Page 2 of Captive Desire

My heart is betraying me, pounding away at my chest. There’s this longing, one I thought I left behind.

All because, back then, I foolishly thought I met the man of my dreams that night. The way we connected, like two puzzle pieces, I thought Romeo was the one.

When I woke up the next morning to an empty bed and no sort of note, I knew I’d been silly to let my heart get stolen so easily. If that night was nothing but an excuse to let out some steam, then the same would be for me.

Except, well, I’m the one to deal with the aftermath of our actions.

Pushing away from the wall, I collect myself before making my way back down to the lobby floor.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard I try to clear my face, Eloise can easily pick up on my shift of mood.

“Are you alright?” She squeezes my hands. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I snort and shake my head. “I’m fine.”

Despite mentioning Romeo to her in the past, I don’t want to reopen that old wound. I want to move on.

Once I’m washed up with a new pair of gloves, I’m swallowing down the same lump forming in the back of my throat. For a moment there, I was able to forget about my lingering issue completely.

“Let me know if there are any more calls. I am more than happy to deliver everything that comes in.” Pressing a smile to my lips, I don’t allow my eyes to lift to take in her concerned expression. The last thing I want to do is worry the poor woman.

“If you need to go home…” Reading me like a book, she puts the offer out there.

After everything I’ve been given within this last year, there’s no way in hell I’m going to allow a brief moment of weakness to stop me from being helpful.

Eloise has already tried to convince me to cut back on hours. No thanks.

Nodding to her words, I fill a piping bag with blue-dyed buttercream. Needing the gold sprinkles, I keep moving.

This job is going to be what helps make me forget about all of my problems. My nausea. My baby’s father. Everything. Going right back to it, I refuse to let anything get in my way of distraction.

I survive an hour at tops before my name is called by Claire. The cashier rarely ever needs anything from me, and I should’ve known better. Should’ve been more suspicious.

Halfway up to her, my smile is replaced by a look of pure horror.

Romeo is the one on the other side of the counter, waiting.

Romeo

“Romeo?” Her breath catches as she flutters her eyes in shock. I’m getting a hint of deja vu. In the meeting room, she looked at me just the same. Right before she ran away.

“You remembered me, I’m flattered.” Leaning in closer, I inhale sharply. Smelling like the frosting coating her apron, there’s something richer beneath. Something I’ve missed for months now.

If it wouldn’t be so frowned upon, I’d draw this woman to my chest and breathe her in enough to make up for all of the lost time.

I never forgot about Charity. A woman like her, full of life with a laugh that heals a man’s soul, is unforgettable.

I won’t hold it against her if she believes I abandoned her. If she knew the truth, she wouldn’t entertain a conversation.

However, discovering the bump of her belly has changed everything. I can no longer watch this woman from a safe distance.

All my efforts to keep her away from the dangers that come with my life were made in vain.

Always watching her, I know well enough the baby growing within her is mine. Hell, they’re both mine. Charity doesn’t realize how tightly our lives have been wound together since the moment she bumped into me that fateful night.

“Do you have time to catch up?” Never mind the length of the line at my side, I can’t possibly imagine this bakery can’t survive without this woman for five minutes.

Much to my dismay, she shakes her head. Without even taking longer than a second to think, she tells me no.

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