Page 41 of Too Good to be True

“You can’t have both of us.”

He nods. “I only want you. I never wanted her.”

“You were engaged.”

He cradles my face between his hands and holds me so that my chin is tilted up and I’m forced to look at him. His fingers brush over my cheeks; his warm caramel eyes, they pierce my heart.

“It was all about the merger. It was a business deal my father made with her father. We never even dated. I never proposed. I was told to marry her or I’d be disowned. I had to decide what meant more to me, love or money.”

“And?”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Are you saying you love me?”

“Do you know what it’s like to be with someone and know that you should feel something more? Something that makes you want to be with them, but it’s just not there?”

I can’t believe what he’s saying. I know that exact feeling.

“I’d look in her eyes, and yes, she’s attractive, but that’s it. All I’d see was a pretty face. A pretty face consumed with attention and concerned about looking and acting the part of the socialite. That’s as far as my feelings for her went.”

“Attractive? She’s more than just a pretty face. She’s gorgeous.”

“Maybe to you.” There’s the playful glint in his eye. The one I always noticed while we were together. The one that was missing in all the pictures of him and Siena.

“I know we didn’t have a lot of time together. But every minute that we shared,I felt it. In here.” He takes my hand and places it over his pounding heart. “And tell me if I’m wrong,” he looks pained at the thought, “but I believe you felt it here, too.” He places his hand over my erratically beating heart.

I nod. We’re connected again. Physically. Emotionally. Completely.

“The day of the wedding, she called me all day, threatening to come because of the shit Ian posted on social media about you and me. He made sure to post it everywhere and tag her. I wasn’t going to lie. I told her it was true and that we’d settle it when I got home. She ignored me and came anyway. With a whole fucking press corp.”

“She brought the reporters to pressure and manipulate you?”

He nods. “I told her it was over. I was trying to convince her to leave without causing a scene when I heard you scream.” He kisses the top of my head. “It was the worst sound I ever heard. It haunts my sleep. The sound sliced through me. I couldn’t breathe because that scream meant someone was hurting you.”

“I didn’t think anyone could hear me.”

For a moment, his lips brush like a feather over mine. The sensuous touch catches me off guard. I lose my breath and shiver. I want more, but I don’t move. I’m afraid to.

“I had to stop whoever was hurting you. I had to protect you. That’s the moment I realized I wasn’t making a choice, I was following my heart.”

My eyes well with tears. “But you didn’t follow your heart. I was so scared. Everything happened so fast. I was relieved when you pulled Ian off. But then she was there with the reporters. And you didn’t even look my way. It was like I didn’t exist. Like I meant nothing to you.” My voice cracks at the end.

He releases a long breath. “I didn’t handle it well. I didn’t know what to do. For the first time in a long time, I was happy. I saw the look on your face when Siena confronted me. I knew that you were hurt. I didn’t think you’d hear me out. I saw you and everything I was working for slipping away from me. I gave up.”

He closes his eyes tight and runs a hand through his hair.

“Why didn’t you just tell me before anything happened between us?”

“Do you know what it’s like to go through life and not know why someone’s nice to you? To think that people are your friends and then find out all they care about is what you could do for them? That’s how it’s been my whole life. Except with you.

“I wanted to break free. To get out from under my father’s thumb. So I had an idea. I’ve traveled a lot. I know a lot about places and sights around the world that other less-advantaged people might not. What if I were to start a business that taps on that knowledge?”

“What kind of business?”

“I went to school with Sam and Ian. Ian’s always been a jealous shit, but Sam and I are friends. Real friends. When he told me he was thinking about getting married, that’s when the idea came to me. I’m the wedding planner.”He’s the wedding planner!?“I offered to put together a destination wedding. Not only did I not charge them for my services, I got heavy discounts, both because of the size of the group and because of the connections I have.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I went on about Francesca and the wedding, and you didn’t say a thing.”

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