Going for It by Elle Kennedy Page A

kitchen and rinsed out her mug under the sink faucet. At the sound of the telephone ring, she quickly dried her hands on a dishrag and grabbed the cordless phone on the narrow counter.
    “Hello?”
    “Hey, it’s me.”
    Her eyes widened. “Riley?”
    “You still recognize my voice. That’s a good sign.” There was a pause. “So are you going to buzz me up or what?”
    “Huh? Where are you?”
    “Walk over to the window.”
    Intrigued, she kept the phone to her ear and drifted back into the living room. She stuck her head out the open window and saw Riley on the sidewalk in front of her building, leaning against a street lamp, a cell phone at his ear. Her heart melted, not from the muggy night air, but from the sight of his sexy face. She knew she was supposed to be furious with him, but the second their gazes collided, all the anger of the last month seemed to dissolve.
    “You came all the way to New York to see me?” she said, her entire body growing warm.
    “Yeah. And I have something to give you.”
    She raised her eyebrows. “A gift?”
    “Come down here and find out.”
    Even from four stories below, she could see the amusement dancing in his blue eyes.
    She was tempted to hang up the phone and run downstairs, but she wasn’t giving in that easily. The fact was he’d still lied to her. Slept with her all the while holding on to the knowledge that he’d bought the Diamond.
    “Tell me what it is and I’ll decide whether I want to come down or not.”
    “I figured you’d be difficult.”
    As she watched, he reached into the inner pocket of his jacket. A second later, he was holding up the necklace she’d forgotten back in Chicago. She’d realized her mistake the second she’d gotten on the train to New York, but the thought of going back and seeing Riley again had been too painful. She’d planned on asking Jane to retrieve the necklace, but apparently Riley had other ideas.
    “You traveled this far to return my necklace?” she called back, unable to stop the happiness from swelling inside her.
    “It’s important to you,” he said simply.
    Tears stung her eyelids. Blinking them back, she cleared her suddenly froggy throat and said, “Okay, you can come up now.”
    “Wait, there’s more,” he said, reaching for his pocket again. This time he pulled out what looked like a folded manila folder. He held it up for her to see.
    “What exactly am I looking at?” she asked warily.
    “It’s the deed to the Diamond. In your name.”
    Shock filled her body. “What?”
    “I’m giving you the bar back, sweetheart. Free and clear.”
    Her fingers trembled over the phone. For a moment, she wondered if this was another game, another underhanded maneuver she didn’t quite understand.
    “Why?” she finally asked.
    “Because I don’t want it.”
    “Since when?” Suspicion lined her tone as she added, “Last I heard, owning the Diamond was so important you were willing to screw over someone you supposedly care about.”
    “Not supposedly,” he said softly. “And definitely not care.”
    Insult prickled her skin. “Pardon me?”
    “I don’t just care about you, Sam. I love you. I meant it when I said it the day you left, and I mean it now.”
    The words stole the breath right out of her lungs. Yet she still couldn’t bring herself to trust him completely. She hadn’t believed him the first time he’d said it. The words had seemed too desperate, too convenient, as if he’d say anything to make her forgive him. But now, staring down at him, she wondered if he did mean it. “You really love me?” she asked.
    He tilted his head up and shot her a grin. “Since the moment I met you.” He hesitated. “I know I acted like a jerk. I didn’t tell you about my plans for the Diamond and I’m sorry. But you need to know that I’d rather have you in my life than a silly bar. The Diamond is meaningless without you in it.”
    She swallowed. Hard. Silent, she ran his words over and over again in