Those words hit him right between the eyes, nearly bowling him over. She was leaving! As she
moved toward the door, dread of losing her completely crowded everything else from his mind.
"Tamia!" He rushed to stop her, placing himself between her and the door. "C'mon, honey, this is
stupid. I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to snap at you like that."
She looked up at him, and her eyes were weary and tear-filled. "Why are we fighting, Rick? I
thought we were solid?"
"We are solid," he whispered, reaching to pull her into his arms. God, he wanted it to be true, even
though he knew it wasn't. Maybe he should just throw away his damned pride; if that was the only
way to keep her, he'd do it. "This is all my damned fault, sweetheart. I want something you can't
give, and it's tearing me apart."
Her arms crept around him, and he closed his eyes as he felt her trembling against him. He barely
heard her as she murmured, "I won't hold out on you forever, Rick. Just give me time."
"You got it, honey." He tilted her face up to kiss her lightly. "As long as you need."
"All I need, right now," she said as she raised up to kiss him, "is you."
What are you so damned afraid of?"
She looked up and met his eyes, and the pain in those mahogany depths slammed into his heart.
"I was afraid of losing you," she said quietly, even as she rose and slipped her feet into her shoes.
"But now I see that I was foolish to think that, because I never really had you, did I? Good-bye,
Rick."
Those words hit him right between the eyes, nearly bowling him over. She was leaving! As she
moved toward the door, dread of losing her completely crowded everything else from his mind.
"Tamia!" He rushed to stop her, placing himself between her and the door. "C'mon, honey, this is
stupid. I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to snap at you like that."
She looked up at him, and her eyes were weary and tear-filled. "Why are we fighting, Rick? I
thought we were solid?"
"We are solid," he whispered, reaching to pull her into his arms. God, he wanted it to be true, even
though he knew it wasn't. Maybe he should just throw away his damned pride; if that was the only
way to keep her, he'd do it. "This is all my damned fault, sweetheart. I want something you can't
give, and it's tearing me apart."
Her arms crept around him, and he closed his eyes as he felt her trembling against him. He barely
heard her as she murmured, "I won't hold out on you forever, Rick. Just give me time."
"You got it, honey." He tilted her face up to kiss her lightly. "As long as you need."
"All I need, right now," she said as she raised up to kiss him, "is you."
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