Page 145 of For the Sub

“You’re hung up on your wife.”

“Dead wife,” he snapped.

“Which is worse, maybe. I can’t compete with a ghost. Won’t.” She shook her head. “It’s not fair to me. Or to you, for that matter.”

If she only knew.

But she didn’t.

Because he didn’t trust his own emotions when it came to Eleanor. To women.

“I gave you an opening, but you didn’t deny it. You’re stuck in the past, and I’m too smart to offer you my heart. Staying, seeing you again will destroy me.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “I can’t take that risk. You have to understand.”

“You’re the last person I’d want to hurt.” So sweet, so innocent.

“The thing is, I believe you. You don’t want to hurt me, but you wouldn’t be able to help yourself. Now please…” She reached for the door handle, and he put his body firmly in the opening to prevent her from completely shutting him out.

“Let me go. I’m going to be running late.”

He should honor her wishes, but he couldn’t. “We need to talk some more about this.” Make her see reason.

“There’s nothing else to say…” Her voice got so soft that he barely heard her. “Is there? Honestly? I’ve said what I needed to. Unless you’ve got anything?”

She looked at him, expectantly, hopefully.

And he was a bastard who couldn’t give her what she wanted.

Instead, he was wading through a field of emotional landmines with no fucking sense of direction. “I have to see you again.”

“That won’t be possible.”

“What the hell do you mean by that?”

“Don’t make this any harder than it has to be.” Her body sagged a little. “I’m sorry, Niles. This is it.”

“You’re giving me an ultimatum?” Helplessness slammed into impotent frustration. “It doesn’t have to be all or nothing,” he insisted.

“With the way I feel?” she countered softly. “The way I’m already invested? Yes. It has to be all or nothing for me.”

Her voice was roughened from the emotion she choked back.

Brandy Hess breathed life and joy into his days, and he didn’t want to let her go.

“Please respect my decision.”

Part of him didn’t want to release her, but he’d never hold a woman against her will.

“I don’t like it.”

“Neither do I,” she admitted.

Having no other choice, he sighed and stepped away while she sealed herself off from him.

The driver climbed behind the wheel and gave him a sharp nod before sliding the gearshift into reverse.

He backed out and Brandy busied herself with something or other, refusing to meet Niles’s gaze.

The vehicle drove away without her ever looking back.

---