Neal Patchett didn’t even sound sorry.
“Because he doesn’t love me,” she fairly shouted into the phone.
“No reason to yell, missy. I may be getting old, but I hear just fine. The man wants you and for him, that’s probably as close to love as any woman will ever get.”
She curled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them. Could her father be right?
“You should not have done it.” She said.
“Tess, you wouldn’t take anything else from me.”
“I didn’t want anything, just your love.” That was all she’d ever wanted from the two most important men in her life and the one thing she was destined not to get. “I’ve got to go.”
“No, wait, child.”
“What?” she asked with a lackluster voice.
“I do love you.” he said.
Four words she’d longed to hear since she was a child. They touched her now, healed some thin
His hold was almost bruising now. “I know you have stopped loving me. I deserve it, but I love you, baby. You are the air that I breathe. The only music my heart wants to hear. The other half of my soul. I will make you love me again. I can do it. You still want me,” he said as one hand cupped her breast with its already tight peak.She turned her head and cupped his face between her palms so she could see into his eyes. “You love me?” she asked.“For a long time. Since before that party I think, but to admit it would have been to admit the end of my independence. Fool that I was, I thought that mattered. Without you all the freedom in the world would be a tiny cell in a prison of loneliness.”Her jaw dropped open. She couldn’t help it. Not only had he said he loved her, but he’d gotten positively poetic about it. “Those are pretty mushy sentiments.” She said.He shrugged, his nature showing stronger in that m
Savannnah Carson stared at her engagement ring for the millionth time and smiled, joy bubbling through her chest. She felt like she was a teenager all over again... In high school. Except this time she would be dating the most popular, and most handsome guy in school.But she wasn't a teenager. She was twenty six years old, and her life had taken a whole different turn when she met Matt Bradford five months ago.Savannnah Carson had never been in love. She had been in a few relationships, but never been in love.You know, movie kind of love. The kind of love that steals your breath and zaps away your common sense. The kind that makes your toes tingle and your skin prickle and your body actually throb. The kind that includes lot of slow deep kisses and long, lingering touches. The kind that of love that Lionel Richie sang about. The kind makes you want to spend the rest of your life with with someone.Savannnah had n
"Okay." she said. "What’s up? Let’s go into the living room."He ignored her and took another step into the bedroom. Unease prickled down her spine. Something was definitely off with him. She could see it in his eyes and in his body language.“How much would it take for you to walk away from Matt?” he asked.Her eyes widened in shock. She couldn’t have heard him correctly. “Excuse me?” she said, unable to believe what she had just heard."Don’t play dumb. You’re a smart girl. How much would it take for you to dump Matt and take off?" Enzo asked."You’re offering me money to leave your brother?" Savannah asked.He nodded. Something that looked like genuine regret flickered across his face. He fidgeted nervously and then pinned her with his stare. “I’d hoped you’d make this easy. It’s not a small amount of money we’re offering.” he said.
Enzo played his part to the hilt. That he was the victim of Savannah's lies and manipulations. So when Savannah ran to Matt office and related the exact story that Enzo warned Matt she would tell, Matt had been coldly furious.He hadn't believed her, just as Enzo had said. He believed his brother. Enzo was family of course. And for a while Savannah was shocked that he had such little faith and trust in her. Why would he even want to marry her if he could believe this about her. He strongly believed that his brother wouldn't lie about something like that.She had tried to explain , even begged him. But he didn't want to listen. Hadn't even stopped to listen.Worse part, as if the pain wasn't enough, he wrote her a damn check and then he threw her out of his life.--------------------------PRESENT DAY-------------------------“Almost enough to make you believe in the fine ins
Matt was silent for a long moment. It wasn’t a question he could entirely answer. How could he explain the burning desire to know where she was? What she was doing. If she was all right. It had been a year for crying out loud. He shouldn’t care, damn it. He should forget all about her, but he couldn’t.“I want some answers,” he finally muttered. “She never cashed the check I gave her. I’d just like to know that nothing has happened to her.”The excuse sounded lame even to him.Dash raised an eyebrow and sipped at the expensive wine. “After what she pulled, I’d imagine she’s feeling pretty damn stupid." he said."I wouldn’t want to show my face either.”Matt shrugged. “Maybe.” But he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was something more. Why was he even worried? Why should he care? Why hadn’t she cashed the check? Why couldn’t he get her out of his mind? She haunted him. For a year, he had cursed her, lain
Their gazes automatically went to David, who was still wrapped around his bride. Yeah, the man had caused them a major setback when he pulled the plug on the Moon Island venture, but it was hard for Matt to get up in arms about it when David looked so damn happy.Matt's pocket vibrated, and he reached down to pull his phone out. He was about to hit the ignore button when he saw who was calling. He frowned.“Excuse me, I need to take this.” he said.Stefan and Dash waved him off and returned to their bantering as Matt hurried out of the building. As soon as he stepped outside, the sea breeze ruffled his hair and the tang of salt filled his nose. The weather was seasonable but by no means hot. It was about as perfect a day as you could ask for, especially for a wedding on the beach. He turned to look at the distant waves and brought the phone to his ear.
"Jeez, girl" Vicky said. "You say Lamar is uptight. But sometimes, you are too. Learn to loosen up a bit, girl. Since you got back, you seem different. I let you have your one year... One year of doing God knows what in God knows where. But you're back now, and I want my friend back""Yeah I'm back" Savannah said. "But it doesn't mean I want to watch you shack up with your boyfriend"Victoria laughed. "Jealous much?" she asked."Nope I'm not jealous" Savannah replied. "I'm happy for you actually. Not easy finding true, undying love" She remembered hers which had ended a year ago and shook her head to get the thought of her head. She had promised herself she was finally going to move on."Just don't rub your happiness in my face" she said jokingly, grinning at Victoria. "And definitely not in here where Lamar can just walk i
That might leave her frustrated, but that was a state of being Savannah could take care of on her own.She shivered, and then, pulling herself together, out of her day dream and began to clear the tables on the side of the diner assigned to her.-------------------Matt drove through town in the blinding rain. His destination was Logan's diner where Savannah was waitressing. It shouldn’t surprise him. It was the place she was working before she had left. She’d been waitressing there when they’d met. And during their relationship, he had offered to get her a job in his company but she had refused, insisting that she would be uncomfortable working for him while they were sleeping together.He had insisted but had given up when he realized that he couldn't change her mind about her decision. But he had tried