he’s just not sure how to deal with the changes. You guys have been together a long time. It’s like being with a new person. Whether the changes are good or bad, it’s still an adjustment.”
She looked down at her half-eaten burger and fries, which she was pleased to discover she adored, and nodded. Gwen was right. This had to be just as hard on Will as it was on her. Even as they kissed in the park, she could sense an internal battle raging inside him. The part that wanted her and the part that held back for whatever reason had fought hard. She wasn’t certain which side won. They’d held hands in the park on the way home, but he holed up in his office after that.
“Has anything happened between the two of you since you went home?”
“Just a kiss,” she said, the memory of it flushing her cheeks like a schoolgirl. Given her amnesia, it was like having her first kiss all over again.
“A kiss is something. If he didn’t like you, I doubt he’d bother kissing you.”
“But nothing has happened since then.”
Gwen took a sip of her drink and shrugged. “I wouldn’t worry about that. He might be concerned about your recovery. Or preoccupied with his company. But let me ask you a question. Do you want something to happen?”
Cynthia frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you’ve sort of inherited Will by default. Yes, you were technically with him for years, chose to be with him, but to the new you, he’s a stranger. What if you just ran into Will on the street? Would you be attracted to him?”
Cynthia tried to imagine crossing paths with Will in an alternate universe where they’d never met. Perhaps she dropped something and he stopped to pick it up for her. The Will in her mind smiled and she found herself immediately drawn into the blue-gray eyes that watched her. The powerful aura that surrounded him was hard to resist, even in her fantasy. His strong build, his confident stride, the way he moved so gracefully yet with commanding purpose.
A pool of longing settled low in her belly and made her squirm uncomfortably in her seat. It was just like the memory of their kiss. Yes, she was attracted to Will. She couldn’t remember their past, but her taste in men had certainly not changed since the accident, even if everything else had.
The question was whether she could allow herself to fall for him. He’d told her to think about it. And she had. She wanted to give them a second chance, but she didn’t trust herself. She had no idea what she was capable of. She didn’t want to hurt Will again. Letting this relationship and its baggage go might be better for everyone concerned. But it was difficult to ignore a man like Will.
“I think under any circumstances he’d be pretty hard to resist,” she conceded.
“Then why are you fighting it? The hard work is done. You’ve already landed one of the most eligible men in Manhattan. Regardless of the past, I see no reason why you shouldn’t allow yourself to indulge in this relationship.”
Cynthia could think of a dozen reasons why she shouldn’t be with Will and only one reason why she should. Unfortunately, that one reason had the tendency to trump all her good sense.
She wanted him. Badly.
And whether she should or not, she was going to try her damnedest to build a new relationship and keep him.
* * *
George Dempsey sat across from Will, the large mahogany conference-room table scattered with paperwork. The lawyers had prepared everything they needed for the product collaboration on the e-reader; the finer details just needed to get ironed out.
Unfortunately, Will could tell they wouldn’t get very far today. His almost-father-in-law had more pressing issues on his mind.
“I’m worried about Cynthia,” he said, staring blankly at a contract.
“The doctors say she’s healing well.”
“I’m not worried about her face,” George grumbled, tossing down the page. “I’m worried about her head. Pauline tells me she’s not going back to the ad agency, but she still refuses to work for me.”
“I don’t think she’s passionate about electronics like you are. She never has been. Why would that change now?”
“Maybe because everything else has. She’s doodling dresses all day. I feel like I don’t even know my own daughter anymore.”
“That’s only fair. She doesn’t know you, either.”
George’s brow furrowed in irritation. “Don’t make light of this. I’m worried about her emotional health. And, frankly, I’m worried about this wedding.”
Alarm bells suddenly sounded in Will’s head. As far as he knew, no one but Cynthia and Alex knew about their breakup. They were toying with the idea of trying again, but nothing was set in stone. Their kiss in the park had been everything he imagined it would be and more, but it worried him. They had the potential of moving too quickly, crashing and burning before the ink on the e-reader deal had dried. He’d taken a step back and tried to distance himself the past few days. He ordered her a present to be delivered to the apartment and hoped to take her out to dinner tonight, but he couldn’t predict the future. The paperwork on the table didn’t mean a damn if George thought the relationship was in jeopardy. “She’s been through a lot. A May wedding might be too soon. She could need more time to adjust.”
George leaned across the table and speared Will with his steely gaze. “What about you? Are you getting cold feet?”
Will shouldn’t have been surprised by the older man’s blunt nature, but it always caught him off guard. “Why would you say that?”
“You two haven’t been the lovebirds you once were. Back in school you couldn’t keep your hands off each other. Even before the crash I sensed a distance. I don’t want to believe you’re a big enough bastard to leave her after her accident, but people shock me every day.”
“I have no intention of leaving Cynthia in her condition. No one can guarantee what happens after that. Any relationship can fail at any time, even when you’re trying.”
George cocked a curious eyebrow up at Will. “You know I prefer doing business with family. They won’t stab you in the back to please stockholders. If you have any reservations, you’d damn well better tell me before I sign off on this.” George slid some papers across the table.
“Mr. Dempsey, this e-reader collaboration is smart business. It benefits both our companies. The Observer is a family company as well. We’ve got sixty years invested in its success. I understand your reservations, but know that with or without this marriage, we’re fully behind the success of Dempsey Corp.”
The old eagle eyed him, reading the sincerity Will hoped was etched into his face. He seemed satisfied for now. “You better be. But one other thing, Taylor.”
Will hesitated to ask. “Yes?”
“I know a lot of people in this town. Business aside, if you hurt my little girl, I’ll do everything in my power to crush you and this newspaper like a bug.”
Will swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. And to
