Samantha looked to James when he spoke. “She couldn’t get into the party without me. I needed to go,” he explained. “I called her the morning I left for Europe because whoever was trying to steal information was also trying to collapse the merger.”
Alicia nodded in agreement.
Samantha began to shake. “Oh my God, what have I done?”
James tore his gaze from Samantha and looked to Alicia.
“I’ll show myself out,” she said as she turned.
“Al—” James began.
She stopped. “I was never here.”
James closed his eyes briefly. “Thank you.”
* * * * *
When they were alone, Samantha shed tears that were pure anguish. She had let the man she loved with all her heart go because of a mistake. Because he was doing his job. The onslaught of emotions threw her off balance. Would she ever be able to forgive herself? Would he ever be able to forgive her? “You couldn’t tell me,” she said in sudden understanding.
“Not if I wanted to keep my job.” He shook his head. “Why didn’t you trust me?”
They weren’t the actual words that he said that caused Samantha’s heart to drop into the pit of her stomach; it was the way he said them. She felt his pain. No words would ever be able to convey how terribly sorry she was.
“In the beginning all I wanted to do was make you understand what really happened.” He lifted his shoulders. “But after a while I got to thinking, what kind of relationship did we have if you didn’t trust me? I became angry and started resenting you for leaving.”
“I don’t even know what to say.” She touched his arm, though she really wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let him go. “I’m so sorry I doubted you. How could I have not trusted our love? Your love for me.”
“When I saw you that first day in my mom’s room I knew none of it mattered. I didn’t care that you didn’t trust me. I wanted you back. I wanted to tell you I was never unfaithful and I never stopped loving you but I knew you wouldn’t listen. I knew you wouldn’t believe me.”
The moment he touched her, she lifted her head and nestled it into the crook of his neck. “So, now what?”
He pulled away and smiled. “Angel, I’m never letting you go.”
She wiped the onslaught of tears with the back of her hand.
He took the ring out of the box. “Now, it’s time to put this where it should have been for the last year.”
She looked down at her shaking hand as he slid the brilliant ring onto her finger. She was humbled. All she had ever wanted—and he was sitting before her offering her everything. “All I’ve ever wanted was for you to want only me.”
“I’ve never wanted anyone but you.”
She smiled through her tears. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
“Not lately.” He pressed her back on the bed, his body resting snuggly beside her. “We have the rest of our lives to tell,” he kissed her deeply, “and show each other.”
About the Author
Aris Whittier is a romance writer. She writes suspense, contemporary, and commercial woman's fiction. Her debut novel, Fatal Embrace is a romantic suspense that was featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine as a Red-Hot Read. Foolish Notions is a contemporary romance that has just a touch a mystery too. She is also the author of the hilariously funny book: The Truth About Being A Bass Fisherman's Wife, which was featured in Bass Pro Shops. Aris enjoys reading romance just as much as she does writing it. Aris loves to hear from her readers, you can email her at, [email protected] or visit her at, awhittier.blogspot.com
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
About the Author
Foolish Notions Page 23