Page 76 of Mr. Scandalous

Eden watched the Ferrari speed away. Turning, she inserted her key into the lock and let herself into the boutique.

She shouldn’t have confessed her sexual inexperience.

But he’d been acting weird before then. He’d gotten out of bed before she awoke. He’d showered and dressed while she still slept. He hadn’t spoken much and when she’d teasingly tried to undress him for one last mattress wrestle before checkout, he’d gently turned her down. He’d been subdued and he’d had trouble making eye contact with her. When she’d made a few jokes, he hadn’t laughed.

Listlessly she dropped her suitcase and purse on the counter and sank into the chair beside the phone. The message light blinked. Sighing, she dropped her head into her hands and told herself she wasnotgoing to cry.

What had changed? Why had he gone from urging her to extend their time together to kicking her out of his car as quickly as possible?

She searched for an explanation. What had happened to the man she had shared so much with the night before? Had she said something untoward, done something to embarrass him? What had changed?

The answer hit her like a hard boot to the head.

She recalled daringly guiding his hand to her thigh this morning. That’s when the odd expression had come over his face, that’s when he’d pulled back, told her they didn’t have time for another romp.

Bile rose in her throat.

He’d covered up his distaste pretty well last night, but obviously he hadn’t wanted to touch her scar again in the light of day after his passion had worn off. And why would he? He could have his pick of women, why would he want to saddle himself with someone who was less than perfect?

Face facts, Eden. You’re damaged goods.

Ultimately, even a sexual connoisseur like Alec wasn’t able to look past her flaws. How else could she explain his abrupt change in behavior? The old doubts she thought she’d vanquished spilled into her mind, gnawing and gnashing on her. She reached into her pocket to finger the worry stone, but for once the rock did nothing to allay her fears.

Stop it! You’ve come too far to sink this low again.

Feeling sadder but wiser, she checked her voice mail messages. Anything to take her mind off Alec.

“Eden? This is Tori Drake,” the voice of the Spice-Up-Your-Love-Life representative spun off the tape and filled the room.

Eden tensed and caught her breath. Had they liked the new basket or was she about to lose her biggest account?

“Congratulations! The executiveslovedyour new basket design. You did a superb job. Not only are we renewing your contract, but we’re also upping the order. Call me on Monday. Have a nice weekend.”

Eden exhaled sharply. She should have been over- the-moon-elated. She had bested her creative slump; she’d had terrific sex with Alec, and she’d discovered so much about herself in the process. She should be happy, excited, overjoyed.

But instead she felt hollow, empty, sad. Even though she’d convinced herself that all she wanted was to play the bad girl and indulge in a four-week fling, she realized that was not what she wanted at all.

Because in that moment, she realized what was wrong.

In spite of her best intentions to the contrary, she’d made the cardinal mistake of falling in love with Alec Ramsey.

ChapterNineteen

“I’VE GOTSOMETHINGimportant to tell you,” Uncle Mac yelled, as they stood poised atop the hard, cold granite cliff of Kjerag, Norway. A glacier wind whipped their hair about their faces. “And this is difficult for me to admit.”

“What is it?” Alec could barely hear above the wind.

He, Mac and their guide, Yuri, had just finished a twenty-eight-hundred-foot climb with parachutes strapped to their backs. The rugged beauty of the mountain landscape stretched endless before them. It was two weeks after Randy’s wedding and Alec hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Eden. When Mac had sauntered into his office two days before and suggested another parachute jump off Kjerag, he’d leaped at the chance.

Something, anything to erase Eden from his mind. A spontaneous trip to throw himself headlong off a cliff in Norway seemed exactly what he needed. An exciting thrill ride to get his blood pumping again.

Alec looked at his uncle. Why had Mac picked this moment to start a serious conversation?

Mac flashed him a toothy grin, took off on a running exit and just as he bolted off the overhang and into the void below, he hollered, “Sophie and I are getting married.”

Alec blinked and shook his head. Certainly, he must have heard wrong. He watched Mac’s canopy open. His uncle glided gracefully down to the earth.

Yuri gave him the thumbs-up. “Get it on!”

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