his cell. He heard her moving around behind the thin wood panel, so he knew she was trying to avoid him. Like hell. “Damn it, Alana, open this door before I wake the whole goddamn building!” he shouted.
Finally the door flew open and she stood barefoot, glaring up at him.
He swallowed, trying to ignore the fact that she looked even more beautiful now than she had earlier. Her face was scrubbed free of make-up, and she was wearing a short, white eyelet nightgown that fell just above her knees with tiny straps that would break with one quick snap. “Jesus,” he said, reaching out to touch her. “You are so sexy you take my breath away.”
She pushed him hard, trying to slam the door in his face.
He managed to stick his foot in the door before she could close it. “Damn it, just give me a minute to explain,” he pleaded, feeling his one chance with her slipping through his fingers. He never got rattled. Those who knew him described him as unshakable, but what he was feeling now could only be described as full-blown panic. “Please, baby.”
“Don’t you call you me that!” It was obvious she’d decided to give up on beating him in a physical battle when she stormed away, leaving the door partially ajar. “I don’t want to see or talk to you ever again!” she shouted. “Forget you ever met me.”
If only he could. “Sweetheart, I know you may have heard some things about me tonight…”
She turned on him, her light hair framing her face. “You’re a man-whore.”
A beat of silence passed and he knew she was waiting for him to refute her claim.
When he said nothing, she pointed to the door. “That’s all I need to know. Get out before I call the police.”
He knew he was running out of time to plead his case, and he had no idea where to begin. “Can we sit down for just a minute, please?”
She gestured toward the non-descript taupe couch. “Be my guest. I’d rather stand.”
Sighing, he claimed the seat offered, dropping his head in his hands. “I’ve slept around a lot over the years, but I’ve always been careful.”
She snickered. “That’s supposed to make me feel better, knowing I won’t get some nasty STD?”
“Baby, you’ve got to know I’d never put you at risk that way.”
“What I know is that you’re a dirt bag. You don’t respect yourself or the women who share your bed.”
“Honey, I’m not going to deny that I’ve played the field. I’ve slept with a few of the nurses at the hospital, including the women you obviously met in the restroom…”
“Not to mention the administrator?” she asked, folding her arms.
“How did you know about Colleen?”
She grabbed a throw pillow from a nearby chair and fired it at his head. “I hate you! I can’t even stand the sight of you. Just get out…” Her voice broke on the final word and she sank into the chair, burying her face in her hands.
He got up and went to her, crouching beside her chair. He was desperate to touch her, but the vase at her elbow looked heavy, and if she snapped and hit him upside the head with that, it could kill him. “I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you, Alana.”
She looked up at him, her face streaked with tears. “You know what hurts the most? I allowed myself to believe you. I walked in there on your arm tonight feeling special, as though you had chosen me above all the other women you could have been with.” Shaking her head, she sniffled. “What I didn’t realize is that I was one of many, wasn’t I?”
He berated himself for the actions that led to her anguish. He had a long way to go to prove that he was worthy of her. “I meant what I said earlier. I haven’t been able to get you out of my head. When I came to you today, it was because I wanted you and only you.”
“Have you really slept with more than one woman at a time?” she asked, swiping at the tears on her cheeks.
He dropped his head, wishing he could plead the Fifth. “I have.”
“Why?” she
Finally the door flew open and she stood barefoot, glaring up at him.
He swallowed, trying to ignore the fact that she looked even more beautiful now than she had earlier. Her face was scrubbed free of make-up, and she was wearing a short, white eyelet nightgown that fell just above her knees with tiny straps that would break with one quick snap. “Jesus,” he said, reaching out to touch her. “You are so sexy you take my breath away.”
She pushed him hard, trying to slam the door in his face.
He managed to stick his foot in the door before she could close it. “Damn it, just give me a minute to explain,” he pleaded, feeling his one chance with her slipping through his fingers. He never got rattled. Those who knew him described him as unshakable, but what he was feeling now could only be described as full-blown panic. “Please, baby.”
“Don’t you call you me that!” It was obvious she’d decided to give up on beating him in a physical battle when she stormed away, leaving the door partially ajar. “I don’t want to see or talk to you ever again!” she shouted. “Forget you ever met me.”
If only he could. “Sweetheart, I know you may have heard some things about me tonight…”
She turned on him, her light hair framing her face. “You’re a man-whore.”
A beat of silence passed and he knew she was waiting for him to refute her claim.
When he said nothing, she pointed to the door. “That’s all I need to know. Get out before I call the police.”
He knew he was running out of time to plead his case, and he had no idea where to begin. “Can we sit down for just a minute, please?”
She gestured toward the non-descript taupe couch. “Be my guest. I’d rather stand.”
Sighing, he claimed the seat offered, dropping his head in his hands. “I’ve slept around a lot over the years, but I’ve always been careful.”
She snickered. “That’s supposed to make me feel better, knowing I won’t get some nasty STD?”
“Baby, you’ve got to know I’d never put you at risk that way.”
“What I know is that you’re a dirt bag. You don’t respect yourself or the women who share your bed.”
“Honey, I’m not going to deny that I’ve played the field. I’ve slept with a few of the nurses at the hospital, including the women you obviously met in the restroom…”
“Not to mention the administrator?” she asked, folding her arms.
“How did you know about Colleen?”
She grabbed a throw pillow from a nearby chair and fired it at his head. “I hate you! I can’t even stand the sight of you. Just get out…” Her voice broke on the final word and she sank into the chair, burying her face in her hands.
He got up and went to her, crouching beside her chair. He was desperate to touch her, but the vase at her elbow looked heavy, and if she snapped and hit him upside the head with that, it could kill him. “I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you, Alana.”
She looked up at him, her face streaked with tears. “You know what hurts the most? I allowed myself to believe you. I walked in there on your arm tonight feeling special, as though you had chosen me above all the other women you could have been with.” Shaking her head, she sniffled. “What I didn’t realize is that I was one of many, wasn’t I?”
He berated himself for the actions that led to her anguish. He had a long way to go to prove that he was worthy of her. “I meant what I said earlier. I haven’t been able to get you out of my head. When I came to you today, it was because I wanted you and only you.”
“Have you really slept with more than one woman at a time?” she asked, swiping at the tears on her cheeks.
He dropped his head, wishing he could plead the Fifth. “I have.”
“Why?” she
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