Exploring Dissolution

Reece's fingers drummed on the tabletop while he searched her gaze.

Sherryn was startled to find that Reece didn't have a clue where to begin trying to repair the damage he had done. She understood that was what this intimate dinner was about, but wasn't going to help him. He'd made this bed of thorns, so it was up to him to find his way out of it.

To her surprise, he didn't rush to say anything else, but watched her eat the ice cream with his lips parted, and a familiar expression in place. Her neck and face grew hot when she realized how much watching her had affected him. Subconsciously, she'd been teasing him with her slow suction of the spoon, and the lazy flicking of her tongue as she cleaned her lips of the last traces of ice cream.

He shifted, and one of his hands left the table. She watched it return, and guessed what he'd been doing in those seconds it hadn't been visible.

His faint smile was an acknowledgement of her unease at his discomfort.

"You've said there's really nothing I can say to make this any easier or better for you, but I wanted to give you this."

He leaned sideways, pulled something out of his pocket, and handed it to her.

She opened the tiny gold box and removed the ring inside from its velvet cushion. A cluster of diamonds surrounded baguettes of varying lengths that winked at her. The design was exquisite, like nothing she'd seen before.

When she looked at him, Reece spoke in a husky voice. "I had it designed specially for you. Sherryn, I broke my vows to you, but with this ring … " He took it from her and slid it on the ring finger of her right hand. "I recommit myself to loving you, and will spend the rest of my life adoring only you."

"Reece, I don't ... "

"Don't say anything. Please. All I ask is that you let me do all I can to make you love me again."

She opened her mouth to say she had never stopped loving him, but changed her mind. He didn't need to know that right now.

Judith's words echoed in her head. " ... if that man is as much of a sex-machine as you say ... you might just be sending him into some other woman's bed again."

"Pay the bill and let's go."

Her mind wandered on the drive home. Was Reece confused by the signals she was sending? She hadn't said she was willing to work things out, but he had to know she had reached a turning point and was going to make love with him that night. He'd always been good at reading her.

Amazon link.