I gestured with my head to the soup in front of him. “I grew up on Campbell’s. When my mother could afford it, she would buy cans and cans of it. Only on a handful of occasions did we ever have enough for grilled cheese and soup, but I loved it when we did. Today, I can afford the soup and grilled cheese. I just get better quality cheese. I hated that rubbery American cheese the government sponsored programs would always give us.” I made a disgusted face.

“It reminds you of home.”

I looked out of the window. “A little, I guess.” I’d never really even thought of it but it was true.

“You don’t have to feel guilty for making it out of poverty.”

I turned sharply to Robert, eyebrows furrowed. But he wasn’t put off by my reaction to his statement.

“It’s true. There’s nothing to feel guilty about. Your parents worked and even died to give you a better life. You owe it to them to live it.”

I placed my half a sandwich back down on my plate. I’d never revealed those feelings to anyone.

“I know that,” I stated, my voice low. “But it feels odd or like I’m betraying them sometimes. I still haven’t gone back home since I left. I’ve never been to the place where my mother is buried. I make in a month what my mother used to make in a year. Just saying that out loud almost takes my breath away. I sit in meetings with the CFO of our company and sometimes think, how did I get here?”

“It’s where you were meant to be.”

I swallowed, picking up my sandwich again and taking another bite. I didn’t feel the need to fill the silence. Somehow, Robert just got me and that made it so much easier for me to relax. To not have to pretend to be one way or another. And while he was overbearing at some moments, at others, he gave me the space and freedom to be exactly whoever it was I needed to be.

“I have to head out of town tomorrow for an overnight work trip to New York. I’ll be back Thursday evening. We’ll have dinner,” he stated, standing by the door. It was nearly ten o’clock at night, and while I didn’t want him to go, I couldn’t let him stay. Not like this. Not while I still had to deal with Cohen.

I nodded. “It’s a date.”

A smile touched his lips and he advanced on me, taking my lips in a sizzling kiss. Again his hands rose to cup my face. “Remind me again why I can’t have you tonight.”

Sighing, I wrapped my hands around his wrists. “Because it wouldn’t be right.”