by K. A. Linde
“Just a good-bye. That’s all,” he implored.
His head dipped down slowly. Lexi felt as if she were watching him in slow motion as he descended toward her. She could almost feel the taste of his lips as energy radiated out of every pore. Her skin was on fire and she could feel her body impulsively reacting to his touch. Her eyes stared deeply into the cerulean orbs entrancing her.
Her heart remembered every moment she had given into him like this. She remembered her head feeling dizzy and light headed. Her heart racing along at a sprinter’s speed. Her eyes glazing over with desire and fluttering closed in anticipation. Her lips quivering as she wet them waiting for them to be covered with his own. Her cheeks flushing with warmth and desire. A wonderful ringing sound filling her ears.
She could remember every sensation she had ever felt with Jack in that instant, as he demanded one last thing from her.
One last kiss good-bye.
As he was about to touch her lips to his own, she took a step backward and smiled serenely. “Good-bye, Jack,” she said turning on her heel, walking through the sliding glass doors, and leaving him behind.
She felt as if she were walking on clouds as she ventured out toward the hanger where the private jet was located. All she had was her purse. No Jack. No weight on her shoulders. She felt as if she was breathing in new air. Her mind was buzzing with possibilities. Her feet carried her out to the hanger and across the cement tarmac to the waiting plane. As she approached, she noticed someone waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
The closer she got the more she realized that the person wasn’t dressed in a uniform of any sort. She knew the person standing there waiting for her. Her heart sped up in anticipation of what was to come. The lightweight feeling she had experienced left her with the prospect that she had one more conversation ahead of her before she left for home, one more conversation that she didn’t want to have.
“I’m glad I didn’t miss you,” Ramsey said walking confidently to her side and enveloping her in a hug. She sighed into his chest and wrapped her arms loosely around his waist. “Chyna told me this is where you’d be.”
Bekah and Jack’s words rang clear in her mind. At least one thing was certain, she had known Ramsey previously. The more she thought on that the more she realized that he had to be Armani Guy. She knew it was ridiculous to even consider since it was such a strange coincidence. But it would be even stranger if he happened to know things about her like he had since she got here. The thought that he was Bekah’s pawn in a game she was playing to hold onto Jack was harder to believe, but it certainly would explain a large majority of his actions.
Ramsey pulled back leaving only a rather small space between them, as usual ignoring any means of personal space. “You look different,” he mused out loud.
“Do I?” she questioned.
“I don’t know what it is,” he admitted.
“Bad?”
“You could never look bad.”
“Cut the act,” she said turning her head to the side, away from his endearing green eyes.
“I’m not acting. After the way you left my apartment last night, you look like a new woman. It’s very becoming,” he said eyeing her up and down.
“Well, thank you, but there is no need for your charade any longer,” she said taking a step back.
In typical Ramsey fashion, he followed her in a synchronized dance. “Why do you keep saying that?” he asked his eyebrows scrunching together.
“I know what’s been going on. They told me everything,” she said running her fingers through her hair and sweeping a strand behind her ear.
“They? Bekah and Jack?” he asked and watched her confirmation. “Those bastards.”
“So, it’s true?” she asked taking a step back in pure shock. She hadn’t really believed it until she looked into his face. For some demented purpose, he had played her. But it didn’t explain what he was doing here. “If it is true, then what are you even doing here?”
“If you don’t want to see me any longer, I would understand, but know that I still want to see you, Lexi. I didn’t know when I saw you again at the Country Club that you were my Alexa, but I figured it out pretty quick,” he told her using her first name rather possessively.
“I wanted to tell you, but there was never a right time, and I thought you might think less of me. I wasn’t really in a good place at that time of my life. I thought you would just see me as that guy who had gotten you drunk and tried to take you back to his place. And I knew you were better than that. I wanted to be that other guy for you,” he said rambling on like the first time when she had spoken to him outside of the bathroom at the Country Club.
“I don’t care about the fact that we knew each other that night. I was just using you to forget,” she steered clear of Jack’s name, “forget everything anyway.” Ramsey’s face changed in that moment. It was as if his worries about slipping up had fallen off of his shoulders. He even appeared taller which was really awkward for Lexi who already had to strain her neck to look up at him since he never left more than six inches between them.
“But they did tell you about that? I mean that would be it, right?”
“Sure, Jack told me that. I had the pieces in my mind already but I hadn’t knit them together. And I guess your explanation makes sense, but I would have rather you told me the truth.”
“You’re big on truth, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” she stated simply thinking about how lying and deceit had ruined her life.
“Now that that is out of the way. When can I see you again?” he asked his full-watt smile reaching all the way up to his eyes.
She shook her head in disbelief. “Never. You’re a player, and you played me.” She tried to move around him to the stairs of the plane, but he reached out and grabbed her arm. He spun her around until she was facing him again.
“I…what?” he asked his lips parted and eyes stormy. “I’ve never played you.”
“You say that as if you are a player.”
He gulped. “Well, I haven’t played you.”
“Everyone was right when they said I didn’t know you and that you weren’t everything you seemed.”
“Is anyone ever what they seem?” he asked. “You have secrets. Everyone has them.”
“But I don’t try and ruin someone’s life for sport,” she spat at him.
“And you think I do?”
“As far as I can tell.”
“Who’s life am I ruining this time?” he asked staring intently into her eyes. “Please tell me what I’ve done, and why you are so offended.”
“You seduced me. You tried to fuck me. You would have fucked me,” she cried disgusted.
“What’s the problem with that? It’s not like you didn’t want me to,” he said stepping even closer to her. “You like me, Lexi. I know it. You know it.” He reached out to her, pushing his fingers up into her tangled mess of curly hair. “Why is that so wrong?”
“Because you fooled me into liking you,” she cried, futilely pushing him away from her.
He shook his head not budging an inch. “I never had to fool you. You just had to open up your eyes.”
She clenched her jaw angry that he wouldn’t let her back away. “You did it for your sister.”
This seemed to take him aback. “Why would I fall for you for my sister?”
“You did her bidding to get rid of me.”
“But I want you around,” he said smoothly, running his hands gently through her hair. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“She put you in my path so she could have Jack all to herself,” she tried to explain.
That did push him back a step. He released her hair and stared into her wild brown eyes. “This is always about Jack, isn’t it?”
“No, nothing is about Jack anymore. And if you come with that territory, then good riddance,” she muttered angrily.
“What if I told you that was all a lie?” he asked curious about her answer.
“Have I given you reason not to?”
“Besides not telling me that you knew me previously?”
“I did tell you,” he reminded her.
“Yes, but not about meeting in the club.”
“Is that really all that relevant?”
“Absolutely,” she told him staring him down. “Half-truths and hiding are still lying.”
“Then I apologize, but I had nothing to do with Jack. And I hope to God that I never will,” he said inching forward again. His hands came up and secured themselves against her narrow hips. He grabbed her with a tad bit of force and pulled her into him.
“Ramsey,” she whispered his name as he locked lips with her. She held still as long as she could before giving into his kiss. His sweet taste of peppermint overpowered her senses and she closed her eyes to breathe him in. His lips moved softly against her own, coaxing out her emotions not demanding them. She couldn’t help but give into his adoring affections.
“Yes?” he asked finally breaking away from her, but planting one more feather light kiss upon her plump lips.
“I…I can’t do this,” she murmured against his lips, the air around them super heated.
“Why? Is it Jack?”
“No,” she said quickly. Then sighed and broke away from him. “Yes. It is Jack.” He nodded accepting that without questions. “You shouldn’t want me. I’m not in a good enough place to be wanted.”
“But I do want you. At least, something with you, even if we start slow,” he pushed.
“You know how people say you crawl before you walk and walk before you run? Yeah, well, I need to learn to hold my head up before I can even think about crawling,” she muttered brushing her hair off her forehead.
“Yeah. I get it, but Lexi…”
“No,” she said pressing a finger to his lips. “This is the end of the road.”
She turned from him and began to climb the stairs to the jet. Chyna was waiting for her at the top. It was pretty obvious that she had been eavesdropping, but she didn’t look displeased. Lexi wasn’t sure if that was because Lexi was finally standing up on her own or because they were on their way home. It didn’t matter either way.
“Will I hear from you?” Ramsey called as she hit the top step.
She turned around and smiled at him. “When I can hold my head up high.”
“You ready to get out of here, chica?” Chyna asked pulling her friend into a hug. When Lexi pulled back, she already had a flute of Champagne stuffed into her hand.
“Very ready,” Lexi confirmed.
“A toast,” Chyna cheered raising her glass to Lexi, “to being free.”
Lexi shook her head. “No. To closure,” she announced clinking their glasses together and downing her first glass of freedom.
The End
Thank you so much everyone who helped me get to where I am right now. I never thought that I would publish this book, and I am grateful every day to the people who encouraged me to keep writing and to take the next step in the process. Here is just a short list of amazing people who have helped me get where I am today:
S. C. Stephens is one of the most incredible and brilliant people I know. I’m very glad to call you a friend, and I look forward to that Seattle trip we have planned. Who knows, maybe we can get a black Chevelle to drive us around? My editing goddesses: Jenny Aspinall, Rebecca Kimmerling, Lori Francis! You three are a freaking ridiculous bunch, and I can’t wait for that drink in Bali. I’ll bring the vodka gummies! I am glad to have become friends with a number of book bloggers including Maryse at Maryse.net, Jenny and Gitte at TotallyBooked, Alyssa and Taryn at My Secret Romance, Autumn at Autumn Reviews, Chrystle at The Indie Bookshelf, and Laura at Novel Magic. Thank you for publicizing my work before I’d even thought about putting it out for publication.
Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations did a fantastic job on the cover design for this book. Thanks for putting up with my ever-changing thoughts about the cover. I appreciate Mat Kinsey so much for the portrait on the back cover. You have such a talent! Additionally, Colleen Hoover might be one of the coolest people on the planet. Thank you for giving me the push to do this!
Finally, I wouldn’t be in this position at all if it weren’t for all of my fans at FictionPress. You guys kept me writing throughout it all with your encouragement and reviews. Whether I know you on a first name basis or not…you got me here! Cheers to you!
February 13th
PRESENT
A singsong tune echoed from a distant location far removed from the king-sized bed where Lexi Walsh lay curled up amongst the sheets. The muffled chorus of a popular radio song hit her ears causing her to roll over and bury herself farther into the depths of the bed. An arm wrapped around her waist and the warmth of a body pressed against her skin. The man trailed his fingers gently across her stomach, down the curves of her side, and over her toned thighs. She giggled as his touch turned more insistent, rocking her body back and forth.
“Mmm,” she groaned her eyes fluttering open. “It’s too early.”
“I know,” he agreed moving his hands back to her flat tanned stomach. “Too early for your phone to be going off,” he whispered into her ear.
Lexi sighed and nuzzled into his chest. “Agreed,” she mumbled lacing their fingers together
“Are you going to answer that?” he questioned, his breathe hot against her earlobe.
Lexi lazily shook her head and shifted, ever so slightly imploring his lips to her ear. “Mmm, no,” she said breathily.
“You sure?” he asked further succumbing to her wishes.
She angled her body, allowing herself a look into his hazel eyes, and smiled. “Do I look like I want to get out of bed?”
A confident smirk crossed his face. “Not in the slightest.”
“There’s your answer then,” she muttered yanking the sheet up around her bare shoulders and relaxing into him.
He responded by holding her tight against him as his other hand swooped up and ran through the long thick strands of chocolate brown hair. He splayed the curls out across the creamy white pillow and brushed her bangs off her forehead. He leaned forward in bed and planted a light kiss on her forehead careful not to adjust her easy slumber.
“That feels nice,” she murmured into him.
“I thought you’d fallen back asleep already.”
Lexi kissed his chest and held onto him a little tighter. “Not quite.”
“So who could be calling you so early in the morning?” he implored her.
Instantly, Lexi’s heart sped up. She knew the reaction was entirely irrational. The last time she had been awoken at such an early hour on a
Saturday morning, Jack had called her. That fateful conversation nearly a year earlier had led to an outrageous week where she had not only traveled to Atlanta to see Jack and his new girlfriend, Bekah, but had been suckered into attempting to convince said girlfriend that Jack was ready for marriage. What a sham that had been!
She had been set-up by Bekah and inevitably after a few rather inappropriate experiences with Jack, had convinced him that he was, in fact, ready to marry Bekah. After six years of trying to work things out between her and Jack, he had proposed to another woman with a duplicate of the ring he had promised only belonged to Lexi. She had walked away with some semblance of the closure she had desired, but returned to New York with a whole new world of heartache she hadn’t been prepared for.
But Jack hadn’t called her since she had left him standing alone at the airport in Atlanta, and she knew he wouldn’t be calling her now.
That didn’t lessen the thumping of her heart though.
“I…I dunno,” she told him turning back to face the open loft so that he couldn’t see the dejected look on her face.
She didn’t care who was calling. She didn’t want to be forced from her tranquil environment to face the realities of the real world. And if she was honest with herself, a part of her was afraid
that one day Jack would come crashing back into her existence. Didn’t he always?
Jack. The man who had taken her from a brilliant, confident, controlled woman to a love sick, uncontrollable girl at the first glance from his blue eyes. Together they had ruined relationships, friendships, and families with their heated desire and relentless passion. But those days were over.
The familiar lyrics began playing again, and this time Lexi could pinpoint the location of her purse amongst his impeccably clean décor. She sighed wishing the noise would stop allowing her the peace and quiet she desired.
“Perhaps you should attend to that,” he muttered into her ear, “while I go fix you some breakfast.”
Lexi groaned as he shifted next to her, hauling his tight ass across the bed and over to his closet stocked with expensive suits. He threw on a pair of black boxer-briefs and took the stairs two at a time down to the landing. He returned a second later with her purse in hand and placed it gently on the bed. She smiled up in his angular face and was rewarded with a kiss on the lips full of promises.
“Answer that,” he commanded pointing at the phone that was still lit up from the previous phone call. “Come down when you’re finished.”
She watched his backside retreat down the stairs and out of sight before picking up her purse and fishing out her new cell phone. Up until a couple months ago, she had had the same old, dinged-up, flip phone since college. The thing had lasted nearly seven years, much longer than modern technology. They had had their rough spots along the way, like when she had lost all the numbers after dropping it in the toilet once, but it had been good to her nonetheless. Chyna, her best friend, had finally gifted her something a bit flashier. She claimed it was a graduation present since Lexi absolutely abhorred the thought of mooching off of her best friend’s exorbitant wealth.
Her new touch screen came to life at the tips of her fingers as she grumbled at the early hour. Her night had been pretty insane, and the last thing Lexi wanted to do was be awake at that moment. She groggily clicked on the message that claimed she had two missed calls.