Page 56 of Journey to You

“No, I’m the guy who doesn’t do emotion. I’m the guy who’s a control freak, who’s so damned scared of letting go that I almost messed up the best thing to ever happen to me.”

“What’s that?”

“You.”

He crushed his mouth to hers, devouring her, hungering for this kiss like a starving man being offered a Michelin starred buffet.

The kiss went on forever, a fiery union of two people who couldn’t get enough of each other.

How he wished that were true.

In reality, he was wary. While Tam thought she loved him, he couldn’t get the image of her reacting to Richard’s baby out of his head; the same head that warned him to tread carefully.

He’d had time to think, time to take back control of his uncharacteristically wavering emotions and whatever happened, he knew he couldn’t simply pick up where they’d left off.

As the kiss gentled, their lips reluctant to disengage, he hugged her, tight.

She’d fallen in love with him and whether it was on the rebound or not, he knew what it must’ve cost her to come here and tell him.

“I’ve got something to tell you,” she said, soft and hesitant.

He pulled back, searching her face for a clue to the somber edge in her voice.

“I’m going back to India.”

Fear ricocheted through him, a fear he’d long conquered. Fear that no matter how badly he wanted something, when he could almost taste it, it would be snatched out of his reach.

He’d battled the fear when on the streets, when first taken in by Arnaud, when he clawed his way to the top, expecting at every turn to have his goal taken away.

With success, he’d expected to lose the fear but here it was, rearing its ugly head and tormenting him again.

“For another trip?”

She gnawed at her bottom lip, shook her head. “I’ll never be free of the past as long as I stay here. I want to make a fresh start and I can do that over there.”

The fear coalesced, consolidated, pounding in his ears, yelling that he’d lost her before they’d really started.

“Come with me.”

His shocked gaze collided with hers, the depth of her feeling evident in the way she looked at him with stars in her eyes.

She honestly thought he’d consider relinquishing control ofAmbrosiato follow her all the way to India.

While those wildly careening emotions of his would’ve leapt at it earlier this week, he was wiser now. Back in control, just the way he liked it and he’d be crazy to leave.

OtherAmbrosia’shad taken at least five years to show a steady profit and the Melbourne restaurant had barely made it past its three year anniversary. How could he hand over the running to someone else at a time like this?

“Ethan? Say something.”

Releasing her, he turned away, needing breathing space, needing time to think.

What could he say?

That he was so damn insecure he was jealous of a dead guy?

That he loved her but didn’t want to give in to the guaranteed maelstrom being in a relationship would entail?

That until recently, being the number one restaurateur in the world was his dream but thanks to her, his dream had changed?

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