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want it, don t want me, you should go. You can take whatever you want, but do it quickly. I won t follow
you. I m all in, Meg. I don t have another hand to play.
He turned on his heel and bounded down the stairs, leaving her alone with two ring boxes and a
computer folder with her name on it. She leaned closer to the monitor, reading the names of the files until
they ricocheted around in her head.
Pictures.
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Jenna Bayley-Burke
Gift ideas.
Proposal.
Wedding.
Honeymoon.
122 www.samhainpublishing.com
Chapter Thirteen
Brandon braced his hands on the slick marble tile and hung his head, letting the spray of the
showerheads pound his body. His throat ached, his eyes throbbed behind closed lids, and his chest was tight
with anxiety.
He d lied to her. Again.
He d been so exposed, instinct had him trying to protect himself. He wouldn t want to follow her if
she fled, but he wouldn t be able to let her go. He d probably chase her for the rest of his miserable life.
Nothing would ever be able to stop him, not even the embarrassing awareness that she knew exactly how
much he wanted her, how much time and effort he d spent planning a life with her. But of course, most of
that had been done while he was oblivious to what an asshole he d been to her for the last seven years.
Until a few hours ago, he d always thought he was good to her. Now he saw that he was good to
himself, never thinking Megan might need more than fidelity and generosity to be happy. He d taken her at
her word that she wanted a fun, private affair, and in so doing he d taken advantage of her. If he really
knew her as well as he thought, if he truly loved her unselfishly, he should have seen that she needed more
a long time ago.
And now she wouldn t even let him make it up to her. He d hurt her so badly, so deeply that
everything he did seemed to reopen the wound. He couldn t see a way out of the mess that he d made of
both their lives unless she was able to forgive him. It was the only way he d ever be able to forgive himself.
The glass shower door clicked and adrenaline shot through his veins. He lifted his head to see Megan
holding the door open, as bare to him as he was to her. Relief washed over him with the warm water and
his heart went all hot and gooey like one of those molten chocolate cakes she liked so much.
He held her gaze for a long moment, time slowing as his world tilted back into place. Uncertainty
twined with lust haunted the blue depths of her eyes. He took a step forward, reached for her and lifted her
off her feet as he pulled her beneath the spray with him. She fit perfectly within his embrace, her arms
wrapped around his waist, her head nestled against his heart.
 Brandon? He barely heard her whisper over the sound of the shower.  I can t be wrong about this.
He threaded his fingers through her damp hair, tilting her head up to look at him.  You ll always be
right by me.
Closing the distance between them, he brought his lips to hers and brushed a quiet seduction against
her mouth. Her lips parted on a long, passionate sigh, welcoming him back home. He d wanted the kiss to
Jenna Bayley-Burke
be tender and sweet, but before he could help himself he was sliding his tongue into her mouth and teasing
her to join in the play.
He checked himself, pulling away slowly and smoothing his hands over her shoulders and down her
arms. He twined her fingers in his and moved their hands between them. He brought her hand to his lips
and pressed a quick kiss before he noticed her bare fingers. His stomach sank as he sought her gaze.
She must have recognized his searching expression because she gave him a weak smile.  I didn t open
anything. It looked like you had a plan and I didn t want to ruin that too.
His brows knit together.  You didn t even look at the ring?
She shook her head.  I think I d rather have the proposal.
His cheeks lifted in the biggest smile he d had in months.  That s because you didn t see the ring.
 I haven t been waiting for something you picked out at a store. I only wanted to hear you say that
you love me. Her breath caught and her eyes flooded, but she didn t look away, allowing him a glimpse at
the depths of her vulnerability. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]