ROMANCE: Life Shocks Romances: Contemporary Romance Box Set (Life Shocks Romances Collection Book 2)

by Jade Kerrion

  Somehow, her heart felt differently.

  The disconnect made little sense. Holly mulled over it until the magnificent Manhattan skyline rose in the horizon. As the plane dipped lower over New York City, the silhouettes of buildings gave way to a blur of dull gray and dirty brown. Not very pretty, she sighed. Not quite like Havre de Grace. But this was where Brandon lived, in a city that promised everything she could possibly want.

  In the depths of her heart, a tiny voice whispered, “No.”

  The weight pressing against her lungs refused to go away. Her palms were damp, and her heart raced as she disembarked from the plane and walked toward the exit where Brandon had promised to wait for her. The wheels of her trolley bag rattled as she pulled it behind her. With every step, the feeling of dread grew.

  Brandon stood just beyond the security gate. He waved when he caught sight of her and stepped forward to envelope her in a hug.

  Holly sucked in a sharp breath. His aftershave shot straight to her head. The scent she had once found delicious made her recoil. He smelled foreign.

  She wanted James with his clean scent of soap and faint hint of masculine musk, and the inexplicable taste of chocolate in his kiss.

  The tiny voice in her head became a shriek. “No!”

  Holly took a step back from Brandon and stared up into his surprised gaze. “I…I’m sorry.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I’ve just realized I’m in love.”

  Brandon’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Presumably not with me?”

  “No.” Holly managed a weak smile. “He’s my boss. I think he’s been in love with me for a long time, and I’ve just realized…”

  “You feel the same way.”

  “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it, but in here—” She pressed her hand to her chest. “I’ve finally stopped hyperventilating. I think it’s the right decision.”

  Brandon wore a faint frown. “Are you going to turn around and go home, back to him?”

  “I think I will.” Holly pressed her lips together. “I…I’m so sorry.”

  He shook his head, but his frown had given way to a rueful smile. “Relationships are tough enough that I don’t want to start it as the second place contender.”

  What was it with men who saw relationships and love as a goddamned competition, Holly wondered.

  Brandon looked annoyed, but his voice remained polite. “Come on, I’ll walk you over to the sales counter so you can change your ticket.”

  “Thank you, Brandon. You’re a good man.”

  “Don’t tell me; I think I’ve heard it before. Some day a wonderful woman will realize it?” His tone was ironic. He reached for her bag. “The counter’s this way.”

  Holly was a hundred dollars poorer for the change fee, but her heart was light as Brandon walked her back to the security gate. Before she joined the line, she turned to face him. “Thank you,” she said. “And I’m so sorry about the weekend.”

  “No worries.” He waved it away even though he still looked rather exasperated. “Have a good flight.”

  She nodded awkwardly, decided a kiss—even just a friendly peck on the cheek—would be too personal, and then entered the line for the security checkpoint. She inhaled deeply what felt like her first clean breath in a long time.

  She was going home to James.

  ~*~

  So much for that, Brandon thought. He shoved his hands in his pockets. It was probably just as well she pulled out before the relationship got involved and messy, but it was galling to think that he had never really had a chance with her. He grunted under his breath; only a woman could fall in love without realizing that she had fallen in love.

  A flicker of motion caught his attention and he glanced sideways at a man who hurried past other customers to enter the security line.

  Brandon’s hyper-alert New Yorker instincts screamed at him. He stared at the man who wore a pair of sunglasses in spite of being indoors. Why did he look so familiar?

  It came to Brandon suddenly. Cheryl’s ex-boyfriend—the one who had wormed himself into her confidences and caused her to betray professional confidences. He had cost Cheryl her job as Brandon’s paralegal and private secretary.

  Asshole, Brandon thought.

  Brandon’s momentary flicker of annoyance gave way to cold alarm. The man was staring intently at Holly’s back, his jaw so taut he must have been gritting his teeth. His hands gripped the strap of his small travel bag; muscles corded his biceps.

  Brandon reached for his smartphone, but Holly did not answer. Her cellphone must have been off. Damn it.

  He stepped away for a moment. What were the chances that he was overreacting?

  Pretty damned high, he told himself.

  But what if he wasn’t?

  He searched his extensive phone directory and called another number.

  Within moments, a woman answered, “Hello?”

  Brandon took a deep breath and dismissed the possibility that he might be making a fool of himself. His instincts were rarely wrong. “May I speak to Noelle Langford, please?”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  The steady purr of the plane engines faded into a comfortable white noise that cocooned Holly in concentration. She stared at the screen of her electronic tablet, her thoughts churning over the e-mail she was writing.

  “Anything for you to drink?” the air stewardess asked as she pushed the cart along the aisle.

  Holly looked up, blinking from the sudden disorientation. “No, thank you.” She smiled at the woman and waved her away before returning her attention to her tablet.

  It was the right thing to do; she was certain of it. Smiling to herself, she reread the note she had composed one final time with her finger resting on the send button.

  The e-mail began:

  Dear Mr. Finn,

  ~*~

  James was breathing hard by the time he caught up with Lucy and Mojo, who had raced full out in the final leg of their run around the neighborhood. It had seemed like a good idea to go for a run to burn off his excess energy and give his distracted mind a chance to relax.

  In reality, it hadn’t helped much. The relaxing routine of running had allowed his mind to wallow in anxiety over Holly’s New York holiday. No doubt, Brandon would wine and dine her in style. His mind played the scene out to its logical conclusion—Holly returning from New York, flush with joy, and with the words on her lips, “I’m so sorry, James…”

  He grimaced, his heart aching. It wasn’t even a fair fight. I never had a chance.

  The chocolates. The ice cream. The long walks in the park with the dogs. Apparently, friends did that too. Without the words—words he could not utter without jeopardizing his job and hers—the actions had meant nothing.

  His cell phone rang. He tugged it out of his pocket and glanced at the number. Frowning slightly, he held his phone up to his ear with his shoulder while he unlocked the door. The dogs raced in ahead of him and tumbled into the kitchen to lap noisily from their water dishes. “Hello, Harry.”

  The voice of Harry Finn, the superintendent of the school district, boomed in his ear. “James, how are you?”

  “I’m doing well. Merry Christmas.”

  “Oh yes.” Harry chuckled, the sound uneasy. “Merry Christmas to you too.” He cleared his throat. “I know you’re on Christmas break, but I…have a friend over at the Gazette, and he just called me to check on a story.”

  “What story would that be?”

  “Apparently, someone wrote to the Gazette and said that you’re in a sexual relationship with one of your teachers.”

  James went cold.

  “The anonymous e-mail went on to say that your relationship was influencing her treatment of the students in her class. It implied that you didn’t like one of the students in her class, and as a result, she was not treating him well.”

  He expelled his breath in a shaky sigh. His hand closed in a fist around his house keys.

  “The Gazette
is going to run with this news the day after Christmas, and my friend called to give me a heads up.”

  “Harry, I’m not in a relationship with any of my teachers.”

  “The Gazette sent me photographs of the both of you kissing in her backyard.”

  A heavy fist seemed to plow into James’s stomach.

  Harry Finn continued. “You do know that we have a policy strictly prohibiting direct supervisors from dating their employees.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “It’s for the safety of the employee. It’s a HR thing, James. Nothing personal.”

  “I know.”

  “The Gazette called me for a statement. I told them the district would investigate and get back to them, but I have to tell you, James, the photos are pretty incriminating. ‘He said, she said’ isn’t going to hold up well against the evidence.”

  “I realize that.” James squeezed his eyes shut. Despair raked him. “I’ll submit my resignation today.”

  “And the woman?”

  He swallowed the bitterness he tasted in his throat. “If the policy is in place for the safety of the employee, then there’s really no point in her resigning too, is there?”

  “What about the charges that she’s been unfair to her students, or one student in particular?”

  “I swear there are no grounds for those charges. Her students and the parents of her students will back her up on that.”

  “There will have to be an investigation regardless.”

  “I realize that, but you don’t have to worry about taking disciplinary action. I guarantee there’s no need for it.”

  Harry grunted. “I don’t like the way this turned out.”

  “I know.” James’s hands were cold. “I accept full responsibility for it. It was my fault, not hers.”

  “Okay.” Harry sighed. “Guess I’ll have a statement for the Gazette after all. Goodbye, James. You take care of yourself and have a good Christmas.”

  James quietly disconnected the call. He would have cursed but no curse words sufficed. He wrote his resignation letter, effective immediately, and e-mailed it to Harry. Done, he grimaced. His job was gone. He’d have to find another, and he would have to find a way to keep Holly from hearing about it until she returned from New York, her decision made. The last thing he wanted was for Holly to stay with him out of pity or a sense of inevitability now that he had lost his job on account of their nonexistent relationship.

  When his phone rang, he glanced at the number. Stifling a sigh, he accepted the call and forced a smile into his voice. “Hey, Noelle. What’s up?”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Holly glanced at her watch and smiled as she dragged her wheeled bag through the multi-floor parking complex across from airport terminal at BWI airport. She would be home within two hours, in time for lunch.

  With James.

  The deep down happy feeling in her gut matched the decision she had made with her head and her heart. Her smile widened as she walked past rows of cars. Occasionally, a car drove by, seeking an empty spot, but otherwise she saw no one else in the garage. No doubt it was a temporary lull in the bustle of traffic at BWI.

  “Holly!”

  She looked over her shoulder. “Peter?” He was about fifty feet behind her and closing fast. A tendril of fear wormed through her, but with effort, she kept her voice from trembling. “What are you doing here?”

  “I followed you to New York, and back.”

  Oh, damn. She quickened her pace, but a glance over her shoulder told her that Peter was moving faster. The look on his face sent a shudder through her. Her heart thumping, Holly let go of her bag and ran. Her shoes pounded against concrete. The sound of Peter’s racing steps roared through her ears. No…oh, God. If only she could get to her car—

  His hand closed around her upper arm and yanked her back. “Why are you running from me?”

  She stared at his face. His sculptured features were set in taut lines. Fury blazed in his eyes. Holly swallowed hard, her throat dry. “Why are you stalking me?”

  “Stalking? I was trying to keep you safe.”

  “Safe?”

  “From yourself. From making decisions when you’re clearly not in your right mind.” His upper lip curled into a sneer. “You’re coming with me to Baltimore.”

  “No, no, I’m not.”

  “You have a bag. It’d be a shame to waste the weekend.” He smiled, but it was a horrible smile, skin stretching over bared teeth.

  She tried to pull away, but his grip was tight. “Let me go. You can’t do this.”

  “Can’t I? You were mine before you were anyone else’s. You would have been mine again if you hadn’t gotten it into your silly little head to have a fling with your boss and with that lawyer from New York.” He snorted. “Well, they’re both over now.”

  “No, they’re not.” Holly glared at Peter. “I’m going back to James.”

  “You can’t. I sent a note to the Gazette with pictures of the two of you smooching in your backyard.”

  Holly’s jaw dropped. “You…you what?”

  “He’ll dump you to keep his lousy job. Probably throw you under the bus and say you seduced him. You’ll be out of a job, so you might as well come with me. Start a new life in Baltimore—”

  “I’m not going with you. Let me go!” She tugged as hard as she could.

  A backhanded slap whipped her face to the side. She shrieked and reeled. She would have fallen if not for his painful grip on her arm. Blinking back her tears, Holly stared at Peter.

  “You stupid woman.” He twisted her arm behind her back until she gasped. “Don’t make me hurt you.” He shoved her ahead of him, through the maze of cars.

  Tears blurred her vision, and each step jostled sharp pain through her arm. Her chest heaved with each sobbing breath. She had to get away before he reached his car. If she couldn’t break away, if she couldn’t run, her only chance was to resist long enough and pray that she could get someone’s attention.

  She slowed her steps and stumbled when he shoved her forward. “Stop it, you’re hurting me.”

  “Keep moving, stupid bitch. Not too fast, not too slow. Just casual-like. And if anybody stops, you better say everything’s all right if you know what’s good for you. How much smearing can your boyfriend’s reputation take before he’s forced to resign and leave town?”

  “You bastard!” She turned on him and swung her hand out, but he caught her wrist before it made contact with his face.

  He pushed her back and sent her sprawling to the ground. “I warned you—”

  Peter suddenly twisted around like a marionette swung by the hands of a puppeteer. His head snapped back, and he staggered.

  Holly gaped at the furious man who stood between her and Peter. James!

  James lunged at Peter, and both men tumbled to the ground, fists swinging.

  Another pair of hands wrapped around her. She turned to see her sister.

  Noelle’s shocked voice was a tremulous whisper. “Oh my God, you’re hurt.”

  Holly shoved her sister’s hands away. Peter was younger; she had to stop the fight before James got hurt. She scrambled to her feet and would have rushed forward, but a security car screeched to a stop beside her, and two security guards, accompanied by Connor stepped out.

  “That’s the one.” Connor pointed to Peter.

  The security guards pulled apart the brawling men and wrestled Peter to the ground before slapping a pair of handcuffs on him. One of the guards looked at Holly. “Ma’am, are you all right?”

  Her breaths still shuddered, but she managed a slight nod as she cradled her arm.

  Connor was already examining her. “It looks like a bad sprain. The rest are mostly bruises. Is there an emergency clinic at the airport?”

  “We have a room for first aid and a nurse on duty.”

  “It’s fine. It’s all I’ll need to take care of her,” Connor said.

  The guard nodded and returned his attention to Holl
y. “We’ll also need you to file a report. We can’t hold him otherwise.”

  Holly’s jaw tensed. Peter glared at her from beneath a lock of pale blond hair. The gleam in his eyes that she had always thought was zeal and a passion for life now simply looked crazy. “I’ll file a report. In fact, I’ll do it before Connor fixes my arm,” she said over her brother-in-law’s objections. She glanced at James, who looked scuffed up, but none the worse for wear. His worried gaze searched her.

  Now that she knew what love looked like on him, she could not believe she had missed it for so long. Her heart clenched. Oh, God, how was she supposed to tell him about the Gazette?

  ~*~

  Noelle stayed beside Holly while she filed the report, and then accompanied her to the clinic where Connor and James were waiting. Holly drew a tremulous breath. Darn. She couldn’t tell James about the Gazette, not with Noelle and Connor in the room.

  “Have a seat.” Connor gestured to the chair.

  “Is it going to hurt?” Holly asked, wincing.

  “How would that be any different from how it feels now?”

  Holly stifled the weak chuckle. Connor had obviously had lots of experience dealing with reluctant patients. Working gently and quickly, he set her arm in a brace and gave her an ice pack to press against her bruises. “Let’s get you home,” Connor said when his work was complete.

  Holly’s gaze flicked among the three people in the room. “Did you drive separately?”

  “No, we came in my car,” Connor said.

  “I don’t think you should drive,” James spoke up. “Give me your keys and tell me where you parked. I’ll take your car back.”

  Noelle gently grasped Holly’s arm. “You come with us.”

  At that moment, Holly felt too fragile to object, and she needed respite from the turbulence of her thoughts and the distress that was growing too hard to conceal from James. She handed James her car keys and her parking ticket. “Section 3D, right next to a column.”