One to Chase (One to Hold 7)

He exhales a breath. “Yes. I can’t explain why. Will you trust me?”

I can’t respond. Did he just ask me to trust him? Again? Sure, we’ve had several rounds of extremely intimate, blazing-hot sex, but what does that amount to? Clearly nothing. It amounts to nothing!

He catches my chin, lifting it so our eyes meet. Pain spirals down through my insides, twisting my heart as it falls. I hold on with everything inside me. Do NOT fucking cry, for God’s sake.

His eyes reflect the same out of control emotions ringing inside me, and without a pause, he pulls me to him. I exhale a little noise. Both his hands catch my cheeks and he consumes my mouth, pushing it open and finding my tongue. Heat floods my panties. My back is against the wall, and the same driving passion as last week, as this weekend, as on the boat blazes between us.

I can’t breathe. I want this, but at the same time... Turning my head, I break away, stepping out of his reach.

“No.” My heart thuds against my chest. “I’m not doing this.”

“Please.” His voice is an exhale.

All the emotions we’ve shared, the tiny things, the enormous things, the pieces we’ve given each other, are piling up on top of us, and—

We’re not alone.

A dark-haired female is at the corner, and I only just recognize the oversized houndstooth pattern on her black and white dress.

“How fucking familiar.” Karen’s voice saber-cuts through me. Her hands are on her hips, and her eyes narrow like a snake’s. “I guess some things never change, do they, Amy Knight?”

Shame scalds my insides. It’s all too much. “I’ve got to go.”

Pushing past Karen, I don’t stop until I reach C.J.

“Finally!” he complains. “You’re missing everything. Pill-butt walked in with her entourage, and the icy glares between her and Goldie... Hell, Elsa could reconstruct the Willis tower with them.”

“I can’t stay,” I manage, fighting tears.

His brow lines. “I take it this is not okay.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Pulling out two twenties, I drop them on the bar beside his hand. “Thanks for the drinks.”

“But it’s ladies’ night!” His voice chases me to the door. I only wave in his direction. “I’ll call you for lunch tomorrow!”

I’m out the door on foot. The car service can pick me up at the next block.

Chapter 13: Whispers and Wishes

Marcus

I’m standing in the dim anteroom, my insides unraveling, and Karen Philpot is right here watching. How has my life come to this?

No time for post mortems. I rub a hand over my chin, straighten my jacket, and start to go. Of course, the bitch stops me.

“You’ve always made good choices, Marcus.” Her superior tone tweaks my annoyance. “Don’t let Amy Knight turn you into a fool. She’s been playing men like you since high school.”

I simultaneously want to strangle Karen and ask her to elaborate. I don’t do either. Amy has been a mystery from the start. Running into her tonight is the worst possible thing that could’ve happened, but I didn’t get to the top by walking away from tough situations—or by being stupid. Karen is at the top of her game as well, for whatever that’s worth.

Infusing my voice with as much disinterest as possible, I shrug. “Is that so?”

“Yes.” She folds her hands. “She’s a destructive little viper disguised as an ingénue. I don’t know why she ever came back.”

Turning on a needle-thin heel, she returns to the bar. I linger a bit, considering what just happened. I know Amy has secrets, but I also know how she looked at me just now. Her emotions were plain on her face, and the truth hit me so hard.

Despite what she said, I did make it in. Somehow I got past the guards, past the running, into her heart. Now I don’t know what will happen. Will she fight me out or will she let me stay? So much depends on how I handle this, and I’ve obligated myself to help Paige.

With a deep exhale, I return to the bar, to where my date is sitting at a tall table, a pale yellow cocktail in front of her.