The Journey Home

She let out another sob and took a step away from me. “I…I have to go.”

I nodded and knew I had to let her go. She turned and walked away, never once looking back. I turned and looked out over the lake. I’d just let the only woman I’d ever loved walk away from me. Again.

I TRIED TO seem interested in Andre’s story, but my mind was a million miles away. This morning, Zoey slipped and said something that had been weighing on my mind all day. I don’t think she’d even realized she’d said it:

“All I had to do to get him to forget was let him fuck me.”

We hadn’t even been talking about Cale. When I mentioned it to Monica, she pulled out her handy dandy “Zoey notebook” and wrote it down. She and Jack had been spending more and more time attempting to take Zoey down.

“Maddison? Are you even listening to me?”

I snapped my head back to Andre and smiled. He smiled back, slightly melting my insides. He was so handsome. I’d meet Andre on a business trip in Florence. The moment we bumped into each other, I felt something awaken in me. He was tall and broad-chested, with dark brown hair, blue eyes, and muscles to make a girl squirm. His family was from Florence and he said he flew to Italy a couple times a year. Since returning from Florence, he’d already flown in to Northwest Arkansas six times from his home in New York just to see me. Last weekend, I’d finally decided to move on by flying to New York City. Of course, Monica was dying to know how Andre was in bed, and I couldn’t complain. He always made sure I had at least one orgasm before he did, and he showed amazing attention to detail. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t feeling it. He wasn’t Cale.

“I’m listening,” I said. “I think I’m just tired.”

Andre licked his lips and I could feel pressure building between my legs. “I know how to relax you, Bella,” he said.

I bit down on my lip. I needed to forget, and Andre always made me forget. At least for a little while.

“My place, or your hotel?” I asked as I raised my eyebrow.

“Your place. I want to wake up to the sounds of the lake, then hear you moan as I make you come.”

I inhaled sharply, nodding. I stood and Andre led me out of the restaurant and to the car he’d hired. I slipped into the back seat of the BMW as he settled next to my side.

“We’re going to Maddison’s.”

The driver nodded and took off for my house. But it wasn’t long before I was on Andre’s lap. He slipped his fingers inside me and I dropped my head back and moaned.

“Yes…” I whispered. I closed my eyes but, when green eyes appeared, I opened mine to see Andre. I leaned down and kissed him.

“Jesus, Bella, you feel so good. I want to take you right here.”

I laughed and rubbed against his hard dick. “I’m okay with that. I’d say you were more than ready.”

He laughed that deep, throaty laugh of his and looked into my eyes. “You know my last name, Gallo, means cock in Italian.”

I rubbed against him again and moaned.

The driver cleared his throat. “Mr. Gallo, we’ve arrived at Miss Powers’ house.”

I pouted and moved off of him. Andre smacked my ass. “Next time, Bella.”

Stepping out of the car, I headed for my door. But Andre grabbed me from behind. I turned around and he picked me up. I wrapped my legs around him as he pushed me into the door. Still outside, he shoved my shirt and bra up and sucked on my nipples.

“Oh, Andre,” I moaned.

I heard what sounded like someone saying excuse me.

“Bella, are you still wet for me?” Andre asked.

“Um…Maddie?”

Cale? I was hearing Cale’s voice. I hadn’t seen or spoken to him since that kiss on his deck over a month ago.

Andre quickly pulled my shirt down and eased me back onto my feet.

I attempted to compose myself. Why I cared that he’d caught me making out with another man, I had no clue. Zoey had texted me just yesterday to tell me that Cale had asked her to marry him. It was official: He’d never be mine.

“Cale? Is everything all right?” I asked. “Is Zoey okay?”

Cale and Andre glared at each other. As if they were both trying to lay claim to me.

“Cale? Why are you here?” I said, more sternly this time.

Keeping his eyes on Andre, Cale said, “I needed to talk to you.”

Andre smiled, “Well sorry, signore. You’re going to have to talk to her tomorrow. We were in the middle of something.”

My heart dropped to the floor when Cale turned his gaze to me. He shook his head, disappointed. “Some guy you picked up for the evening?”

My mouth dropped open and Andre grabbed Cale by the shirt. “Don’t you ever talk to her like that again, you prick!”

Cale looked at me with something in his eyes I’d never seen before. “Answer me, Maddie,” he said.

Andre pushed Cale back and slammed him into the side of my house. “Her name is Maddison.”

Cale broke Andre’s grip with a few quick moves. I didn’t even have time to let out a scream before Cale had Andre pinned up against the house. ?

??Her name is Maddie.”

I approached Cale to pull him away, and that’s when I smelled the alcohol. “Stop this,” I said. “Now.”

“I just wanted to talk to you,” Cale said.

I nodded. “Let go of him, Cale. If you let go of him, I’ll talk to you.”

“What?” Andre said. “The hell you will, Bella.”

I turned to Andre. “I know him, Andre. He’s an old friend and I’m close with his fiancée who is going to have a baby soon. Let me just talk to him. He’s clearly upset.”

Andre’s eyes flicked back and forth between me and Cale. He shook his head and said, “Bella, he interrupted us.”

I could feel my cheeks burning as Cale rolled his eyes and walked up to my door.

I walked Andre back out to the curb. His driver always waited for him, no matter how long he stayed with me. “I promise to make it up to you. I swear,” I whispered against Andre’s ear as I kissed him goodbye. He looked pissed, but kissed me again before getting into the BMW and driving off. I rushed back to check on Cale.

I unlocked my door and pulled Cale inside. “If Zoey sees you here, she’s going to freak.” I said as he stumbled over to my sofa.

“She lied.”

“Who?” I asked as I took off my jacket. My nipples were still hard from all of Andre’s foreplay.

Cale checked out my breasts. “Does he turn you on, Bella?”

I shot Cale a dirty look. “Stop it. You have no right to judge me.”

He held up his hands in surrender.

I sat down and took off my heels. “Now, who lied to you?”

“Zoey,” he sighed. “I found out today from the doctor that she’s not as far along as she’d claimed to be.”

I leaned back into the sofa. “What do you mean?”

He laughed and shook his head. “I mean, she wasn’t fucking pregnant when she told me she was. She lied because she knew I was going to break up with her.”

I sat up, leaning closer to him. “Well, do you know for sure, Cale? I mean these dates aren’t always completely accurate, you know?”