Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Jessica's face had turned pale, her gentle eyes frozen in a moment of shock.

Timothy's tenderness poured over her like a wash of moonlight-so overwhelming, she felt as if she might drown in it.

A deep, gnawing fear rose inside her.

She was terrified of falling for him again.

Hidden beneath the silk comforter, her hand clenched into a tight fist, fingernails

digging into her palm for a sharp sting that helped anchor her in reality.

She pressed her lips together and turned her delicate face slightly away.

She wanted nothing from him-not even his kindness.

Timothy, unusually patient tonight, spoke in a low, velvety voice. "Don't want me to feed you like this?"

She didn't quite understand what he meant.

No matter how much she hurt, she didn't want to accept his help—not even a cup of hot tea from his hands.

All she wanted was to draw a clear line between them, the sooner the better.

silent, Timothy's long, elegant fingers reached out and gently lifted

the porcelain cup, took a sip of hot tea, then leaned in his strikingly handsome features filling her vision-pressed his lips to hers,

warmth of the tea

to push him away, her face twisting with

go not until she'd swallowed every drop of tea he'd

the heat-or maybe from

as she stared up at

him. With a rough fingertip,

to feed you like this,"

of tea and returned to kiss her again, catching Jessica off guard. She didn't even have

was sweet with a

like the happiness and heartbreak Timothy had

but wonder: if he had always shown her this tenderness, would she have drowned in it long

hand, creating a rush of comfort that pushed away the pain and left her dizzy and

wants to go to the amusement park tomorrow. If your cramps don't

everything that had happened between them, this moment might have been

knew better. This was nothing but a beautiful illusion, as