by Avery, Joy
His words yielded the results he’d hoped for. Eunice stopped but didn’t face him. One out of two wasn’t bad, given the circumstances. “You shot me in the throat with a paintball. I was sure I was dying.”
Eunice’s shoulders shimmied as if she was laughing, but he wasn’t sure. He continued. “You hovered over my body—mortified and in tears. At the time, I wasn’t sure if you were worried about me or more worried I’d fire you.”
“Both,” she said, just loud enough for him to hear. “I really wanted to keep my job.”
Progress. He hazarded three or four steps in her direction. “For the next three weeks you buzzed me every day to make sure I was okay.” He risked another few steps until he was standing directly behind her. But that wasn’t enough; he needed to look into her eyes.
When he stepped in front of her, she refused to look at him. That was okay; that wouldn’t deter him. “I finally told you if you were so concerned about me, then maybe you should work directly with me. That way you could keep a close eye on me and stop using valuable company time buzzing my office every ten minutes. But that wasn’t the real reason I wanted you there.”
“Stop it, Blake.”
“I love you, Eunice.”
“Stop it! Just stop it!”
“Eunice—”
“Your words say one thing, but your actions proved another. Which do you think speak louder to me?” Tears glistened in her eyes. “You threatened to have security toss me out on my ass. You refused to listen when I tried to explain to you that everything I’d done, I’d done for you.”
“I know that now. I just didn’t—”
“You shut me out of your life like I was some random nobody, Blake. Not like the woman who trusted you enough to share her deepest, darkest pain. Not like the woman who shared your bed. Not like the woman who loved you so much that she lost a piece of herself when you walked away.”
Eunice’s words slammed into him like an unmanned train. He ran his hand over his head and closed his eyes tight in hopes of banishing the wrenching pain he felt in his heart. How could he have been so damn stupid? He should have known.
“I screwed up, Eunice.” Opening his eyes, he gazed directly into hers. “I felt betrayed. I allowed my head to lead me where my heart never would have gone. If I could go back in time, make all of this right, I would. But I can’t.” In a bold move, he cradled Eunice’s face between his hands. “All I can do is promise you I’ll never, ever hurt you like this again. I love you, Eunice. I love you. I love you.”
“You can tell me you love me a million times, Blake. But the words mean nothing if you’re not showing me they’re true.”
“Let me show you. I know you believe in second chances.” When Eunice rested her hands against his, he took it as a breakthrough.
“I do believe in second chances, Blake.”
He smiled so wide he thought the corners of his mouth would crack.
“I just don’t believe everyone deserves them.” Eunice peeled his hands away, brushed past him, and hurried away.
***
Eunice willed herself not to shed any tears until she was far away from the man who’d caused them. No such luck. She slapped her hand across cheek and cursed herself for not being stronger.
Like a lost puppy she couldn’t get rid of, Blake shuffled up behind her. Why couldn’t he simply allow her to escape? She’d said all she’d needed to say to him.
“Every one may not deserve a second chance, Eunice, but I do.”
Eunice spun on her heels. Her jaw clinched, but she didn’t say anything in response to his statement. A reply would only have welcomed more dialogue. And all she wanted to do was get away.
She started away again. Maybe this time would be the charm—or at least a hint that she wanted nothing more to do with him. But four or five steps in, her heart proved her wrong. Blake grunted behind her, and she turned to see him down on all fours. Actually, all three because one leg was kicked out to the side.
“Blake?” Before his name fully escaped, she was kneeling at his side. Helping him to a seated position, she said, “What’s wrong?”
“Apparently, my knee doesn’t like the cold or speed walking.”
He managed a weak smile, but she could tell he was genuinely in pain and not faking as was her first thought. “Just sit and relax it a minute.” Her next instinct was to massage his knee as she’d done so many times before, but she caught herself.
Blake sucked in a sharp breath. “Damn.”
“What?”
“This concrete is cold.”
Eunice flashed a half-smile, nothing too brilliant that would lead him to believe he was forgiven. On her knees next to him, she said, “Quit being a baby.”
She’d expected the laugh that followed her words. She hadn’t, however, expected the kiss Blake planted on her. He rested a hand on the back of her neck and kissed her hard. Kissed her wild. Kissed her in the manner that could suggest he missed her—loved her even.
“No, no, no,” she said against his mouth, but made no effort to pull away.
“Yes,” Blake countered. “Please forgive me. I need you.”
His mouth declared war on hers. Their connection sparked as familiar as ever, as delicious as ever. Yet, it was too much.
Eunice snatched away, but Blake’s hand didn’t allow her mouth to venture far. “Let me go, Blake,” she said in a low and yielding tone.
“Let me love you, Eunice.”
“You can’t. Not the way I want—demand—to be loved.”
Finally regaining some control over her defiant body, she pressed her hands into his chest and pushed away from him. This time he let her escape. But instead of leaving him there, she sat facing him.
Once her butt hit the ground, the nip jarred her. Damn. This concrete is cold.
They eyed one another, neither breaking the silence with words. Eunice recognized that look on his face. If she had to guess, he was plotting his next move. But so was she. She’d learned from him to think twelve steps ahead.
Blake refused to look away and so did she. Even when the impact of their gazes became too much, too intense and her heart threatened to shatter her ribcage, she held on. Like primal beasts, they challenged each other for dominance.
Finally, Blake spoke. “Show me how to love you. I want you in my life.”
“We don’t always get what we want. You, of all people, should know that.”
He nodded. “I do. But I can live without those things. I can’t live without you.”
“You have been living without me. You seem to be doing just fine at it.”
“I’ve been existing, not living. There’s a difference. I hate yoga.”
The randomness of the confession grabbed her attention. “What does yoga have to do with anything?”
“Because every single day I’ve wished I was there in yoga class. That would mean you were still in my life.”
Unable to deny the impact of his words, she slid her gaze away and studied the Christmas lights in the distance.
“I sleep in my guest bedroom—or on the couch—because my bed tortures me with memories of you. I buzz your office at least twice a day out of habit. When I call out your name and you don’t call back, I’m forced to remember you’re no longer there. Forced to remember I pushed away the only woman who has ever managed to occupy my heart. The only woman I’ve ever loved wholly.”
A tear escaped from Eunice’s eye. “I’m sorry. I just can’t believe that.” When Blake leaned over and dragged his thumb across her cheek, she flinched from his touch. The delicate gesture thinned her to spreading consistency. Why did she love this man?
“Believe,” he said.
“I did believe, Blake. I believed in you. I believed in us. I believed my heart would be safe with you. It wasn’t. And now you want me to what…?” She shrugged. “Trust that it will be different?”
“No.”
No? His reply took her by surprise.
“I want you to tru
st that I’ll be different.”
Eunice glanced away again. In her heart, of course she wanted to believe him. But in her head, she was unsure if she could risk it.
Blake took her hand into his. “Do you still love me?”
Was he serious? She was freezing her ass off with him. Plus, the kind of love she felt for him didn’t simply fade just like that. “Yes,” she said plainly.
“Are you still in love with me?”
Again, without falter, she said, “Yes.”
“Eunice, you know me better than sometimes I think I know myself. Look deep into your heart and tell me if you believe I still love and am in love with you?”
Eunice’s voice cracked when she said, “Yes, I do.”
He smiled. “Good. I’m not perfect, Eunice. Far from it. And contrary to popular belief—mainly my belief”—he said with a laugh—“I do make mistakes. Lots of them. I’m not perfect,” he repeated, “but neither is love.”
“I’ve never wanted perfect, Blake. I’ve only ever wanted true.”
“Right now, at this very moment, that’s what I’m offering you. There are two things my love for you will always be: certain and true.”
Eunice swallowed down her rampant emotions. Staring at him, she said, “I never once slept with Caleb while we were together.”
“I don’t care, Eunice. I don’t care about Palmer. I don’t care about Caleb. I don’t even care about Fredrick Bass—although, thank you for going to bat for me even when I was a complete asshole to you.”
“I’m sorry, could you repeat that. A what?”
“Asshole. A complete asshole,” he said with a sexy chuckle. “All I care about is you, me, us. I flew a million miles to get to you, woman. I think I died twice. Lost consciousness a few times. I might have even cried after hour five… But I would do it all over again. What do you say? You think you can give me one more chance to love you the right way?”
“Did you just throw some Johnny Gill in there?”
“You caught that, huh? See, we’re made for each other.”
Eunice studied the man before her. He was presenting two things to her: love and himself. Could she really give up on either. For years, she’d heard apologies, promises that weren’t intended to be kept. But somehow…Blake’s words felt sincere. “I’m afraid, Blake. Wanting you makes me afraid. Loving you makes me afraid.”
“I know I’ll make more mistakes, Eunice. But I also know I will love you like no other man has ever dared to love you. I’ll protect you. I’ll comfort you. I’ll be your provider. I’ll be your shoulder to cry on, your biggest supporter, your strength, your courage, your best friend. And one day… I’ll be the man damn proud to call you his wife.”
Eunice’s bottom lip trembled. Heck, her entire body shuddered.
Blake inched toward her, placed his hand behind her neck, then rested his forehead against hers. “Forgive me. Forgive me and I swear you’ll never regret a single day with me. Forgive me, please.”
Tears flowed freely down her cheeks. This should have been the moment she told him she needed time to think, needed time to consider, but what was the point. He was who she wanted. Exactly who she’d always wanted—flawed and all. And now that she was certain he truly wanted her, too...
Smiling through her tears, she said three powerful words, “I forgive you.” And decided to allow Blake to love her perfectly imperfect—yesterday, today, and always.
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
By day, Joy Avery works as a customer service assistant. By night, the North Carolina native travels to imaginary worlds—creating characters whose romantic journeys invariably end happily ever after.
Since she was a young girl growing up in Garner, Joy knew she wanted to write. Stumbling onto romance novels, she discovered her passion for love stories; instantly, she knew these were the type stories she wanted to pen.
Her first contemporary romance was published in 2014. Her seventh book will release late 2015. Real characters. Real Journeys. Real good love is what you’ll find in a Joy Avery romance.
Joy is married with one child. When not writing, she enjoys reading, cake decorating, pretending to expertly play the piano, driving her husband insane, and playing with her two dogs.
Joy is a member of Romance Writers of America and Heart of Carolina Romance Writers.
ALSO BY JOY AVERY
Smoke in the Citi
His Until Sunrise
Cupid’s Error-a novella
His Ultimate Desire
One Delight Night
DEAR READER,
Thank you so much for your support! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading A GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT. I loved penning Eunice and Blake’s story; they were such a fun couple to follow on their journey.
Please help me spread the word about Eunice and Blake by recommending their love story to friends and family, book clubs, social media, and online forums.
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