She told herself she would have no regrets. Tonight had been a once-in-a-lifetime evening that was worth all the heartache that would surely come.
“At least I’m giving you notice that I’ll be leaving in the morning. I’m not slipping away without saying goodbye.” Kit’s tone was light, teasing, but she could tell that the memory of her departure from Serendipity still stung.
She almost apologized again. She bit the words back because she knew that under the same circumstances she would probably make the same choice. Leaving Kit had been the practical, logical, safe thing to do.
She’d had no idea, of course, that he would follow her.
“I’ll be back,” Kit said, “as soon as I can.”
Savannah bit her lip and looked away.
Kit stiffened. “Savannah?”
“Yes?”
“You do want me to come back, don’t you?”
Did she want him to come back? Oh, yes, she wanted him to. She wanted him never to leave.
But did she think it was a good idea? That was a question she couldn’t answer as easily.
“Damn it, Savannah.” For the first time since she’d met him,
Kit sounded impatient. “How can you run away from me again? Now, after what just happened between us?”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she answered.
“Not physically, maybe. But emotionally…you just slipped away again without saying goodbye.”
Savannah sighed and ran a hand through her disheveled hair. “I just need time, Kit. Everything between us has happened so quickly. I wasn’t prepared for this.”
“And neither was I. But that didn’t stop it from happening, did it?”
“It’s too fast,” she repeated stubbornly.
He exhaled loudly, clearly frustrated. “All right,” he said after a moment. “I won’t push you. But I’m not giving up on us, Savannah. I couldn’t stop thinking about you, even when I didn’t know your last name. There’s no way I can forget you after what has happened between us tonight.”
“I don’t want you to forget me,” she whispered, turning her head to look at him. “I just want you to give me time.”
Time to see how her children would be affected. Time to find out exactly how serious Kit was about this budding affair. Time to search her own heart to determine just how much she was willing to risk to be with Kit.
His face softened in the guttering candlelight “Take all the time you need,” he murmured, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. “You’ll find that I can be very patient when something is this important to me.”
He could be very persistent, as well. And Savannah suspected uneasily that the combination would be very difficult to resist.
IT WAS VERY LATE when Kit took Savannah home. She knew she’d look haggard at the office the next day, but she didn’t want the night to end.
Kit kissed her at her door, making the embrace last for a long time before he finally, reluctantly drew back. “I’ll call you.”
She nodded. “Good luck with your meetings and…and everything.”
His mouth crooked into a wry grin. “Thanks.”
She started to open her door, then looked at him uncertainly. “Kit?”
“Yes?”
“You, er, wouldn’t say anything about me during those interviews, would you? If anyone asks where you’ve been the past few days, or who you’ve been with…”