Page 11 of Unfulfilled Promises
I shook my head and grabbed a towel from the shelf before wiping the sweat from my face. “I’m sure you know more about this than I do.”
He got closer, and usually, I’d step back, but the adrenaline from his startling me coupled with the memories of when I was defenseless was making me bolder than usual. He reached out a finger and brushed a wet lock of hair from my forehead as I struggled to stop panting.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, my beautiful hummingbird.”
The bewilderment had to be evident on my face as he smiled down at me. No one had ever given me a pet name before, and to have one so unique was confusing. Not wanting to open that canof worms right then, I stepped back from him and asked, “Do you want something to drink?”
He shook his head as I turned away from him and moved to the minifridge in the corner. Taking out a bottle of water, I took a deep swallow, trying to calm the butterflies in my stomach. I didn’t know why he triggered the doe-eyed girl in me when most men made me nervous or unsure. It was disconcerting, to say the least, and I needed to get my head out of the clouds and stop daydreaming about something with him that wasn’t going to happen.
No one would want a woman like me once they discovered what I’d done to survive. And I wasn’t talking about being Sergey’s confidante. There was more, a lot more, that I did and allowed just to make it out of there alive.
Knowing now that Kelly was dead and Ricardo was on the run did little to settle the worry. There was someone they were looking for. Someone I was intimately familiar with. Someone who took great pleasure in watching me be destroyed. And that was my worry. And probably the reason I stayed safely tucked away behind the secure walls of Rhys’s compound.
Forcing a smile onto my face, I looked at Seth and asked, “Is there something you need?”
His smile slipped some before he recovered and said, “I want to take you out to dinner tonight.”
“Why?” I asked, picking up the towel and wiping more sweat from my face.
“Why not? We’re both young, single, and it’s the first day of a new year. I think we both deserve something new and exciting,” Seth replied and stepped closer. “When was the last time you experienced something new and exciting, Regan?”
His eyes were hooded as he looked down at me, and I wanted to jump on him, but fear and worry kept my feet on the ground. And the reservation that this all seemed too good to be true.Why, after months, did Seth decide to make any kind of move on me? Now that everyone is putting their heads together to figure out what they are missing from the picture, it just seemed . . . too convenient.
The jaded part of me, the one that has difficulty trusting, pushed to the front and I took a step back from him. Looking up into his hypnotic eyes, I simply replied, “The last time I tried something new and exciting, I ended up in hell for two years. Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass.”
Walking out of the gym, I left him open-mouthed and stunned silent by my refusal. I wanted to say yes and feel like a normal woman my age should, but that was a pipe dream. I was almost twenty-eight years old, but at times, I felt like I was still trapped in hell. And at other times, I wanted to forget all the pain and abandonment issues that plagued me and be brave. But today wasn’t that day.
Walking down the hallway, I heard footsteps behind me and knew it was Seth coming after me. I wasn’t in the mood to debate why I wouldn’t go out with him, but when he caught up with me, he matched my pace as I walked into the nursery,
“Wagan,” DJ screeched as he dropped his crayon and ran up to me.
I squatted down and caught him as he wrapped his tiny arms around me and hugged himself to me. He was such a sweet little boy, and as I placed him back onto his feet, he looked over my shoulder then back at me.
“Who’s dat?” he asked, and I glanced behind me before turning back to him.
“That’s Seth. He’s a friend of your daddy and Uncle Lucian,” I responded.
“What he want?” DJ asked as he took my hand into his, almost like he was protecting me from Seth.
“Why don’t you ask him? He’s a nice man.”
I stood up from DJ’s level and turned to see the sheer look of panic on Seth’s face as DJ walked up to him. The little boy placed his hand on his hips and popped his foot out as he looked up at Seth. There was at least a four-foot difference in their heights, but DJ seemed to be controlling the situation.
Finally, DJ spoke. “What you want?”
The boy cut his eyes to me, and I shrugged with a silent chuckle, waiting for him to answer the question. My guess was Seth never had much interaction with children. Certainly not one as smart and astute as DJ.
Seth, looking a little confused, squatted in front of DJ so he was closer to the same height before he answered, “I asked Regan if she wanted to go to dinner with me tonight, but she said no.”
DJ glanced over his little shoulder at me before turning back to Seth. I could see the wheels turning from his gaze. The little man spoke, giving his sage wisdom of three-and-a-half years, and I had to stifle the laughter.
“Girls want ice cream and puppies, silly.”
Seth’s smile grew huge before he straightened his face and asked, “Ice creamandpuppies? I have to give her both?”
DJ nodded his little head as he took a step closer and explained, “Aunt Stewwa has a big puppy, and when she’s upset, Unc Hawc gets her ice cream, then she happy.”
“I can’t just get her ice cream?” Seth inquired, almost joking.
