“That summer we met…I’d already almost reached the end of my prospecting. At the time, I couldn’t imagine having gone through everything I’d already gone through only to have that patch yanked away from me.
“I was young, Sky. Young and selfish. Too young to realize that losing you would be the bigger loss. I made a mistake, Skylar. I never should have fucking let you go the first time.
“If I hadn’t, maybe you wouldn’t have had to go through all the pain you did. All I thought about was me. What I was going to lose. I didn’t think about you. How it would affect you. I see that now. I was an alpha dog, and you were a sweet innocent shy girl. I thought Cole was right to protect you and run me off.
“And these words are gonna hurt, and that’s sucks, but I gotta say ‘em. You need to hear ‘em. Maybe a part of me knew you’d be a commitment, and it was a commitment I wasn’t ready to make at that time in my life.
“Gotta say, babe. Truth? Back then, part of the appeal of the club was the women. I wasn’t ready for an ol’ lady or locking myself down like that to one woman. You deserved better. Even then, I knew that. I knew if I was sweet about it, you’d convince me to stay, so I was a dick. It was the only way I could run you off. I had to turn it around and make it your fault. It never was, Sky. It was never you. I was angry with myself, and I took it out on you. I convinced myself you were trying to ruin everything I’d worked so hard for. You weren’t. You never would have. You would have stayed and taken any shit I shoveled your way.”
Skylar took in his words. It hurt to hear them, but he was right, she needed to hear them. They had to talk this all out if they were going to come out on the other side. And there were things she’d needed to get out, too. “What you did, it broke me. I felt worthless. Like I didn’t deserve to be loved.” A tear slid down her cheek and dropped to his chest.
“You’re not worthless, you know it deep inside. You don’t dress like you think nothing of yourself, you don’t do drugs. You never did. Sky, you were always meant for better. It’s in you. You can’t be broken. Please don’t tell me you’re broken.”
“What does it matter? Things never worked out. You. Letty. My life.”
He rose up over her, his hand lifting to her face, his thumb brushing the wetness from her cheek.
“All that’s fuckin’ over, Sky. You hear me? It’s long fucking done.”
CHAPTER TEN
Skylar woke, her hand sliding across the sheets. Empty. Lifting up from her stomach, she looked toward the open French doors to see Shades leaning against the frame, his eyes on the horizon as dawn was breaking. He was bare chested, his jeans pulled on, but left undone, hanging loose on his hips, that sexy V showing. At her movement he turned his head to look at her, a grin pulling at his mouth.
“Mornin’, babe.”
She returned his smile. “Morning.”
“Great view.”
“I know, you can see for miles from that window.”
“Not talkin’ about the window,” he corrected with a lazy grin, letting his eyes sweep over her naked back down to where the sheet lie draped low across her ass.
She smiled. “Come back to bed.”
She watched as he pushed off the doorframe and sauntered toward her, his shoulders rolling as he moved, and her eyes skated over his muscular arms and chest and cut abs. He stopped at the end of the bed, leaning against one of the four posters.
She looked back at him over her shoulder, a coquettish smile on her face.
“Roll over, babe.”
She took in the look in his eyes. It was hungry, his eyes hooded, dilated. She moved to do as he bid, rolling and pressing back against the pillows, one foot coming up to run seductively, temptingly back and forth over the sheet, her knee bent, her hip out.
His eyes ran over her.
“Put your hands over your head. Grab the headboard.”
She did as he asked, her hands closing over the polished wooden spindles. She watched him watch her, and as he continued to stand there, his eyes sweeping over her, she grew impatient for his touch. She couldn’t stop herself from writhing on the sheets, beckoning him with her body.
“Shades, please.”
“You want something, pretty girl?”
“You know I do.”
“What do you want?”
“You.”