Page 34 of Beautiful Desire

“Here, let me help you,” a voice says, scaring the crap of me.

I jump, forgetting I’m holding the bag of coffee grounds in my hand, and they spill out all over me and the floor. Gripping my chest, I spin around to see a laughing Sofia, still in yesterday’s dress.

“Oh, my God, you scared the crap out of me.” I look down at the mess I made, then look back into Sofia’s eyes before saying, “I am so sorry. I thought you were still sleeping. Let me get a broom and clean this up.”

“Sorry for scaring you. I just came to get a drink of water before going to bed. Don’t worry about the mess. It’s an easy cleanup. I’ll grab the vacuum. You’ll be here for hours trying to do it with a broom.”

Before I can answer, she slips away and is back, carrying a cordless Dyson vacuum. Taking it from her, I turn it on and clean up the mess. Making my way back over to the espresso machine, I give it one last try, and it finally starts. Smoke immediately appears from the back, and it makes a loud beeping noise, sounding like a fire alarm when it goes off. Sofia comes running over to unplug it and, within seconds, everything stops. I’m absolutely horrified and am about to apologize profusely when I look over and see her laughing hysterically.

She’s bent over at the waist laughing, and I join her, because leave it to me to break this expensive espresso machine. After a couple of minutes, we both wipe our eyes and compose ourselves.

“Well, if Dom wasn’t up before, he is now,” I say.

Still gripping her stomach, she swipes the tear from her left eye before answering me. “Oh, he’s up. He left early this morning.”

I assume he had to go somewhere, but it still stings knowing he left me like a thief in the night. Trying not to let her see just how much those words have affected me, I plaster on a fake smile and act as if I’m unphased by this information.

“Oh. Did he say when he’d be back?” I ask, trying to play it cool.

Before she answers, I have a feeling I already know what she’s about to say, and I’m not going to like it.

“I don’t think he is. He was in a hurry and had his suitcase with him. I literally ran right into him while I was coming in the front door. He thanked me for letting him stay and said he was sorry he had to run, but something came up and he had to go,” she says shrugging her shoulders.

Taking a deep breath to calm my racing heart, I reply in what I hope is a nonchalant tone to mask my disappointment. “Oh. Well, hopefully everything’s okay.”

Completely ignoring my response, Sofia walks over to the fridge and pulls out a bottle of water. Making her way past me again, she says, “I’m going to try to get a few hours of sleep. I’ll see you later.”

She’s out of the room before I can say anything.

My heart pounds in my chest and my breathing picks up as realization sets in. Needing to get out of the house, I walk outside and head straight for the garden. As soon as I enter, I’m hit with the incredible floral scent. My mind races with what Sofia just told me as I make my way through the maze of flowers.

He left me.Heleftme.

I can’t believe it. Was this just some sort of game to him? Was all of his sweet-talking a ruse so he could lure me into his bed again, only this time to ensure I wouldn’t leave him and ruin his plans to walk out on me?

My hands ball into fists, and I clench my teeth hard to suppress some of this fury.

The more I think about it, the angrier I become. Not just at him, but at myself. How could I allow this to happen to me? I swore off relationships for a reason, so I wouldn’t get hurt. That’s why I have rules, to avoid this. I should have known he was trouble from the moment I met him. With his hypnotizing eyes and his body made for sinning, he’s a walking Greek god, and I let him reel me in like I was the catch of the day before he threw me back into the water.

Never. Again. And this time, I mean it. I will not bend or break my rules for any man from here on out. I am Elle Rachel Parker, independent badass, who doesn’t need a man to make her feel validated or loved. I know I’m amazing. Any guy would be lucky to have me. I was just too much for him to handle, that’s all.

One night. No names, no numbers, no sleepovers. Those are the rules I’ve lived by for the last six years, and ones I’ll live by for the next six. Ineverbreak my rules. So why did I with Dom?

Not wanting to think about this any more than I already have – because let’s be honest, we only slept together twice, seven months apart – I exit the garden and head on over to the pool. Lifting my dress over my head, I lay it on a lounge chair under the cabana. Spinning on my heel, I make my way to the edge of the pool and dive in.

The water is cool at first against my skin. My head breaks above it, and already I’m feeling calmer. I do a couple of laps in the pool before climbing out and lying on the lounger. I must have dozed off, because when I wake up, I’m completely dry.

Grabbing my sundress, I head inside, and my ears are instantly filled with laughter. I don’t get a chance to guess who it is before I’m attacked by a pint-sized beauty who is my best friend. Gia throws her body at me, engulfing me in a bear hug.

“There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I thought you forgot!” she says as she lets go of me and backs away.

Puzzled by what she’s just said, I wrack my brain for what’s going on today, but come up empty.

“I went for a swim and must have fallen asleep on the lounger,” I answer her.

“Well, that would explain the bathing suit and matted hair,” she says through a laugh. “We’ll wait down here while you go get ready. We still have time.”

Okay, now I’m really confused. “Time for what?”

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