Page 93 of Caught Up In You (The Monroes 2)

“Braxton, please. Formalities aren’t necessary since I’m going to be in Cora’s life for a long time to come.”

Now Cora’s gasp filled the heavy silence. Was he saying . . . oh, no. Surely he wasn’t. Cora lifted her hand to her head as a wave of dizziness swept over her. Instantly Braxton slid his arm around her waist and Cora couldn’t even resist leaning into him.

“Oh, there you are,” Cora’s father said, his footsteps scuffing along the concrete floor of the balcony. “Eric and I have been looking all over for you guys.”

“You must be Cora’s father.” Braxton’s low voice vibrated through his chest, sliding over her. “I’m Braxton Monroe, Cora’s boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?” Victor Buchanan’s shock didn’t even compare to what Cora was experiencing. “Monroe . . . Monroe. You’re the family she’s gone to work for?”

“That’s correct, sir.”

“This whole scene is absurd,” her mother scolded in that condescending whisper. “We will discuss this later after our guests have left.”

Braxton’s hand slid gently up and down Cora’s side. “I’m more than happy to stick around and rehash this conversation and clarify any misunderstanding on your end.”

“Now listen here—”

“No,” Braxton cut off her father. “I’m here for Cora and judging from what I’ve seen firsthand and what I’ve learned before tonight, I’m the only one with h

er best interests in mind. I’m not leaving unless she’s with me and I understand your need to have her here, so this is where I’ll be as well. Now, tell me where Heidi is so I can get Cora the proper assistance because this cane is absolutely not her.”

“I don’t know who you think you are,” her father boomed, probably making her mother’s face red with embarrassment. “But you will not come into my house and control my daughter like this.”

“You’re right,” Braxton agreed. “I won’t control her. You’ve done that enough and I intend to see her happy, living a free life, a life that she chooses, and I promise you that she would rather have her faithful dog at her side. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I want to talk to Cora. I assure you that we will both be here after the party and we can all talk then.”

Without another word, Braxton held firmly on to her side and guided her back into the noisy ballroom, straight out the other side and into the foyer. It wasn’t until they were back outside via the front of the house that she blew out a breath and willed her knees to remain strong.

“Where’s Heidi?” he asked once they came to a stop on the wide front porch.

“She’s with one of the staff. I’m sure she’s out here somewhere because my father told them to see to it that she remained outside.”

“Stay right here and I’ll find her.”

Sure. Where else would she go? She’d take this time to get her heart rate back under control and figure out what in the world had gotten into Braxton that he was so determined to prove to her that they belonged together. Didn’t he understand she’d let him go for good reason? Did he not know that having him here, on her turf, only confused her and made her want to go against doing the right thing? Damn it, she could only be so strong before she’d break.

Braxton Monroe was a man who demanded attention, affection, and loyalty. She wanted to give him all three, but he wasn’t ready. He may think he was, but there was no way. Not after her little run-in with Anna. Cora needed that wake-up call, not that she appreciated it coming in the form of Braxton’s ex, but it had been a necessary evil.

All the pain, all the grief hadn’t been from Anna’s truthful words. All the angst and heartache had stemmed from the fact that Cora knew she had to make the most difficult decision of her life and let him go.

“We’re back.”

Just as Braxton’s words hit her, Heidi’s fur tickled the side of her calf. “Thank you,” she said, extending the walking stick for Braxton to take. Once she had her grip on Heidi’s collar and that damn stick was gone, she felt so much better. “You didn’t have to come here, but now that you’re here, I want to know what you meant in there.”

“There’s no hidden meaning behind any of my words,” he told her, taking her free hand and guiding her toward one end of the porch where Cora knew a settee and chairs were positioned perfectly. “Everything I said was true. I came here because I gave you the time you needed to think. I won’t let you walk away again.”

Cora reached her free hand out, feeling for the arm of the settee. Turning, she eased down onto the cushion and patted Heidi’s head as she settled next to her feet.

“I didn’t walk away,” she corrected. “I released you from this because you’re not ready for—”

“What the hell am I not ready for?” he demanded. The cushion dipped beside her, Braxton’s arm extended behind her back. “You think you’re some rebound? You think I’m just passing the time with you?”

“Maybe not in your mind, but Anna said—”

“I knew it. You heard us talking.”

Cora shook her head. “No, I didn’t. She actually met me coming out of the ladies’ room and the things she said made sense.”

She couldn’t see Braxton, but the anger seemed to roll off of him. His breathing had quickened, the hand behind her back had fisted, but other than those minor movements, he sat perfectly still as if he were a wounded animal ready to strike.

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