“I don’t want Evan. I want you,” she stated, with a fierceness that startled even her. She could publicly continue the ruse, but that wouldn’t repair the damage to her heart. And really, it hurt much worse than her surfing injuries combined, much, much worse than she’d ever thought possible.
Hunt didn’t look happy, either.
Maybe he hadn’t fallen in love with Carly the way she had with him, and maybe she’d been wrong about everything. Still…“I’m falling in love with you,” she said simply. It was true. She didn’t know what else to do, except say it. If that couldn’t keep him there, nothing could.
He didn’t respond, and was out the door before she had a chance to blink. Carly wrapped her arms around herself, sank to the floor and realized, as the sobs came, that now she knew what drowning felt like. And this time, who was going to save her?
27
THE FIRST THING HUNT DID was hug his brother. When he broke away, he hoped they could both hold it together.
Ah hell, who was he kidding? He was the one falling apart. Ty seemed to be handling all of this in stride.Your younger brother’s one hell of a man.
“You’re going to keep in touch this time, right?” Hunt asked. “I’ve got permission to give you the number for a secure line. That way, no matter where I am, someone can get in touch with me if you need me.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. Thinking it might help if you were there,” Ty said. Hunt bit his tongue because it was on the tip of it to say, I told you I’d be there and you told me no.
“Ty, when you said you wanted to do this on your own, I took that at face value. Planned on giving you exactly what you wanted, so I didn’t take more leave.”
“Hey, that’s okay. I understand,” Ty said.
Hunt stared at him for a second and then shook his head. “You don’t have to invite me just so I’ll feel needed, you know,” he said, and Ty just laughed at being caught. “You take good care of him,” Hunt told Sam. She nodded and slung her arms around his brother’s waist.
“Will you be taking good care of surfer girl?” Ty asked.
“So, you’re leaving tonight?” Hunt talked over the end of Ty’s sentence.
“Samantha,” Ty began, “I need a few minutes alone with my brother—to beat the crap out of him.”
“Not even in your dreams,” Hunt replied, as Samantha went back into her apartment.
“What’s up?”
“Ty, don’t start. Concentrate on yourself, okay? And let me worry about me.”
“I’ve made that mistake before and you couldn’t handle it. Don’t screw this one up.”
“I can’t promise her anything. And I have to be at work. It’s better this way.”
“Keep telling yourself that and one day you might start believing it,” Ty told him. “Go on. Get out of here before I say anything else.”
“Be good,” Hunt called as he started up his bike.
“Brother, I’m never any other way.”
On the highway, Hunt’s beeper and cell went off simultaneously, just as he was deciding whether to take the exit that would lead him to Carly’s or follow the road back to base. He accepted that it was a sign, and pointed himself in the direction of whatever trouble awaited him and his team, and didn’t look back.
CARLY WASN’T GOING TO BE able to walk through the doorway. Seriously. She’d tried three times, and each time she felt the pull as the delicate tulle fabric snagged.
Damned crinoline. Like there wasn’t enough poof in the dress already.Finally, with great frustration, she gathered up as much of the poof as she could and shoved herself into the room where Nicole was doing her last-minute primping.
“What happened to your hair, Carly?”
“What? Nothing.”
Her mother sighed as if Carly was a small child who couldn’t be trusted not to get dirty. There was enough truth to that, so Carly didn’t bother to defend herself. She’d gotten in an early morning surf and waited as long as possible for Hunt to show before she made the drive up the coast by herself.
I’d planned to let your SEAL walk down the aisle with you, Nicole had said when she opened the door to the hotel suite and found Carly standing there. And then her sister had guided her wordlessly over to a chair, gathered up ice packs for her puffy eyes and forced her to eat some toast. And then, she’d listened. On the morning of her own wedding, Nicole sat with her for an hour and listened to Carly bawl her eyes out while she choked out the whole story.
And then they’d gotten ready together, and they’d even giggled a little when Carly climbed into her dress. And when Nicole put hers on, Carly’s tears had started again.
Her sister had redone her makeup for her without saying a word.
“And I’ve paired you with Evan,” her mother was saying to her as she helped to adjust her sister’s mile-long train. “He said you refused to be his date, but you’re both here on your own, so what’s the harm?”
Nicole had been the one to tell their mother that Hunt had been called away because Carly didn’t want to deal with the fallout. Didn’t want them to think she was open to Evan’s advances, although it was obvious the original plan hadn’t worked at all.
“Honestly, I’m not sure why you would want to put up with Hunt’s military career,” her mother continued. “His job makes him unreliable, and that would drive me crazy. You need some stability in your life.”
“Carly’s not you,” Nicole said, and Carly turned to see a warm smile coming in her direction. “And Hunt’s more reliable than most people I’ve ever met.”
Her mother looked surprised, and she didn’t say another word. Still, Carly put a hand up to her hair unconsciously and began to fix some loose strands that escaped the knot the hairdresser had arranged.
“Leave it. You look beautiful,” Nicole told her.
“Thanks,” Carly said.
“And?” Nicole asked and pointed at herself. Carly and her mother looked at one another and laughed.
“So do you, honey.”
“A beautiful bride,” Carly agreed. “And mother, I’m walking down the aisle alone. Hunt’s the only one I’d want to take that walk with. I don’t use stand-ins. Not anymore.”
“Nicole, please talk to her.”
“It’s time,” her sister said instead, because she’d noticed the tears that had formed in Carly’s eyes. “You’ll get through this,” she whispered.
“I know,” Carly replied, but really, she didn’t think so.
CARLY STOOD BY HER sister’s side through the ceremony. Judging by the look on Nicole’s face when she saw her soon-to-be husband, Carly realized that her sister did understand love. She might’ve chosen a man who would appear on the society pages, but she hadn’t compromised. She’d just chosen someone with common interests. And it was apparent that the groom felt exactly the same way.
Carly fought tears through most of the nuptials, mostly happy tears for Nicole and miserable ones for herself, and then took the long walk back down the church aisle alone, and escaped into the safety of the waiting limo.Wedding ceremony down. Reception to go, and she’d be free…and alone.
The crowds mulled inside the reception hall while Nicole and her new husband held court on the receiving line. Carly broke away from her duties briefly to chat with other family members, wondering when she could safely take off the pantyhose that were strangling her thighs.
Aunt Edna had momentarily cornered her against the punch bowl when Evan came by and took her arm.
“Guess I rescued you,” he said.
“I can take care of myself.” She didn’t like the feel of his arms around her. Evan wasn’t a bad guy, but he was so completely wrong for her. Every man was wrong, except for…
Don’t say his name.
“You seemed to enjoy being rescued by your sailor,” he continued. “What was his name again?”
“I don’t want to talk about him,” Carly said.
“Even better. After all, everyone always said that you a
nd I were meant to be together.”
“So, if we were to be together, I’m assuming that you wouldn’t mind if I returned to surfing.”
His eyes widened, and yes, it was obvious that he more than minded. “I thought you’d retired. I thought you weren’t allowed to surf anymore.”
“Not professionally, but I am planning on opening my own surf school. So I’ll teach and surf, maybe even enter a few local competitions. That wouldn’t be a problem for you, would it?”
He nodded slowly, as if he was trying to decide how to approach the subject. “Would you have time, Carly? You’re going to have so many other responsibilities.”
She pushed his hands off her waist, but kept her voice low when she spoke to him. “You really think this is it? Me and you?” She motioned between them. “Marriage isn’t a corporate merger, Evan. It’s about mutual respect, passion and love, and I don’t think you feel any of that for me. And I’m certain I don’t feel any of that for you.”
“Carolyn, please.”
“I’d prefer it if you called me Carly. And that you didn’t assume anything about me anymore.” Evan turned red and walked away, leaving her surrounded by happy couples on the dance floor.
“I guess I’m guilty of some assumptions myself.”
The voice was low and deep and for a second she couldn’t even turn around, because she wouldn’t allow herself to believe it.
“Carly, please face me,” he asked her.
And she did, finally, to find Hunt standing before her in full, gleaming dress whites, looking more handsome than she thought possible.
“You came,” she said, because she didn’t know what else to say.
“Well, I made a promise.”
“Oh. So you’re here as the stand-in?” she asked, felt her heart grow heavy.
Hunt pulled her against him tightly. “I told you, I’m done being the stand-in. I thought you wanted the real thing.”
“I do. But you mentioned the promise….”
“It was a promise to myself. To not let you go without a fight.”
Carly tried to say something, but the words caught in her throat. So she reached up and tugged his head down toward hers. She kissed him as if she was never going to let him go, and she wasn’t.
“Carolyn, please.” She heard Nicole’s voice, saw her sister standing next to them. “It is my day, remember. No offense, Hunt.” But Nicole was smiling, and she winked at Carly.
“None taken. But I’m hoping you won’t mind if I borrow her. We’ve got someplace we have to be.”
Nicole looked between them, then leaned in and gave Carly a quick kiss on the cheek. “Go ahead.”
Outside the reception hall Hunt stopped and freed her hair from the clip. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you.”
“Out saving the world?”
“Actually, yes. And doing some thinking, too. Thing is, I might not know where my future will take me, but I know I want it to include you. I want you there by my side.”
She stroked his cheek, felt the tears rise again, but this time, they were from that good place, and she let them. “I’d like that, Hunt. I’d love that. And to think, this all started from one innocent fax.”
“From what I recall, it was not innocent. I think I fell for you that very first day, surfer girl.” He traced her cheek with his finger, and then smiled that killer smile that almost dropped her on their first meeting. “Carly, I do love you.”
“Say it again,” she said, and he laughed and kissed her instead. A kiss that did tell her, over and over.
When he pulled away, he asked, “I know you’re opening your school, but do you think you could push it off for a couple of weeks?”
“I think I could manage that. So, where are we headed?”
He grinned. “Vegas.”
“What about saving the world?”
“The world can live without me for two weeks. It’s time for some real R & R. Time to make sure everyone’s okay. And after that, I’m not sure,” he said.
“After that, how about we figure out the next step together? There’s something to be said for living day by day.”
“And there’s something to be said for looking toward the future.”
“Balance,” she said. “It’s always about the balance.”
“You’re right, baby, you’re absolutely right.”
Carly could hear applause coming from the reception, but all her concentration was on the man beside her. A man for whom she had respect and passion, one who wanted every part of her, for better or for worse. As she slid onto the bike, she knew it without a doubt. Theirs was a love here to stay.
ISBN: 9781426800009COMING UNDONE
Copyright © 2007 by Stephanie Tyler.
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
www.eHarlequin.com
Coming Next Month
If you enjoyed the eBook you just read, then you’ll love what we have for you next month! More passionate, sexy stories from Harlequin Blaze, Silhouette Desire and Harlequin Presents. Look for new titles at your favorite eRetailer on the first of the month!
Coming Undone Page 20