Stubborn Love - A Contemporary Romance: Falling for Him (Falling for Him Contemporary Romance Series Book 6)

by Gray, Jessica

  Kaylee had always been on her best behavior when dealing with him, but the other employees couldn’t stand her. He’d never given much thought to office rumors, but now he acknowledged he probably should have. Perhaps this hadn’t been the normal “complain about your boss” routine.

  “Kaylee, please go get the finished sketch you showed me a few days ago.”

  She threw a nasty look at Clara but then left, returning a few moments later with the sketch in hand. He held out his hand for it and she reluctantly placed it in his palm.

  Now what? He’d never had to deal with stealing employees before. To gain time, he compared the finished product to the earlier sketches in Clara’s notebook. They were indeed similar, too similar. He was inclined to believe Clara.

  In a flash of wit he leaned down and whispered in Clara’s ear, “Do you have a standard signature you put on your pieces?”

  Clara nodded her head and then showed him the little signature C that she had placed on the waist of the sketches in her notebook. He scrutinized the finished drawing, taking a breath when he found the mark. This couldn’t be a coincidence! Nigel was still not one hundred percent sure, but pushed forward.

  “Kaylee, are you aware that Clara signs all of her sketches?” he closely observed his senior designer blush and then shake her head in denial.

  “No. No. There’s no signature on that sketch.” Kaylee’s voice cracked.

  He looked at her and this time it was him shaking his head, “You know better than that. Designers rarely sign their full names. Instead they use a unique signature, something unobtrusive, but easily recognizable. I see that mark on both sketches.”

  He let the silence grow in the office for several heartbeats before he concluded, “You stole Clara’s design. Didn’t you?”

  When Kaylee sat there staring him down and refusing to speak, he pressured her, “Kaylee, admit what you’ve done and I’ll only fire you. Persist in lying, and I will press charges against you, and I will encourage Clara to do the same.”

  Kaylee’s shoulders sagged in defeat, “Fine. I admit it. She deserved it. She was out to get my job.”

  “You’re fired. Immediately. Don’t even bother cleaning out your desk. Someone else will do that and send your personal effects to you.” Nigel glanced up and saw Phoebe was just getting ready to leave the office, “Phoebe?”

  She turned and approached his office, confusion on her face, when she spotted Clara and Kaylee. When she saw the two sketches she gasped and whispered, “The evening gown! Oh my god!”

  Nigel ignored her comment and said, “Would you please escort Kaylee out of the building? She may retrieve her purse, but that is all she is to take with her. Unfortunately, I cannot trust that she doesn’t have other stolen designs in her possession and we will need to do a thorough inventory of her desk.”

  “Sure Nigel. I can certainly do that.” Phoebe gave Kaylee a contemptuous look, “Come on you, thief! Go get your purse so I can get you out of here.”

  Kaylee left his office with her head held high, her face red, and a grinning Phoebe trailing behind her.

  Nigel turned to Clara, “I’m so sorry this happened. Can you forgive me?”

  Clara faced him, hurt showing deep in her beautiful brown eyes. Her shoulders hanging, she answered, “It wasn’t your fault. I just wanted you to know that you had a viper working for you.”

  “I’ve missed you.”

  She didn’t respond and prepared to leave. “Wait! Clara, I was wrong. Let me make it up to you. I should have never ended your internship or listened to Kaylee’s lies. It seems that I am in need of a senior designer. Are you interested?”

  Clara looked at him for several seconds and then shook her head, “No. I’m not.”

  “Why not?”

  She didn’t answer him; without another word she gathered up her notebook and purse and walked out of his office.

  Nigel leaned against his desk for several minutes trying to figure out what had just happened. I just offered her a prized position in my company and she turned me down? What does that woman want? How on earth does any man ever understand a woman?

  Chapter 24

  Clara left the office of Bella after refusing Nigel’s job offer in a daze. She walked back to the apartment, unsure of what she should do now. She had a running argument going on in her head. That was the job you wanted in the first place? Why didn’t you take it?

  Because she could never work for Nigel, seeing him everyday, and not want more. She’d always be fighting her attraction to him and that would be worse than never seeing him again.

  That last meeting with him had finally helped her realize she couldn’t be around him, without having him. It would be too hard. She entered the apartment and a sudden inspiration hit her. She needed to get out of New York City for a while.

  Back in Santa Clara, She’d take a small break and get things organized in her life once again. Maybe in a few weeks she could return to New York City, when her heart wasn’t hurting as much.

  Clara spent the rest of the afternoon packing her belongings up and arranging an airline ticket for first thing the next morning. She needed to go home to heal her broken heart.

  ***

  She checked in and was headed towards the gate when she felt a figure come up behind her. She glanced to her side and saw a familiar hand holding a cup of coffee. Nigel! He came looking for me!

  “Hello Delightful Woman,” the most wonderful voice in the world said.

  She laughed and then sobered, “If you came to offer me that job again, I already said no.”

  “Clara, I’m sorry. I was so stupid, and I let my fear of being used again keep me from seeing what was right in front of my face. I never meant to hurt you.”

  “But you did,” she reminded him. Did he honestly expect her to forgive him and jump back into his arms because he offered a simple apology?

  “Please stay and give me a chance to change your mind.” Nigel begged, but she just shook her head.

  Clara had already made up her mind that she would be better off without him. He had hurt her too badly, and she wasn’t ready or willing to forgive him so easily. It would take some time.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t. Have a good life, Nigel.” She turned and handed the clerk her boarding pass. Clara headed down the ramp to the plane without even bothering to look back. Her heart was aching, but she’d be fine. She didn’t need the kind of heartache Nigel had to offer.

  Several hours later, the plane landed in California and she disembarked to find both her friends Rachel and Karen waiting for her. She’d called them the night before and told them she was coming home.

  They wrapped their arms around her, and she burst into tears. No words were needed; they simply offered her their support and comfort while the heartache and hurt flowed out of her. It was so good to be home again and with friends!

  After she finally managed to gain control of her emotions, they retrieved her luggage and headed back to the apartment. Her best friends offered the perfect combination of compassion and tough love to help her weather this episode in her life. I’ll be okay! I just need some time.

  Chapter 25

  Nigel had been texting and calling her every five minutes, but she refused to answer or call him back. He was growing desperate and needed a strategy to win her back. He had finally come to the conclusion that she was the woman he loved more than anything in the world. I have to get her back!

  After several torturous days, he was prepared to walk to Canossa. His first stop was Sara. He paid her a visit at the office and basically begged her to give him Clara’s address in Santa Clara. Being the wonderful friend she was, she didn’t say, “I told you so” or any of that.

  But she made sure he was serious this time and wouldn’t hurt Clara again. “Here’s her address. But if I ever hear that you made her cry again, don’t consider me your friend anymore.”

  Nigel hugged Sara, and ran off with the words, “I won’t. I promise. I love her.
” He arrived at the airport an hour later and booked the first flight to San Francisco.

  Once he arrived in California, he rented a car and stopped off at the first flower shop he saw to purchase a huge bouquet of red roses.

  Nigel arrived at her apartment, flowers in hand, his heart on his sleeve. She opened the door and stood there with her mouth hanging open.

  Before she could even say ‘hello’ or slam the door in his face, he hurried to declare, “Clara, I love you and I can’t live without you.”

  Clara couldn’t believe Nigel was standing at her front door. He shoved the one hundred red roses right into her face. “I was stupid. Can you forgive me?”

  ***

  She looked at him and her heart missed a beat. The attraction was right back. God, I’ve missed him. She had thought putting a couple hundred miles distance between them would help, but it didn’t. Each day had been shear torture. Every minute. Every second.

  Now he was here, holding the hugest bouquet of red roses in his arms, she’d ever seen.

  “Come in,” she stepped back, taking the roses from him and then entering the kitchen to retrieve a vase of water. Not yet sure, if she should forgive him or not. He’d hurt her so much.

  Nigel followed her, and she stood only a few feet away from him as she turned with the flowers and vase. He reached out and took the vase from her, placing it on the dining table.

  Then he came towards her, his eyes locking on hers. She saw the depth of his emotions in his emerald gaze. He really is sorry and miserable. Just like me.

  “Clara, I know I messed up, but I’m ready to change.”

  “You don’t think it’s a problem to mix business and pleasure any more?”

  “Maybe for some people it would be. But not for us. I miss hearing your voice in the office and smelling your perfume when you walk by. I miss you.”

  “You …”

  “I was an asshole. I know that. You are the most wonderful woman in the world, and I can’t imagine spending one more minute of my life without you.” Nigel took a step nearer to her and clasped her hand.

  “Nigel, I…”

  “Have you missed me?” he asked, lifting her hand to his lips and placing small kisses on each knuckle.

  She nodded her head, her words stuck in her throat as the butterflies filled her stomach.

  Seeing that she wasn’t immune to his touch, he pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her shoulder. He dipped his head and placed a tender kiss upon her lips.

  Clara was overwhelmed by his nearness and deepened the kiss. She had missed him so much. More than she’d been willing to admit. She wanted him. Now.

  “Say you’ll come back with me, please,” he urged, letting his hands skim beneath her shirt and toying with the straps of her bra.

  “Okay.” She no longer had the will to fight this attraction. “On one condition.”

  “Whatever you wish. Anything.” he answered, placing kisses along her jawline and down to her collarbone.

  “Show me how much you love me. Now.”

  Nigel chuckled, his eyes overflowing with love and desire. He needed her as much as she needed him. He swung her up into his arms, “Just show me where the bed is.”

  She pointed down the hallway, “Second door on the left.”

  “Is your roommate here?”

  “No. She won’t be back until later this evening.”

  “Fantastic.” Nigel shouldered his way into her bedroom and laid her down on the bed. He proceeded to remove her clothing, one item at a time, paying homage to each new patch of revealed skin.

  “Nigel, stop teasing me.”

  “Patience,” he told her as he stood up to remove his own clothing.

  “I don’t want to be patient. I want you inside me now.”

  “What about taking our time and …”

  “Later.” Clara grabbed his neck as he returned to the bed and then lifted her ankles to wrap them around his hips. “I need you now.”

  Nigel kissed her lips and then slowly joined them together, “I need you too. Slow can be later.”

  He set up a steady tempo that pushed them both closer to the edge of ecstasy. “I love you, Clara.”

  “I love you, Nigel,” she told him as he thrust once more flinging them both over the edge and into the realm of pleasure so intense, she cried out his name.

  As their heartbeats came back down to normal, she wrapped herself around him, confident that they had a future together. A wonderful future.

  Clara smiled up at him, still amazed at how happy she was in his arms. Nigel was her soul mate, and even though they’d had a few rough patches along the way, they were completely in tune with one another now.

  For the first time in years, she was no longer worried about where she would be in five years. She knew that wherever it was, she would have Nigel right there by her side.

  *** End of Book 6 ***

  This series started with Rachel (Clara’s best friend) and the love of her life, Peter. If you haven’t read it, you can get Falling for Him 1 FREE on Amazon.

  Book 7 “Christmas Miracles” is a short story. Rachel and Peter spend their first Christmas as married couple at her Grandma’s house. They’re in for a big surprise and a true Christmas Miracle.

  Get the book here: http://jessicagraybooks.com/falling7.html

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  Acknowledgements

  You, my reader, are very important to me. Without you none of my books would exist. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read (and enjoy) my books. And I'd be thrilled to hear from you!

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  You might enjoy my other books as well:

  Falling for Him Series:

  Books 1,2,3 and 5 should be read in order. Books 4, 6 and 7 can be read as standalones.

  Book 1: Rachel and Peter http://jessicagraybooks.com/falling1.html

  Book 2: Rachel and Peter in Spain http://jessicagraybooks.com/falling2.html

  Book 3: Rachel goes Business http://jessicagraybooks.com/falling3.html

  Book 4: Lara and David http://jessicagraybooks.com/falling4.html

  Book 5: Rachel and Peter’s Wedding http://jessicagraybooks.com/falling5.html

  Book 6: Stubborn Love – (Clara and Nigel)

  Book 7: Christmas Miracle – (Rachel and Peter) http://jessicagraybooks.com/falling7.html

  Stand-Alone Novellas:

  Entangled Love

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HKKDS66

  Destroyed Dreams

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FSJ8Q2W