***
Sara swallowed the bile rising in her throat as the wheels of the jet touched down. Releasing her death grip on the arms of her seat, she stood and took a few deep calming breaths. For once it wasn't her fear of flying making her a nervous wreck, but her fear of confronting Christopher that had her nerves working on overdrive.
"Right to your hotel, Ms. Sherbrooke?" the limo driver asked when she stepped off the plane.
"No. I need to stop at this address first."
With a simple nod the driver accepted the paper as he held Sara's door open for her. Once she was inside, he closed the door and got behind the steering wheel.
I can do this. Sara wiped her sweaty palms against her jeans. She'd chosen to dress casually today in jeans and a dark purple top. She'd even opted for a simple ponytail and just lip gloss. On several occasions Christopher commented how much he liked it when she dressed in jeans and skipped the heavier makeup. Would he notice that she'd dressed with him in mind? Or would he be so annoyed at seeing her after all this time that her efforts went unnoticed? Only one way to find out.
When the car pulled up to the security gate at Christopher's house, she held her breath for half a minute. Carolyn had promised to alert security prior to Sara's arrival, but she feared Christopher’s sister might have had a change of heart. But like so many times before, security opened the gate leading up to Christopher's property.
"Christopher went straight to his office when he came home," Caroline informed her when she greeted Sara in the main foyer. "I'm just warning you he looked miserable, so don't be surprised if he's in a bad mood."
Sara sighed inwardly. Convincing him to give them another chance might be difficult, but with him in a bad mood the task may be next to impossible.
"You know where his office is, right?"
"Yes." Sara took a step then stopped. "Thank you for your help, Caroline."
Caroline held her gaze for a moment. Sara sensed the woman wanted to say something but nothing ever came. Instead she nodded and headed off toward another part of the house.
Blood pounded in her ears as she followed the marble hallway toward Christopher's office. On the plane she'd rehearsed several apologies, but none sounded quite right so she'd have to wing it now. Assuming of course he didn't ask her to leave the minute she walked in. Stopping in front of the door, Sara readjusted her ponytail, wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans, and knocked.
"I told you Caroline, I don't want to talk," Christopher's voice called through the door.
The sound of his voice brought tears to her eyes. Blinking them away, she turned the doorknob and entered without saying a word. At first she remained silent. Her eyes soaked up the sight of him after so many weeks apart. Seated behind a sleek ebony desk, he faced his computer screen. He'd rolled up the sleeves of his light blue dress shirt and a tie hung over the back of his chair. From the doorway she could only see his profile, but his voice told her plenty about his current mood.
"Caroline, if you came in here to…" Christopher's voice trailed off when he turned and discovered her standing there. In the blink of an eye his expression changed from annoyance to confusion. "Sara, I thought... What are you doing here?" Christopher stood but remained behind his desk.
Being so close yet unable to touch him made her heart ache. More than anything she wanted to press her body against his, wrap her arms around him, and tell him how much he meant to her. Thanks to her insecurities, she'd lost that right. If she was lucky though, she would earn it back. Sara took a tentative step forward, her hands clasped behind her back. "I came to talk to you." All the rehearsed speeches went straight out of her head. "All you need to do is listen, okay?" Sara closed the gap between her and the desk, her fingernails biting into her hands behind her back.
Nodding, Christopher sat back down, the expression on his face changing to curiosity.
“Before you, my last relationship was with Phillip Young. You met him at the fundraiser in Providence."
"I remember he was giving you a hard time that night." Christopher's eyes met hers and for a moment she felt like he could see her every thought.
"We met right before my father received the party's nomination for president. Things got serious very fast. I actually thought he might propose. Anyway about eight months before the election, I learned the truth about Phillip. He worked for Governor Richardson. His goal was to dig up anything to use against my father. I don't know if Richardson hired him directly or if someone in Richardson's camp hired him, but it meant the same thing. He had no real interest in me. He was using me to get close to the family."
Sara paused. Talking about the past and how gullible she'd been brought on a rush of anger. "Around the time that relationship ended, my father learned about Callie. For a long time I didn't trust her. I figured she must want something too."
"You've known me for a long time, Sara. How could—”
She knew what he was about to say. "I didn't at first. Then I saw Miriam Walker on The Brown Report and the things she said had me thinking. Everything sort of went downhill after that." Sara shifted her weight from one foot to the other. So far he'd given no indication how he felt about her and her explanation. "I admit, when I get emotional I'm not the most logical person."
"When we were together, it was always about us. I'd never do anything to hurt you." The affection in his voice sent hope through her heart.
"I know, and I'm sorry. If I could go back and change the things I said that night I would." Sara choked.
Christopher stood and came around the front of his desk. "Since you can't change the past, where does that leave us now?"
Sara fought to hold back a smile. He hadn't agreed to anything yet. "I hope we can go back to the way we were before I screwed up." She moved closer to him. "I've missed you so much," she said softly reaching for his hand.
With one sharp tug, he pulled her against him, his body solid and warm next to hers. Burying her face against his shoulder, she took a deep breath, inhaling the combination of his cologne and soap. "I love you. I'm so sorry I hurt you." Sara managed to get the words out around the lump in her throat.
"I love you too.” With his lips pressed against the top of her head, the words were a little muffled but she could easily understand them.
Christopher feared his chest might burst with happiness. Not only was Sara in his arms again, but she'd told him she loved him. He tilted her face toward his and kissed her, keeping the kiss gentle and short. If he gave in to the desire surging through his body now, he'd never say what he needed to.
Bringing the kiss to an end, he pulled back to look at her, his arms still wrapped around her waist. "Before we move forward, I need you to promise me something. The next time anything bothers you, talk to me, okay? No matter what it is. Even if you think I'll consider it ridiculous, talk to me." Christopher paused giving his words a chance to sink in. “I don't want something like this happening again between us."
Sara's tear-filled eyes looked back at him and his throat tightened with emotion.
"I can do that," she said.
Satisfied with her answer, he captured her lips for another kiss. This one was more urgent and demanding as he allowed all his pent-up emotions free reign. Digging his hands into her hair, he used his mouth to show how much he'd missed her.
“Maybe we should continue this reunion upstairs,” she said. Sara pulled back when his hands slipped under the hem of her shirt and settled on her back.
Christopher kissed her again. “I like the way you think.” With lightning speed he grabbed her hand and tugged her out of the room toward the staircase.