Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
I felt like an idiot. It was so clear to see it. Watching her with her friends, I had no doubts everything I’d learned an hour before was true. My little Cee was turning eighteen, not twenty-two.
“I never meant for that to happen,” she whispers after a few moments of silence.
But it had and I felt betrayed and lost. I was so angry with her and myself. More so myself, because even as I sat there and watched, I knew.
I knew she was the only one for me. She’d carved a spot in my heart and made herself a home. Still, I couldn’t let it continue.
I had a career to think about. My initial worries and concerns about us as a couple were nothing compared to the truth that faced me. I broke things off right away.
Now here we are again. Chloe is a brilliant young woman at twenty-five. She has so much going for her future. I won’t ask her to throw it all away and I’ve yet to tell my father that I don’t want to follow the path he has placed before me.
Seeing Chloe is a problem for so many reasons. She’s a distraction. There are things I must do, and I must do them now.
She’s a distraction because I’m always so concerned about my father finding out about her. Now I know he knows. He’ll ruin her life to keep her away from me.
I could never allow that to happen. Yet, I’m not in the position to prevent it and that just won’t do. When I leave, I’m declaring war. Since I now know I can’t take her with me, I can’t leave her as a pawn.
“Baby,” I try, but she turns her back on me. “I’m doing this for your own good. Before was different—”
“Different how?” She turns back around and yells at me. “You broke my heart then and you’re doing it all over again.”
“You lied to me,” I bellow, letting my control slip.
I close my eyes as my jaw tics. I’ve been furious with her for years. The last time wasn’t on me. She was too young. There was nothing I could do.
“I knew it, I knew when I walked into that restaurant I should’ve run back out.” She shakes her head. “You came for me, Brodi. Why? Why come for me if you knew you couldn’t stay?”
“I had only planned to talk to you. To see how your life was,” I choke out.
“Yeah right, you found me, so you could fuck me. It was the one thing you never got to do. You needed to settle the score,” she hisses at me. “Hope it was worth it.”
I close the small distance between us so fast she jumps back, startled. I bend until we’re nose to nose. My chest heaves with my own anger.
“I’ve never fucked you,” I retort, placing my hands on her slim yet curvy hips. “Every time I touch you, I make love to you.”
I place my forehead to hers, trying to calm myself. I lick my lips, lifting my head once more. Her hazel eyes lock with mine and I hate what I see there. I move my hands to cup her pretty face, wanting nothing more than to get lost in kissing every single one of her freckles.
They’re so faint and uniquely hers. Like cinnamon dust was blown over her eyelids and just above her upper lip. I groan when my eyes fall to her full mouth.
I thought she was a knockout when I first met her at seventeen. Now, Chloe is drop-dead gorgeous. She commands a room when she enters.
“I promise, this time, I’ll stay away.” The words burn my tongue as they come out. “I leave the country tonight. I won’t drag you into my mess. I could lose everything. I have nothing to offer you. My brothers and I, we’re making a bold statement with our actions.” I pause and sigh. “I can’t protect you from my world like this.”
I hear the pain in my voice. It’s my job as her man to protect her. I can’t do that if I take this course. I just don’t know if I can guarantee it.
Chloe has done well for herself. The way her eyes light up when she talks about work, makes me so proud of her. I didn’t see that until this week.
I’d brought her here so I could spend time with her. I had every intention of asking her to start over with me but… I can’t.
Chloe has Ally to take care of. Her best friend Sidney means the world to her. She has a life outside of me. For once, I’m not being a selfish man. I’ve thought this through.
I don’t want to give Chloe up, but I can’t keep hurting her and she can’t just drop her life for me. I have too many unknown variables in my life. At thirty-three, I’m starting over.