But the problem was---
Nathan wasn’t the man she was in love with.
He was.
And if he saw that, wouldn’t it cause him worry? Wouldn’t it make him think heartbreak had forced her to jump into the fire from the frying pan?
She knew she shouldn’t even care about what he was thinking. She knew it wasn’t her place.
But she did.
Because she still loved him.
Nathan
“I have my car parked over there,” Nathan murmured, gesturing to where his sports car was.
“Aww. Your limousine chauffeur had a day off?” The words might be a jibe, but the shadow falling over her expression made her beautiful face pale.
He knew what it meant, of course.
She was thinking about the other man again.
“I feel like a walk.”
She didn’t want to, but she couldn’t help it, and now she was doing her best to run away from her thoughts.
“Alyx.”
Instead of slowing her down, his words spurred her to move faster. He could have used his strength to force her to stop, but he didn’t, knowing she had to do this. With the afternoon sun settling in and the temperature cooling, the streets were now crowded, causing Alyx and Nathan to walk past countless strangers, most of whom gawked openly at them in recognition.
Some had the presence of mind to take photos, others grinned and winked as if to say, A pussy-whipped boyfriend in the flesh.
Nathan didn’t mind. Opinions of strangers mattered little to him. If it had, he would’ve never been able to make it to the top of his former career.
They walked past his sports car and turned around the corner, which led to one of the quieter blocks in the city. It was less crowded here, the street lined with antiquarian shops, indie stores, and art galleries.
In front of him, Alyx held her head high, her back held stiff, and her generous hips barely swaying. Nathan didn’t give a damn if she needed to walk all the way to Orlando if that was what it would take to get everything out of her system. But what he did give a damn about right now was making sure she was okay.
“Alyx.” This time he murmured her name firmly, letting her know that he would need her to answer this time.
She looked at him over her shoulder---
Ah.
It was but a moment, but it was more than enough for Nathan to know that her soul was crying out for him.
You were supposed to help me forget him!
Alyx jerked her gaze away, but he caught up with her in the next moment. As soon as he fell into step beside her, she spared him a glance that was more a glare even as her lips trembled.
His grip tightened. I’m sorry, sweetheart. When Nathan had chosen to come back into her life, he had done so with a promise, one that she might not have known consciously---
But her soul heard.
It had known what he was promising, just as it knew now he had failed.
Nathan’s fingers loosened and tightened one more time, finally prompting Alyx to look at him. “What?” Her tone was mutinous and fragile at the same time.
“I’m sorry.”
“About what?”
“I promised I’d call you, but I didn’t.”
“It’s probably a thing with you, isn’t it? Like an ego trip?”
“Actually, no.” Nathan wasn’t lying. “It was only with you.”
She jerked to a stop, her jaw dropping. “Are you fucking serious?”
“If it’s any consolation, it was not for lack of desire.”
Alyx only looked at him.
“It was simply because I couldn’t make up my mind about what I wanted – needed – to say.”
Slowly, her lips moved to form one word. “Bullshit.”
Nathan grinned.
“I promise it won’t happen---”
“BULLSHIT.”
She had yelled the word out this time, causing onlookers to gather around them. Such a scene would normally displease Nathan, but because this was his beautiful virago---
He only laughed. “I’m sorry.”
“Bullshit!”
She stalked away, but his long-legged stride enabled him to catch up with her, and he told her solemnly, “This is probably going to anger you more---”
Alyx threw him an exasperated look. “Then don’t bother saying it!”
“---but I still haven’t quite made up my mind what to say to you yet.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth that Alyx turned to him furiously, hissing, “Are you serious? Are you fucking serious?” And then she tried crushing his foot with her stiletto. Hard.
Alyx tore away from him as he grunted in pain, but even though it did slow him down a bit, she was again fooling herself if she thought he’d let her get away so easily just like that.
He caught her from behind, and she shrieked, “Who do you think you are, asshole?”
“The man you’ll never get enough of,” he purred into her ear just before yanking her with him into the nearest unlocked door---
Birds chirped in greeting as they found themselves inside an avian emporium, complete with an open-mouthed lady manager.