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His gaze zeroed in on hers. “I don’t know whether to take it.”

Her heart thudded. “Are you asking me to tell you what I think?”

“Yes.”

She couldn’t work out if he was hesitating because he felt an obligation to stay, to be close to Colin’s sister, or because he didn’t think he could do it. And anyway, it didn’t matter, because there was only one answer she could possibly give him.

“Of course you should take it,” she whispered. “You said it was your dream, remember?”

* * *

Luke’s heart dropped to his feet. He’d given her the chance to tell him she didn’t want him to move so far away, and she’d not taken it. Then again, this was Anna. She was never going to stop him from doing something he’d just admitted was a rare opportunity. “So you’re saying I should definitely go for it?”

“Yes. We should follow our dreams.”

“Dream job, Anna.”

“But you said you wanted to help loads of kids. That’s important to you, isn’t it? And this would do that.”

This wasn’t going the way he’d hoped. But if he was going to turn down the opportunity of a lifetime, careerwise, he needed to have at least a hint that the woman he’d be turning it down for, wanted him in her life. “So you can’t think of any reason why I shouldn’t take it?”

She blinked, looked away for a few beats before turning to face him again. “Umm, I’m not good with double negatives. What are you asking me?”

“Can you think of a good reason for me to turn it down?”

Her throat bobbed and her eyes wouldn’t meet his. “You think I should tell you not to take it just because of what we had here?”

Just because? His jaw tightened. “It crossed my mind.”

Her breath came out in a long, choppy exhale and she lifted her hands to her hips. “Do you want me to tell you not to take it?”

Yes! But it was no good if it wasn’t what she wanted. “What I want, is for you to be honest.”

She nibbled at her bottom lip. “I honestly think you should do what feels right for you.”

“Christ, Anna, that’s not an answer.”

She stared back defiantly at him. “It’s the best you’re going to get from me.”

Frustrated with her, angry this wasn’t going as he’d hoped, he glared back at her. “You know what your trouble is? You’re too damn amenable. You think too much about what other people want, do what you think will make them happy. You never ask for what you want. Never do what makes you happy.”

Her eyes flashed at him. “You really want to go there with me, after what you admitted to me the other day?”

He froze. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you once did what you thought would make you happy, you went on that holiday and left your mom.” She closed her eyes, sucked in a breath. When she opened them again, he saw both regret, and challenge. “You’re still haunted with guilt over it. Still emotionally closed off, unable to let anyone else in, because of it.”

“I let Colin in,” he blasted back, pain searing his insides. “I let you further in than I’ve ever let anyone.”

“Did you? Because I still don’t know what you want to do after tomorrow.”

“And you expect me to say, when you’ve just reminded me how goddamn selfish I am?” He’d been stupid to think he’d changed. Naive to think she’d been okay with what he’d done to his mum.

“I didn’t mean . . . that’s not what I was trying to say.” She sucked in a breath, let it out on a shaky exhale. “You know what, forget it. I don’t want you staying because you feel obligated to look after your friend’s little sister. Guess what, she can look after herself.”

Dread curdled in his stomach. “You think I thought of you that way when I had my head between your legs?” Her mouth gaped open. Instantly he regretted his crude comment. “Are you telling me to leave?” He forced an even tone to his voice even though inside he was a twisted mess of regret and anger, devastation and loss.

“No, apparently I’m not capable of doing that.” Her top lip curled. “As an admirer of doing things to make yourself happy, you should do whatever the hell you want.”