Page 90 of Somewhere You Belong

“I…I don’t know if I want to sell anymore.”

There. I said it—the thought that’s been on my mind for the past week.

“Are you serious?” she asks through a whisper.

I set my coffee cup on the railing and brush my hair behind my ear. “Being here for the past six weeks has made me realize that my life has been so lonely. And I don’t know what it is about this town—”

“Small towns will suck you in and never let you go, Willow. Hence why I’m back in Newberry Springs,” she cuts me off, saying out loud what I’ve been afraid of.

“My mind is a mess, Shauna. And now my heart is involved too, even though that’s the last thing I wanted.”

“You can’t avoid feelings, Willow. You can try, and lord knows that you have for years, but eventually they’ll catch up to you. Trust me on that.”

“But this isn’t just myfeelings, Shauna. This is my life. My business is in D.C., my apartment is there. But down here, I feel…”

“Like someone new?”

“Like me,” I whisper, afraid to say it louder because it scares me how true those words are.

For most of my adult life, I feel like I’ve had to be strong because that’s what people expected of me, especially once they heard my story—the two-year-old girl who lost both of her parents, had no other family to speak of so was taken in by their best friends, and still managed to turn into a successful businesswoman, building a multimillion-dollar advertising business from the ground up.

I wasn’t allowed to fall apart, to be angry about the fact that I was robbed of a life I could have had if my parents hadn’t died. I was still so fortunate, grew up in a loving home, never went without, and experienced financial success on a level that most people only dream of.

But I always felt like some part of me was missing—real roots, a foundation—a place where I belong. Sometimes I feel like the life I’m living isn’t the one I was supposed to have.

“That’s a good thing, Willow.”

“It is, but it’s also complicated. This man, Shauna…” I groan out loud. “He’s stubborn and cocky, but he seesme,he’s thoughtful even when I’ve given him plenty of reasons not to be, and he makes me feel safe. He listens, doesn’t shy away from the fact that I’m successful, and the way he touches my body...” I shudder at the memory. “In fact, he overheard me on a call last night and told me the way I handled the situation was a turn on.”

“Sounds like he doesn’t mind a woman in control.”

“That’s the thing…in bed though? He’s the one in control, and it’s so fucking hot.”

Shauna laughs. “Sounds about right.”

“What do I do? I’m completely out of my depth here.”

“Honestly, Willow, it depends on what you want for the long term. Do you see a future with this guy? If this is just a vacation fling, then there’s no reason to bring up the past and rattle his life with unspoken secrets if you plan on leaving. But if you want to stay, is it for you or him?”

“I don’t know. Part of me gave into him because I thought this would be temporary, but after last night…”

“You want more.”

“I think I might.” Biting my lip, I lift my coffee cup and take another sip. “Oh, shit. I can’t believe I forgot to tell you the worst part.”

“Jesus, there’s more?”

“The night I found out about the connection between Dallas and his dad was the night of the veterans’ dinner.”

“I remember you telling me about that.”

“Yeah. Well, later that night after I left in a hurry, I had a visitor. And you’re never going to believe who it was…”

“There you are.”

I spin around so fast, I nearly fall over as Dallas walks out the front door, shirtless and in nothing but his boxer briefs. The muscles of his torso glisten in the sunlight, highlighting the scar on his ribs I noticed last night, sending a flood of heat right between my legs.

We had sex three times last night, but apparently that wasn’t enough for my greedy vagina, and she’s ready for round four.

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