Epilogue #3
She huffs a breath, interrupts me. “Why don’t they do their job and arrest him already?
Jeeezzuuus, this is taking forever, and my company isn’t going to rescue itself without help.
” Whitney crosses the distance between us and stops when she’s within a few inches of me.
“I’ve got to get back to Atlanta, take over running Stratford Industries ASAP before we lose even more money.
I don’t want anyone else to lose their paychecks because of my mistake. ”
I hear the tremor, see the slight trembling in those lush, kissable lips, catch the sheen glimmering bright in those sexy, fuck-me eyes.
Hell. Snappy, temperamental Whitney is easier to resist than this vulnerable, caring woman who blames herself for the fallout of Julian’s treachery, impacting her company’s bottom line.
“You didn’t make this shit happen. Julian Vale is responsible,” I say gently, barely able to tamp down the urge to take her into my arms and hold her, comfort her. “Stop beating yourself up for falling for a lie.” She’s a victim. Innocent.
Kind of like my mom was the day dear old dad decided to scram to a new job and start a new life when I was two.
Mom never did get over him abandoning us, but she worked her tush off to make sure we had a roof over our heads and food on the table.
Usually, leftovers from the diner she worked in back in North Carolina.
Whitney sniffs. “I thought he loved me,” she says. “Instead, he used me, my company, and…” She doesn’t finish, but I know what she’s pushing down, away from her thoughts.
My grip on my resistance dissolves, and I erase the last inches between us, embracing her. “You aren’t responsible for the hit on your folks, either.” I stroke her back, feel the shudder of her anguish, her pain against my palm.
She’s weeping quietly, my shoulder grows damp, and I tighten my hold. Heat, the fire that I’ve held at bay with a hell of a lot of cold showers, burns low.
I want her. Bad. But I don’t want to take advantage of her situation either.
My cell phone buzzes again, bringing me back to reality. Which is where I fucking need to stay. I release her, then read the incoming text from my commander.
Beckett: Vale’s out of commission.
In custody?
Beckett: No. Dead.
How?
Beckett: High-speed chase. He lost control. Wrecked his car. No one could walk away from that accident alive.
Any other loose ends to tie up?
Beckett: Negative. Take Whitney home, then return to HQ tomorrow. New orders to bug out from central command.
Rodger that.
I shoot Whitney a glance. “You’re free.”
“What, why?” she asks.
“Vale’s dead.” I cut to the chase, tell her the truth straight up. “So, whenever you’re ready to roll, I’ll get you back to your place.”
Tears fill her eyes and spill down her cheeks, but she swipes them away with a trembling hand. “I can’t believe this nightmare is finally over. I wanted it to be over, but now… I loved him. I trusted him, but he…,” her voice cracks, betraying her emotions.
She hugs her waist and looks down, shaking her head a little.
I grit my teeth so hard my jaw aches. She’s like a deserted island, alone in the world, desperately trying to hold herself together. “But what?” I ask as I close the distance between us once again, knowing it’s a mistake and yet unable to stop myself.
She raises her head, and her gleaming green eyes meet mine. “I’m alone.” Her lips tremble, and more tears trail over her cheeks.
I tug her into my arms. “You’re better off alone than with someone who will hurt you,” I say, not knowing if I mean her rotten ex or me. Because I want to be with her, and I’m all kinds of wrong for Whitney.
Still, we’ve been dancing around this attraction for a couple of weeks, and that isn’t going to evaporate, especially now that she’s molding her hot bod against mine and twining her hands around my neck, bringing my head closer to hers until our mouths are nearly touching.
“You’re right,” she says, her breath a whisper against my lips. “But all I want for now is to be able to forget that I’m alone. No strings, no false promises, no lies. Because I’ve had enough lies to last me a lifetime.”
And then she makes the first move, sealing her mouth to mine, and I’m not going to push her away. Not when I can give her what she needs tonight… Not when I can give us both what we want and crave more than we should.
We’re all wrong for each other, but tonight, I’m going to make everything right for her.
For me too.
By the following morning, there’s no way I’ll ever forget Whitney Stratford. She’s everything a guy could want, even me. Warm, compassionate, and hot.
We don’t veer from the plan to the promise of only one night, and I take her home. Still, before we part ways for good, I brand her once more with the heat of our lips moving together.
We may not have forever. But as I walk away from her big ass house in her super rich suburb of Atlanta, I know we’ll always remember each other…
Unless… a surprise brings Whitney back into Liam’s life!