Substitute Seduction (Sweet Tea And Scandal 2)

With the front door closed, the spacious foyer seemed to narrow. Beneath the scent of wind and water that she’d brought into his home, her perfume tickled his nostrils. Abruptly, he was overwhelmed by memories. Of the joyful hours she’d spent here. The long nights they’d devoured each other. The lazy Sunday mornings when they’d talked over coffee, croissants and egg-white omelets.

“Thank you for letting me come over,” she murmured.

Harrison shoved his hands into his pockets. He would not touch her or offer comfort of any kind, no matter how soft and sweet and vulnerable she looked. He would not let her off easy or tell her it was okay, because it wasn’t.

“You said you wanted to explain about going after my brother,” he growled. “So explain.”

“I will, but first I need to say something to you.” London’s beautiful eyes clung to him. “When I’m with you, I feel...everything. I didn’t expect all the things you make me want and need. I didn’t understand that once we’d made love there would be no going back for me.”

Harrison’s muscles quivered and it took willpower to prevent his body from responding to what she was saying. Her every word echoed how he’d felt about her and the loss he’d experienced these last few days gripped him anew.

“All I want is to be with you.” Her hands fluttered, graceful as a dancer’s, opening and closing as she poured out her emotions. “You made me feel beautiful and fulfilled. You gave me a safe place to be open and vulnerable.”

“That’s not an explanation for why you used me,” he said, his heart wrenching so hard it was difficult to keep a grip on his impatience.

Her expression was a study in consternation as she began again. “I was afraid to tell you what I was doing for fear that you’d hate me.”

Her declaration shook him to the core.

“I could never hate you.”

He loved her.

The realization left him stunned and reeling. For days he’d ignored the part of him that had recognized the signs.

“Harrison, I’m sorry,” London said, her voice sounding very far away even though sh

e stood within reach. “I did a terrible thing.”

He loved her?

How was that possible given what she’d done?

She’d used him to get to his brother. Didn’t she know he would’ve done anything for her if only she’d asked? His soul ached as he resisted his heart’s longing for her. She would always be his weakness.

Needing to put some distance between them before he succumbed to the urge to back her against the wall and lose himself in her, Harrison marched back toward his living room.

It wasn’t until he threw himself onto the couch that he realized she hadn’t left the foyer. With an impatient huff, he rose and went to find her. She stood where he’d left her, pulling down her sleeves to hide her hands.

“I’m so deeply sorry that what I did hurt you,” she said, her voice tiny and choked with tears. “And I want to tell you everything.”

“You might as well come in and tell me the whole story.”

Losing the battle to avoid touching her, Harrison towed London into the living room and drew her to the couch. Once they were seated side by side, she began her tale.

“It all started when I met Zoe and another woman, Everly Briggs, at a networking event a few months ago. We were all strangers and each of us was in a bad place. Linc had just broken off our engagement. Zoe’s divorce was going badly. And Everly claimed her sister had been wrongly imprisoned.”

London’s fingers clenched and flexed in her lap. “I don’t know who first brought up the idea of getting back at the men who’d hurt us, but Everly jumped pretty hard on it and her enthusiasm swept up both Zoe and me.”

Harrison hated that London’s pain from her broken engagement had driven her to do something reckless.

“Zoe was pretty scared of Tristan and I didn’t want to go after Linc and damage my reputation by appearing vindictive. So...” She blew out a big breath. “Since we were strangers who met by chance, we decided to take on each other’s men. Everly went after Linc for me. I went after Tristan for Zoe. And she’s supposed to take down Ryan Dailey for Everly.”

Despite his dismay at her story, Harrison could see the logic in their approach. “So who sent me the audio clip of you?”

“Everly. She wanted to make you hate me.” London peered at him anxiously. “She saw how important you were becoming to me.”

His treacherous heart sang as some of his hurt and anger eased at her confession. The longing to take her in his arms grew more urgent, but he resisted. Although it was clear that no matter what she’d done or why, he couldn’t stop wanting her, he required a full explanation before deciding what to do next.