the sunroom, overlooking the pool.
Damn. If everything had gone as planned—if her life hadn’t been sent totally off balance by Evan’s proclamation of love on her wedding day—she and Brent would be married now. Both snuggled up in this bed, his strong arms around her.
He should be in this bed with her, holding her … making love to her. It should be their honeymoon.
If only things hadn’t gone so terribly wrong.
But would that really have been such a good thing? Images of Evan’s face, of his poignant lovemaking, sent her insides aquiver. God, Evan loved her. He’d loved her for a long time. And she’d ignored her own feelings for him. Denied them. Because she loved Brent.
Her heart constricted. But she did have feelings for Evan. Confusing, tumultuous, passionate feelings.
Oh, God, the walls seemed to be closing in on her, the darkness pressing around her.
She pushed aside the covers, slid on her slippers, and padded down the hall to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and stared inside for something to drink. Her mouth was so dry. She pulled out a bottle of water and poured it into a glass, then sipped it while she gazed out the window at the swimming pool. The water glittered in the moonlight.
Memories of her lovemaking with Evan by the pool filled her mind. Now she felt guilty about it, but she had no reason to feel guilty. She’d thought Brent had left her for good. In fact, she felt anger well up. Brent had walked away. He had no reason to be angry with her for what had happened between her and Evan.
But he probably wasn’t angry. He was hurt. Because he loved her.
Damn, damn, damn. This was such a mess.
She gulped back the rest of the water and set her glass in the sink, then gripped the counter.
The bottom line was that she did still love Brent. That hadn’t changed just because of the messed-up wedding day. Her eyes welled with tears when she remembered how he’d taken her to a lovely getaway for the weekend and knelt in front of her and proposed. She’d laughed in joy and thrown her arms around him. He’d spun her around and they’d laughed together. Then he’d made love to her in front of the fireplace, a roaring fire heating their naked bodies.
She put down her glass and walked to the doorway of the large sunroom off the kitchen. The moon shining in the window cast enough light that she could see him stretched out on the couch. Her heart ached at the sight of him.
Quietly, she stepped into the room. She sat on the armchair kitty-corner to the couch and gazed at his strong, handsome face glazed in moonlight.
* * *
Brent felt her presence. Somehow, he knew Crystal was in the room with him. He opened his eyes and glanced around. She sat on the chair near the couch, only a couple of feet from him.
“Crystal?”
Her wide eyes glimmered in the moonlight. “Brent, I…” Her words choked off and she sucked in a deep breath.
“What is it, sweetheart?” he encouraged.
“I thought you’d left me for good. I thought…” She sucked in a breath again. “I thought you … didn’t love me anymore.”
Her words wrenched his gut. He sat up and took her hand. “Oh, God, sweetheart, no. That would never happen.” He gazed at her, his eyes glittering in the moonlight. “Remember what I said the night I proposed?”
They had taken a winery tour in the Napa Valley and stayed at a quaint little bed-and-breakfast Crystal had heard great things about from a friend.
Crystal’s lips turned up in a tenuous smile and she nodded. “You said you’d do anything for me—to show how much you loved me. And you hoped to show me that as time went on.” She gazed down at her hand, then her smile faded. “Then you asked me to marry you.”
He drew her hand to his mouth. The feel of her soft palm against his lips sent heat thrumming through his body. He pushed himself from the couch and knelt in front of her.
“I love you so much.” He stared at her, willing her to believe him.
Damn. If everything had gone as planned—if her life hadn’t been sent totally off balance by Evan’s proclamation of love on her wedding day—she and Brent would be married now. Both snuggled up in this bed, his strong arms around her.
He should be in this bed with her, holding her … making love to her. It should be their honeymoon.
If only things hadn’t gone so terribly wrong.
But would that really have been such a good thing? Images of Evan’s face, of his poignant lovemaking, sent her insides aquiver. God, Evan loved her. He’d loved her for a long time. And she’d ignored her own feelings for him. Denied them. Because she loved Brent.
Her heart constricted. But she did have feelings for Evan. Confusing, tumultuous, passionate feelings.
Oh, God, the walls seemed to be closing in on her, the darkness pressing around her.
She pushed aside the covers, slid on her slippers, and padded down the hall to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and stared inside for something to drink. Her mouth was so dry. She pulled out a bottle of water and poured it into a glass, then sipped it while she gazed out the window at the swimming pool. The water glittered in the moonlight.
Memories of her lovemaking with Evan by the pool filled her mind. Now she felt guilty about it, but she had no reason to feel guilty. She’d thought Brent had left her for good. In fact, she felt anger well up. Brent had walked away. He had no reason to be angry with her for what had happened between her and Evan.
But he probably wasn’t angry. He was hurt. Because he loved her.
Damn, damn, damn. This was such a mess.
She gulped back the rest of the water and set her glass in the sink, then gripped the counter.
The bottom line was that she did still love Brent. That hadn’t changed just because of the messed-up wedding day. Her eyes welled with tears when she remembered how he’d taken her to a lovely getaway for the weekend and knelt in front of her and proposed. She’d laughed in joy and thrown her arms around him. He’d spun her around and they’d laughed together. Then he’d made love to her in front of the fireplace, a roaring fire heating their naked bodies.
She put down her glass and walked to the doorway of the large sunroom off the kitchen. The moon shining in the window cast enough light that she could see him stretched out on the couch. Her heart ached at the sight of him.
Quietly, she stepped into the room. She sat on the armchair kitty-corner to the couch and gazed at his strong, handsome face glazed in moonlight.
* * *
Brent felt her presence. Somehow, he knew Crystal was in the room with him. He opened his eyes and glanced around. She sat on the chair near the couch, only a couple of feet from him.
“Crystal?”
Her wide eyes glimmered in the moonlight. “Brent, I…” Her words choked off and she sucked in a deep breath.
“What is it, sweetheart?” he encouraged.
“I thought you’d left me for good. I thought…” She sucked in a breath again. “I thought you … didn’t love me anymore.”
Her words wrenched his gut. He sat up and took her hand. “Oh, God, sweetheart, no. That would never happen.” He gazed at her, his eyes glittering in the moonlight. “Remember what I said the night I proposed?”
They had taken a winery tour in the Napa Valley and stayed at a quaint little bed-and-breakfast Crystal had heard great things about from a friend.
Crystal’s lips turned up in a tenuous smile and she nodded. “You said you’d do anything for me—to show how much you loved me. And you hoped to show me that as time went on.” She gazed down at her hand, then her smile faded. “Then you asked me to marry you.”
He drew her hand to his mouth. The feel of her soft palm against his lips sent heat thrumming through his body. He pushed himself from the couch and knelt in front of her.
“I love you so much.” He stared at her, willing her to believe him.
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