Page 91 of Caught Up In You (The Monroes 2)

“Her family is loaded.” Braxton crossed his ankles, stared down at his phone one more time, willing it to vibrate. “She withheld that from me, but I get her reasoning. I don’t like it, but I understand.”

“She’s not Anna.”

Braxton swallowed, almost wishing he’d started drinking, but he’d done that after Anna. He’d wanted to numb the pain. Right now, he wanted to feel the pain, he wanted to know he was alive and ready to fight, not slink into the depths of a bottle. That would be too easy, too predictable. Not that he’d tell Liam that.

“I love her,” Braxton said through the lump in his throat. “Damn it, I’ve never loved a woman like this before and she just threw it away.”

“Then pick it up and take it to her. Where is she now?”

“Her parents have some major party at the end of the year for employees and their families. It’s tomorrow night. She mentioned going, but she’s been so on the fence about her position in the company, I’m not sure if she went or not.”

Knowing Cora, she was going to go. Right now she was probably back in Atlanta because she wasn’t home. He’d gone over. Three times.

“Then that’s where your sorry ass will be tomorrow,” Liam confirmed. “Take today for that pity party you need, and wrap up and pull out your tux because I know you have one.”

“How do you know?” he asked, thinking to the dry-cleaning bag in the back of his walk-in closet.

Liam threw him a look and Braxton merely shrugged. In the back of his mind he’d known tomorrow would land him in Atlanta because there was no way he could just take her no for an answer. She loved him, he knew it just as sure as he knew his own feelings, and he wished like hell she’d trusted him enough to explain what had spooked her so much at the open house that she’d felt the need to flee, to cut off their relationship without even one word from him and with little explanation.

“You need backup tomorrow?” Liam asked, eyeing the bottom of his glass as he swirled around the last bit of remaining liquid.

Braxton shoved to his feet and blew out a breath, turning his head from side to side to crack the tension from his neck. “I’m a big boy. I can get the girl by myself.”

Liam glanced up to him and nodded. “Make sure you do. I don’t want to see you like this again.”

Braxton smiled. “I knew you cared.”

“Yeah,” he muttered. “I care.”

Chapter Seventeen

There were too many people, people she didn’t know and people she did know. Regardless, Cora didn’t want to be here. The fake smiling, the schmoozing, the business talk all as if she were a major part of this company simply because her name was Buchanan.

“Darling, that emerald-green dress is stunning.”

Cora stiffened at her mother’s tone behind her. She’d worn the same green dress she’d had on at the open house for Bella Vous, but this time she’d dressed it up with a diamond necklace and diamond earrings, and she’d piled her hair on top of her head. Well, her mother’s assistant had done the hair to make it just perfect and she’d applied more makeup than Cora liked, but here she was all dressed up, weari

ng an outer shell that didn’t suit her.

Cora tightened her grip on the walking stick, just another prop in this world she wanted desperately to break free from. “Thank you, Mother. I need to get some air. If you’ll excuse me.”

She didn’t wait for her mom to say anything. Cora carefully made her way through the crowd, tapping the stick as she went. Each rap on the floor seemed to mock her. She didn’t belong here. Yes, she’d been raised in this grand estate, but now that she’d had a taste of freedom, now that she’d settled in Haven, Cora knew Buchanan Chocolates wasn’t her home. Oh, she could run that company from a financial standpoint, which was what she was trained to do, but she knew if she was stuck working in an office for the rest of her life, she’d slowly die.

As she reached the other side of the ballroom in her parents’ home, she stretched her arm out, feeling for the knob.

“I’ve got it.”

Cora froze. Her heart clenched at the familiar voice. The door clicked open, fresh air instantly enveloped her as a hand she’d come so accustomed to settled on the small of her back.

Once she was ushered outside, Cora knew the rail of the balcony overlooking the backyard wasn’t far. Why was he here? How had he gotten in? So many questions. Fear settled in her stomach. She’d pushed him away and he’d come after her anyway, to her parents’ home during a major event. This all had to mean one thing, but dare she hope?

As her hand curled around the concrete rail, she stared straight ahead. “What are you doing here, Braxton?”

“Did you think I’d just let you break things off and not fight for what I want?”

She sort of hoped he’d make it less painful by letting her go with some of her pride intact. “I think we both got caught up in the intensity of sexual attraction and mistook it for something more. I’m letting you go to save us both heartache down the road.”

“What about the heartache now?” he asked, his hand settling on top of hers.

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