she
failed to respond, he asked, “Are you so afraid of what you feel
for me?”
Rolling her
eyes, she said, “You do think highly of yourself, don’t you? What
makes you think this has anything to do with you?”
“It has
everything to do with me,” he growled. “If that guy had shown up
here before you met me, we both know you would have sent him
packing.”
Raising her
chin, she glared at him. “You don’t know that.”
“Yeah, I do,
and so do you.” Grabbing her shoulders, he shook her slightly. “You
can’t live in your protected little cocoon your whole goddamn life.
You’re afraid to take chances, afraid to follow your heart and fall
in love with someone who makes you feel-”
“Stop it!” she
shouted, pushing him away. “You don’t know anything about me.” She
started running down the stairs but not before he delivered his
parting shot.
“You can’t run
away from this. You can hide out in his arms for a while, but I’ll
be the guy you see when you close your eyes tonight.”
Chapter
Five
Anna walked to her
house slowly, taking the time she needed to collect herself before
facing Tom. She couldn’t imagine what had possessed him to visit
her. He had attempted to contact her several times since their
breakup, but Anna had always been reserved during their
conversations and emails. She hadn’t wanted to give him false hope
about a reconciliation she knew would never happen.
Walking inside,
she was surprised to see Tom standing in the living room wearing
only a towel. “Um, we can talk when you get out of the shower.”
He walked
forward, reaching for her. “I was kind of hoping you would join
me.”
Side-stepping
him, she walked into the kitchen to retrieve two bottles of water
from the fridge. Their relationship had never been passionate, and
their lovemaking could only be described as vanilla. She suspected
he was trying to give her what he thought she needed to bridge the
gap between them. Poor misguided Tom. Didn’t he realize he was two
years too late?
“I don’t think
so, Tom.” She took a sip of water, trying to ignore the fact the
man she once thought she’d loved was standing before her, half
naked. “I think you’d better tell me why you came.”
“I told you, I
wanted to help you celebrate your birthday.”
“My birthday’s
not until tomorrow.”
“I know that.”
He smiled and gestured to the diamond necklace on the counter. “I
just couldn’t wait to give you your present.”
“It’s lovely,
but I’m afraid I can’t accept it.” Her hand trembled as she set her
water bottle down on the counter. She’d never mastered the art of
confrontation, and she found defending her opinions difficult,
especially when she was up against an opponent so intent on getting
his own way.
“Of course you
can. It’s a birthday gift.”
“We’re not a
couple anymore,” she said, forcing herself to look him in the eye.
“It wouldn’t be appropriate.”
Releasing a
heavy sigh, he braced his hand on the counter. “I’ve given you time
and space, just like you wanted, but it’s time to put an end to
this nonsense, Anna. I love you, and I know you love me.”
“That’s just
it,” she said quietly. “I don’t love you anymore.”
He stared at
her for what seemed like an eternity before his face drained of
color. “You can’t be serious.”
She didn’t
expect it to come as such a surprise to him. After all, she had
ended their engagement. That should have given him a clue. “I’m
afraid so.” She reached out to cover his hand with hers. “I think
you’re a wonderful man, and I don’t have any regrets about the time
we spent together, but our lives started moving in different
directions even before you accepted the job offer in
California.”
He glared at
her. “Were you having an affair with him all along?”
Withdrawing her
hand, she asked, “What are you talking about?”
“Him,” he said,
pointing to the house next door.
She
failed to respond, he asked, “Are you so afraid of what you feel
for me?”
Rolling her
eyes, she said, “You do think highly of yourself, don’t you? What
makes you think this has anything to do with you?”
“It has
everything to do with me,” he growled. “If that guy had shown up
here before you met me, we both know you would have sent him
packing.”
Raising her
chin, she glared at him. “You don’t know that.”
“Yeah, I do,
and so do you.” Grabbing her shoulders, he shook her slightly. “You
can’t live in your protected little cocoon your whole goddamn life.
You’re afraid to take chances, afraid to follow your heart and fall
in love with someone who makes you feel-”
“Stop it!” she
shouted, pushing him away. “You don’t know anything about me.” She
started running down the stairs but not before he delivered his
parting shot.
“You can’t run
away from this. You can hide out in his arms for a while, but I’ll
be the guy you see when you close your eyes tonight.”
Chapter
Five
Anna walked to her
house slowly, taking the time she needed to collect herself before
facing Tom. She couldn’t imagine what had possessed him to visit
her. He had attempted to contact her several times since their
breakup, but Anna had always been reserved during their
conversations and emails. She hadn’t wanted to give him false hope
about a reconciliation she knew would never happen.
Walking inside,
she was surprised to see Tom standing in the living room wearing
only a towel. “Um, we can talk when you get out of the shower.”
He walked
forward, reaching for her. “I was kind of hoping you would join
me.”
Side-stepping
him, she walked into the kitchen to retrieve two bottles of water
from the fridge. Their relationship had never been passionate, and
their lovemaking could only be described as vanilla. She suspected
he was trying to give her what he thought she needed to bridge the
gap between them. Poor misguided Tom. Didn’t he realize he was two
years too late?
“I don’t think
so, Tom.” She took a sip of water, trying to ignore the fact the
man she once thought she’d loved was standing before her, half
naked. “I think you’d better tell me why you came.”
“I told you, I
wanted to help you celebrate your birthday.”
“My birthday’s
not until tomorrow.”
“I know that.”
He smiled and gestured to the diamond necklace on the counter. “I
just couldn’t wait to give you your present.”
“It’s lovely,
but I’m afraid I can’t accept it.” Her hand trembled as she set her
water bottle down on the counter. She’d never mastered the art of
confrontation, and she found defending her opinions difficult,
especially when she was up against an opponent so intent on getting
his own way.
“Of course you
can. It’s a birthday gift.”
“We’re not a
couple anymore,” she said, forcing herself to look him in the eye.
“It wouldn’t be appropriate.”
Releasing a
heavy sigh, he braced his hand on the counter. “I’ve given you time
and space, just like you wanted, but it’s time to put an end to
this nonsense, Anna. I love you, and I know you love me.”
“That’s just
it,” she said quietly. “I don’t love you anymore.”
He stared at
her for what seemed like an eternity before his face drained of
color. “You can’t be serious.”
She didn’t
expect it to come as such a surprise to him. After all, she had
ended their engagement. That should have given him a clue. “I’m
afraid so.” She reached out to cover his hand with hers. “I think
you’re a wonderful man, and I don’t have any regrets about the time
we spent together, but our lives started moving in different
directions even before you accepted the job offer in
California.”
He glared at
her. “Were you having an affair with him all along?”
Withdrawing her
hand, she asked, “What are you talking about?”
“Him,” he said,
pointing to the house next door.
She
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