Page 147 of Fiery Romance

Why is it that she’s demanding all of me when she’s not willing to give the same?

Her eyes narrow and the tears stop. Anger flashes over her face.

“Island…”

She shoves me. Hard. “I’m leaving.”

I instantly regret everything. This isn’t how I wanted our first night together to end. Propelling myself up from the bed, I hurry outside, thinking that Island will linger to change back into her clothes.

But she doesn’t.

I catch a glimpse of a sheet flying in the wind and realize that she only stopped to pick up her discarded outfit before making a break for her car.

Twin lights pulse into the house as she starts the engine and backs out of my driveway, nearly mowing down my mailbox.

In a blink, she’s gone.

And I’m alone.

* * *

“I didn’t wantto call you,” I growl into the phone.

“The fact that you did means this is a matter of life and death,” Darrel responds.

Damn.

I really hate how calm and composed he always sounds. The man is ruffled by nothing.

“So which is it?” Darrel asks.

“What?”

“Life or death? Which one does this call concern?”

“I’m sure Island wants me dead.”

“I see.”

Does he? Because I spent all night trying to make sense of it and I still haven’t come to any proper conclusions.

“What happened?” Darrel asks.

“Things were moving along.” I recall Island’s soft moans, sultry kisses, and her hips grinding on me. “Verywell. And then they came to a screeching halt.”

“I need more than that, Bolton.”

The back of my neck gets hot. I come from a generation that believes private things should stay, well, private.

“We were mid… you know, and then she saw a picture of Anya and ran like a ghost.”

That’s not an exaggeration. If anyone had seen her wrapped in that sheet, they probably would have thought we were being haunted.

Darrel makes a sound of disapproval. “You tried to get intimate with her where pictures of your late wife were nearby?”

“Pictures of Regan and Abe are in my bedroom too, but she didn’t seem bothered by those.”

There’s a long beat of silence in which I can clearly feel him calling me ‘stupid’.

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