“I’ve been searching all over Texas for you, sweetheart. Jesus, it’s so good to see you – I’ve missed you like a hole in my heart.”
As if in a daze, Samira stood on trembling legs, feeling lightheaded. Ivan stepped in front of her and ran his fingers down her chee
k, causing her body to fizz all over. Her heart fluttered and her breath caught in her throat, flooding her mind with elation and affection, as well as sensuous lust.
“Still so beautiful,” he said, wrapping her in his loving gaze. “What are you doing here? On this ranch?”
“The funding was cut for my course – I was told to leave the country. But I couldn’t do that. So I ended up here.”
“Thank goodness you found somewhere to stay and wait for me.”
“Wait for you… Ivan, I thought you were… gone forever.”
“I would’ve found you wherever you were in the world. It’s so good to see you.”
“Oh god…”
She was desperate to kiss him, to touch him, to make love to him. She closed her eyes as he leaned in to kiss her, but – behind her eyes – she was assaulted with a flash of the wrenching agony he’d put her through.
Bastard!
A wave of fury zoomed into her heart. Faked his death? Her eyes flicked open and she glared at his kind, loving face. “You asshole!”
“What?”
“You could’ve told me the truth – would it have been so hard? Just to tell me? We could’ve… we could’ve… Or perhaps you don’t trust me?”
“Samira, of course I–”
“But no, instead you thought it would be much easier to put me through the agony and devastation of thinking I’d lost you forever! And now you think you can just waltz back into my life? I don’t think so…”
Ivan opened his mouth to defend himself, but Samira’s emotions cracked. She pushed away his hand, pulled back her fist, and punched him hard in the face with all the force of her bubbling anger.
Ivan stumbled in shock. “Samira, what the fuck…?”
“You asshole! You’ve been alive all this time. How could you do this to me?”
He held out his hands. “Look, I know it was–”
“You have no idea what the hell you’ve put me through! And you think you can just come back and sweep me off my feet? Planning to throw me over your shoulder and ride off with me, are you?”
He tried to grab her shoulders. “Samira, I just –”
“Don’t you touch me, Ivan Quinlan! Don’t you dare talk to me.”
Propelled by fury and passion, she stormed back to the bedroom to grab her clothes.
He followed. “Look, Samira, I can understand why you’re –”
“Can you?” She struggled into her damp dress. “You think you understand what’s been going on since you fell off the planet, do you? Well, let me tell you, Ivan Quinlan, you don’t have a fucking clue.”
She shoved past him and strode to the front door. Then she spun to face him. He looked baffled; hurt.
“I need you to leave this ranch,” she said.
“What?”
“Right now. This minute. Leave. I never want to see you again.”