Pierced Hearts (Southern Charmers 1)

“Fucking shit.” Reality crashes down, and absolutely everything Stephanie said clicks into place.

“Now, you know it all.”

“You’re leaving me again.”

“That’s not true, and you know it. I wasn’t meant to come back to this town long term. You and I can never get back what we had.”

“Why not? The past hurts like hell, but the thought of losing you again hurts worse.” I pin her with my glare.

“As much as I wish that were true, it’s not. There is no place for me in your life, Pierce.” Her eyes glisten, and her lips tremble. “I’m sorry it’s gone this far.”

“That’s bullshit, Darby. I love you.”

Her body jerks forward. “You love me?”

“I told you this last night, but you refused to listen.”

“You said a lot of things last night.”

“Did you hear any of them?”

“Yes,” she admits faintly.

“Then you heard me say I was going to make things right with us.”

“You did, Pierce. Things are right, but it doesn’t change anything.”

Irritation spikes in my blood, and I grab our plates, taking them to the sink before I say something rash. She comes to my side, lightly gripping my chin and bringing my face to hers. “I understand if you want to leave. Let me handle the dishes.”

I turn, taking her into my arms and crushing her body to mine. “I’m proud of you, Darby,” I tell her the truth because, regardless of the emotional upheaval in my brain, she deserves to hear this. “But you need to know; I’m not giving up.”

“Pierce—”

“No.” The hesitation in her voice sets my nerves on edge. “You’re not pushing me away this time.”

“You have to understand—”

This time, I cut her off by closing my mouth over hers. Her tongue curls around mine without a fight, and she sinks against me. I kiss her gently, sending her a message. She’s not convinced we can survive this, but there is no way in hell she’s getting away from me again. Slowly, I break away, skimming my lips over hers and feeling the warm pants of her breath. “Baby, there’s a change of plans. I do need to go home.”

She stiffens, yanks back, and turns away, but not before I spot the disappointment on her face. “I understand,” comes out shakily.

“I don’t think you do. If we’re going to Aspen in two weeks for you to meet with your new team, I need to start making arrangements tonight.”

“We?”

“You don’t think I’m letting you go across the country to make the biggest announcement of your career without me, do you?”

“Why would you do that? It’s going to complicate things even more.”

“It is, but clue in; things are going to be complicated until we figure this out.”

“Pierce, figuring this out is an impossible scenario. It’s doomed.”

“A month ago, I would have agreed, but after last night, having you back, I know differently.”

She blows out a ragged breath and face plants into my chest. “There is no way this is a good idea. Clearing the air and having phenomenal sex doesn’t make our problems disappear. We have no future.”

For the first time in an hour, I find myself grinning. “Phenomenal sex and the fact that I love you are two reasons we will have a future.”

She mumbles something about bad decisions, delusional intentions, and insanity into my shirt. What she doesn’t do is argue or move away.

Now, I need to figure out a way to pull off a miracle.

Chapter 13

Darby

A small whimper of gratitude escapes as soon as my feet hit the warm soapy water. My nail technician smiles, sets the whirlpool function, and leaves me to soak. I settle back in the massaging chair and try to relax, shoving all thoughts of responsibility to the back of my mind.

It’s hard to believe the shift my life has taken in the last ten days. My days were pretty normal, and Mom continually added a few new orders to my schedule, which didn’t bother me. It was my evenings that became insane. While I’ve spent my days in the bakery, working with deliveries, and doing special drop-offs when needed, my nights have been a cyclone of meetings. Mostly with my family and Stephanie on speakerphone. Mom took to the role of my administrative assistant easily, but she slid into the role of my PR representative like a pro. She spent hours on the phone with the professional marketing and communications team at Brasher Resorts, outlining a plan for when our announcement goes public.

Brasher didn’t blink an eye when I explained how important it was to let my community know what’s happening. They spouted that my ability to form such close relationships with my clients was a high factoring reason in our impending partnership. With the help of a team of people, and my final approval, the press releases will be going live within the hour of my announcement in Aspen.