She shook her head. “You know I don’t really, but I probably need to.”
“Oh, that’s interesting. What’s going on?”
“I just wanted a male take on this.”
He stopped and stared at her, his head tilting to the side. “So, it’s very gender specific.”
“Yes.” She glanced at the beer in his hand and smiled. “Have you got another one of those?”
“I do. Are you driving?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Am I getting an invitation to stay?”
He stopped, looked at her, and frowned. “You know there is always a standing invitation for you.”
She smiled. “I do know that. Either way, I’d still like a beer.”
“Good enough. And is that suntan lotion I smell on you?”
She shuddered and then laughed. “If you do, it’s by osmosis or something. I was down at the beach to clear my head, and far more people were down there than I expected.”
“Well, on a beautiful summer day, late in the afternoon? It’s a perfect time for a swim and for people just getting off work. It’s a great way to spend the evening.”
“You’re right,” she agreed, rolling her head. “Clearly I haven’t done enough of that stress relief.”
“No, you’re too busy putting away all these killers.”
“I wish to God they would stop with the killing,” she muttered.
“Don’t we all,” he agreed. “Now what’s going on?”
She frowned and hesitated.
He handed her the cold beer and pointed. “Come on. Let’s go sit and enjoy the view.”
“Outside maybe?” she asked, sounding hopeful.
He looked at her in surprise and replied, “Absolutely.”
He opened the patio doors, and they stepped out onto his huge balcony.
She sighed. “I don’t spend enough time here,” she noted, walking over to the edge.
“You do know that you’re welcome to move in, don’t you?”
“Not happening,” she stated instantly. “I just meant that, when I’m here, I don’t spend enough time enjoying this.” She waved her arm around the wide-open space and the view completely open before them. She tilted her face up to the sun. “It’s so gorgeous.”
“It is.” He reached out, gently placed an arm on her shoulders and coaxed her over to one of the huge long couches he had set up outside. “Let’s just sit and relax.”
She nodded and collapsed onto the nearest couch. She laid back, her eyes closed, the sun on her face, and didn’t say a word.
He waited, not wanting to push. Obviously something was going on, but he had no idea what, and the reality was that she’d tell him when she was ready and not a moment before.
Finally she opened her eyes. “Outside of the awful child abuse that happened in your world,” she began, waving a hand as if to move quickly past it, “were you ever abused in an adult relationship?”
He stared at her in surprise, not even sure where to start with that one. “Are you asking about something specific?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I guess it’s something that I don’t really understand, even though I come from an abusive history myself.”