Chapter Thirty-Two

Thursday afternoon arrived, and Tori hadn’t heard from Ian since Monday. No texts or gifts had interrupted her day, and his court appearance on Tuesday had been postponed. She missed their playful communication via text, but it was all good. He must have finally accepted that they would only be friends.

Now, why didn’t that make her happy?

She went home early, deciding a run would ease her melancholy. Before heading out in her running clothes, she grabbed the MP3 loaded with music from Ian. She hadn’t yet played it, and a wistful desire to be closer to him filled her.

Stepping out the door, she waved at Johnny, and the beautiful spring evening immediately lifted her spirits. She ran fast and hard, listening to the eclectic collection he’d made for her. Some were obvious love songs and others were dance tunes. Almost an hour into her run, the music changed to something familiar…but she couldn’t quite place it at first. Her jogging slowed to the new, more seductive rhythm.

Then it hit her. This was the soundtrack from their private suite at the club.

She stopped dead on the running track and pulled the earbuds from her ears as joggers ran around her.

Blast!

She’d worked so hard to banish from her mind the erotic images of them together screwing on that huge bed. Now, their lovemaking played vibrantly through her mind, as real as if she sat in a movie theater watching it. Once again, her body tingled and ached and yearned for him.

He’d done it on purpose, of that she had no doubt. He really would try anything to get her back into his bed!

But he’d given the music to her last week, before their relationship had changed, she remembered. Now they were just friends.

Frustrated, she turned around and headed home, giving up her useless attempt to forget about him. Like annoying weeds in a garden that keep growing back, doubts unfurled in her mind.

Had she turned her back on a budding romance and the best two nights of sex in her entire life?

Neither her ex-husband nor Rupert had come close to taking her to such erotic heights, nor had they ever really cared what turned her on. However, Ian had demonstrated over and over his generosity and thoughtfulness both in and out of bed.

Could she give him another chance?

But as she rounded the bend to her flat, her biggest concern raised a hand for attention. There was still a large age difference between them. Yes, the gap was even bigger between her and Rupert but a man being older than his wife was no big deal, while a woman being older, even in this modern time, raised eyebrows. Besides the fact that she was a judge and he a barrister, tongues would wag about their age difference, of that she was sure.

Besides, he was in a different place in his life—climbing to the top while she’d already reached the pinnacle. But did that really mean they couldn’t have some fun together?

She would have to forgive him first.

With a wave to her doorman, she entered the elevator and tried to focus on her previous fury over his betrayal by omission…but it had evaporated. She believed he’d told her the truth, that he’d only wanted to cement their attraction to each other before revealing who he was. He knew her well, it seemed, because she never would have allowed him near her otherwise. His relative youth, the fact that he often appeared in her court, even his cocky attitude would have blocked her from agreeing to go on a first date with him, let alone have wild bondage sex.

Still, he hadn’t had the right to take their professional relationship to a personal level without her permission! She tried to reinflate her anger, but it lay there flat, lacking the power to hurt anymore.

She exited her elevator and stopped short, her eyes wide.

There on the floor before her door lay the largest bouquet she’d ever seen. She tried to tamp down on her reflexive delight, but it wasn’t possible. The gorgeous mix of violets, amethyst-colored roses, lavender, irises, and other purple flowers she couldn’t name thrilled her. The entire mass was wrapped in violet tissue and tied together with a gauzy ribbon.

She inhaled the delicious fragrance—like a lush spring garden—and let happiness flow through her.

As far as worthy apologies go, Ian had it all figured out.

Smiling, she lifted the heavy bouquet into her arms. It was sumptuous and extravagant. She should get the stems into vases quickly, but instead, once inside her flat, she plopped down onto the nearest chair and leaned back, cradling the flowers.

She noticed a small envelope tucked into the arrangement, with an ivory card inside.

Friendship isn’t enough. Please call me. IK

Was it possible they could be lovers again? Like the floral perfume suffusing her senses, the possibilities permeated her. Closing her eyes, she took a long, deep breath and let the excitement blossom within her. Ian and her…together? For real?

She exhaled, and her worries seemed to float away, replaced by daydreams of him and her as sexual beings, exploring pleasure and friendship, together. Her mind opened to the natural beauty of it. She took more deep breaths, her chest rising and falling, and the rightness of it settled comfortably, its weight substantial but wonderful, like the bouquet in her lap.

She opened her eyes and looked down at his latest declaration of esteem and desire.

“Ian,” she said aloud. “You’ve earned yourself a second chance.”