Page 31 of Liar For Hire (For Hire 1)

“S-stop saying that.”

“It’s true.”

She looked up at him, big brown eyes watery and her face wet. He stroked a thumb across her cheek, enjoyed the softness of her cocoa skin.

“But you won’t be with me?”

“I can’t.”

“Why,” she raged and pulled out of his arms. “Get it straight. I’m not begging you to be with me, but I’m trying to understand your reasoning. What is so wrong about you that you can’t be with me if you love me? Are you saying in the short time you’ve known her that you love her?”

“No.”

“But she’s good enough for you?”

The fact was he didn’t even like Roxie. She seemed to be devoted to him and the old ways. It turned him off when she started calling him her prince. He wasn’t royalty. He wasn’t anything worthy of that much respect.

A shuddering sigh shook him, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. Okay, it was time to stop coming down on himself and feeling like a loser. He worked for years on pretending, showing a different image, but it never changed his heart.

He tried again to explain. “My people are very proud. Our identity is strongly tied to certain characteristics.”

“Which are?”

He clenched his jaw. Even if he told her a dragon shifter’s pride was in his ability to fly and his majestic appearance, she wouldn’t understand. If by chance she accepted what he was, it didn’t matter to his people. He wasn’t fit to lead, and he would remain an outcast forever. To be what he was and to marry a human—no, he couldn’t do it. They could remain friends as long as he was hidden, but now that his people had found him, everything changed. He had to do whatever was necessary to protect Janessa.

“It doesn’t matter what the characteristics are,” he told her. “What must be, must be. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not going to pretend I get you, Declan, because I don’t. You’ve hurt me more in the last few days than I ever experienced with old boyfriends. I thought at the very least we would always be together. Maybe I hoped some time in the future things would change.”

“Now you’re being honest with me.”

Her laugh held no humor. “Yeah, I love you too. Imagine that. I wish I could switch it off. I don’t know why we can’t just go on as we have been and you tell Roxie where to go, but I’m assuming it has to do with the weird prince thing.”

He flushed. “Yes.”

“We can’t be friends, Declan.”

His eyes widened. “What? Why? I’m not asking you to be friends with Roxie and have barbecues at our house but—”

“I can’t watch you marry her and have kids with her. I don’t see myself not zapping out and trying to kick her tail. I can’t do it. No, I won’t do it. If you insist on this road, please just wait until I wrap up the business and get out of here. I’m going to sell everything and leave town. I’ll find somewhere else to settle and start over.”

“No!”

She hugged him, stretching to her toes to kiss his cheek. His chest constricted, and he knew his face looked like he wanted to rip something apart. Over the years he maintained a genuine looking smile, one that didn’t even begin to melt the ice in his soul. He felt chilled to the bone.

“We can’t stay together. I’m sure you can figure out how to cook for yourself,” she teased.

Pressure built in his head. Not that he was afraid to be without her. It was that he feared allowing her out of his sight. An impossible urge consumed him, to do whatever was necessary to protect her.

But no matter what he felt, he couldn’t force his way into her life. If she didn’t want him near, he h

ad to let her go. The idea tore him apart. He had decided instantly to marry Roxie as a way to keep himself under control when it came to Janessa. He thought it was the solution to the constant struggle to make her his own. Now she was saying even their friendship had come to an end.

She sniffled and smiled. The tears had stopped at last. “You don’t have to explain anymore. I’m good. I think I’m going to go home for the day. I have a migraine. If you can hold off on the wedding until I’m gone that would be great. Thanks for always looking out for me, Declan. Even if you don’t believe you’re a great guy, you are. Roxie is lucky to have you. G-goodbye.”

She kissed his cheek again and grabbed her purse to leave the office. He couldn’t bring himself to call her back. What else was there to say other than—goodbye?

Chapter 12

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