by Jamie Pope
What she was saying made sense. Logically he knew that if she wanted to go overseas, this would be the best time for her to do it. He was going to be incredibly busy, not just with surgery but with learning all the aspects of his new job. He wouldn’t be able to be with her very often. Because he knew if he took the job here, his pride wouldn’t allow him to give anything but his all. But he still felt crushed. Like somebody had squeezed him until every ounce of oxygen had left his body.
This felt like an ending. It was an ending, because they both knew they couldn’t have a real marriage with both of them so far away and so focused on their careers.
“Is this what you really want, Cricket?” It wasn’t what he wanted, but there was no compromising here. One of them would have to give up something major, and he wanted her to be happy.
Maybe being married to him didn’t make her happy.
She opened her mouth to respond, but it seemed as if the words stuck in her throat. She said nothing, just nodded once, the tears welling in her eyes.
“This feels bad,” he admitted. “A few months ago I was planning the rest of my life, and now we’re talking about being apart.”
“You wouldn’t have married me if I wasn’t pregnant. We both know that. I wasn’t in your plans. Being a surgeon was in your plans.”
How could he argue with that? He had never planned to get hurt, either, or to meet her, or to fall so damn hard in love, but it had happened and he didn’t regret a moment of it. But clearly she did.
“I have to go, Elias.” She swiped the tears from her face. “But I love you. I was in love with you the day I married you, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop.”
The screen went blank, and he jumped up from his chair. “What!” But she was gone, and soul-crushing devastation bloomed into something that felt a lot like hope.
He picked up his cell phone and dialed her number, but she didn’t pick up. His next call was to a taxi.
* * *
Elias had called Cricket once. Just once. Then nothing all night. She hadn’t picked up the phone the one time he called, because she couldn’t listen to what he had to say. But his continued silence said far more than any words could. He was okay with them going their separate ways. And it confirmed what she had expected all along. She had interrupted his life. A wife was the last thing he had wanted. She had given him back his freedom. It was the logical thing to do. It was the right thing to do, but it was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do.
She’d tried not to cry last night, because crying wouldn’t change a thing. She had fallen in love. It had been a beautiful few months. She couldn’t regret it, because now she knew how well she should be treated. She knew what a truly good man was. She knew what passion and true lust were. She knew it was possible to feel deep, unending emotion for someone, and she’d learned that she was worthy of love. There was no way she could regret this marriage, but she could mourn it. Because she was fairly certain there wasn’t another man on earth that she could love more than Elias.
She got out of bed and walked out to the beach to sit in the cool sand. It was early in the morning. There weren’t signs of any people. It was peaceful. The sound of the waves gently lapping the shore soothed her. This place was so damned beautiful. She had traveled the world, but her soul kept pulling her back here. This was where she wanted to spend her life. This was home for her.
“You can’t just tell a man that you’re in love with him and then hang up before he responds.”
She turned around to see Elias standing on the beach behind her. He looked rumpled and exhausted, but he was there—and her heart stopped beating. He was supposed to be over a thousand miles away in Wisconsin.
“What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be accepting that job.”
“I’m here to yell at you. Why the hell didn’t you answer my call?” He walked closer to her. “I had to take four connecting flights and travel all night. I haven’t had any sleep, and now I’m mad as hell.”
“You only called once. I thought it was a mistake. You didn’t even leave a message.”
“Oh, so you did hear the phone? You just ignored it. And there I was wondering if you had gotten abducted by aliens or kidnapped. I was thinking the worst, and you just didn’t want to pick up my call.”
“I didn’t want to hear what you had to say.”
“Why not?”
“I didn’t want to hear you let me down easy.”
“Let you down easy? Let you down easy! You don’t know me at all, do you?”
“I know that you have wanted to be a surgeon your entire life. That you went to medical school to be a doctor because your father couldn’t follow his dreams. I know that you never planned to have a wife. I know if you’d had it your way, we never would have seen each other again.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“You’re an ass!”
“I’m an ass who’s in love with you.” He knelt down before her. “Can’t you tell, Cricket? Can’t you feel how much I love you?”
“I wish you’d told me that sooner. I thought you were just being nice.”
“I’m not that nice! Nobody is that nice, Cricket. This is about you thinking you’re not enough. But when the hell are you going to get it? When are you going to trust me enough to know that I’m not going to hurt you?”
“When you love somebody as much as I love you, it’s scary. I keep thinking that this can’t be real. That it’s impossible for anything to be this good.”
“I fell in love with you that first night we met. We were on the beach. It was twilight, and I couldn’t stop looking at you. I only stayed away afterward because I didn’t trust my feelings. I thought love at first sight was crap, but I loved you, and then you told me you were pregnant and I knew I had my shot to marry you without you thinking I was insane.”
She frowned at him. “I did think you were insane.”
“But you said yes when you didn’t have to, and I asked you when I knew we could coparent without being a couple. I knew being with you was better than being without you. I want to be with you. I want to stay married to you for the rest of my life. I’m in love with you. What do I have to do to prove it to you?”
She had felt the same exact way. Never before had she experienced such a rush of feelings for anyone. She’d never thought that emotions like that were possible. At least not for her. And that’s why she made no move to keep their connection going. She thought it was a fluke, and because of that she’d almost lost out on the love of her life. They had almost lost out on each other.
“You came home,” she said as tears slipped down her face. “That’s enough.” She cupped his face and pressed her lips to his. “But what about your career? That’s a job of a lifetime.”
“You won’t be happy there and I won’t be happy without you, so it’s not a question for me. I need to be where you are.”
Cricket closed her eyes. “I feel so damn guilty. That’s why I told you to stay! You weren’t supposed to come rushing back here and make me love you more. I won’t be able to forgive myself if I let you give up this job for me.” She opened her eyes. “Call them and tell them there was an emergency here. I’ll go back with you. We’ll make it work—as long as we love each other, I know we can make things work.”
He sat beside her in the cool sand and looked out at the ocean. “There’s only one problem with that plan. I called them last night and turned down the position.”
“Why did you do that? I could have wanted a divorce. You shouldn’t have been so impulsive.”
“You sound like your mother.”
“You take that back!”
He chuckled and slipped his hand into hers. For somebody who had just thrown away his shot at a dream job, he was awfully relaxed. Happy, even. “I turned down that job because I have a sho
t at something I want more.”
“You’re going back to Miami Mercy? Did my mother tell you that she was going to make you the head of trauma?”
“No. I’m going to be working full-time at Hideaway Hospital. Instead of having the people here go off island for surgery, I’m going to operate here.”
“Is that what you really want to do?”
“The job comes with amazing benefits.”
“Does it?”
“I’ll get to have coffee with my wife every morning. I’ll get to eat dinner with her when I come home. I’ll get to go to my children’s soccer games. I get to have a life and be happy. I get to be with the woman I love as much as I possibly can.”
“Those do sound like good benefits.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Remind me to send Giselle a thank-you card.”
He looked over at her, surprised. “Why do you need to thank her?”
“Because if she wasn’t who she was, then you never would have pretended to be my boyfriend and I would have never fallen in love with you that night.”
“I think we need to send her more than a card. Maybe a bottle of wine and some flowers.”
“And an invitation to our wedding.”
“We had one of those already.”
“I know, but I think I would like to have another ceremony. Right here on the island in front of our families.”
“Nothing would make me happier than to marry you all over again.”
* * * * *
Also check out these other sensual and emotional titles in Jamie Pope’s TROPICAL DESTINY series:
SURRENDER AT SUNSET
KISSED BY CHRISTMAS
MINE AT MIDNIGHT
Available now from Harlequin Kimani Romance!
Keep reading for an excerpt from THE HEAT BETWEEN US by Cheris Hodges.
The Heat Between Us
by Cheris Hodges
Chapter 1
Michael Jane, also known as MJ, yawned as she leaned back in her office chair while reading over the latest edition of the local newspaper. It wasn’t that the story was boring—she just hated Monday mornings, and this one was particularly difficult. Mimi had talked her into a three-mile run, and then a green smoothie for breakfast.
No wonder the caramel beauty was tired and ready for a power nap. MJ looked at her reflection in her compact mirror. Her light brown eyes were sparkling and her auburn curls were actually in perfect form today, despite her run this morning. MJ was often complimented on her full lips, especially when she smiled. It was the one trait she’d got from her mother that she appreciated. Her lips and the beauty mark near her bottom lip.
“Miss Jane,” her assistant said. “You have a visitor.”
“Who is it?” Michael stifled another yawn. She knew she didn’t have any appointments this morning, which was the only reason she’d allowed Mimi to talk her into that crazy run.
“Nicolas Prince.”
Michael groaned and tugged at her auburn tresses. “Send him in.”
Before the door opened, Michael smoothed the corners of her mouth then sat up straight in her chair.
Nicolas Prince used to be the man of her dreams, the man she’d seen standing at the altar on her wedding day. Now he was simply the client she wished she’d never signed to her marketing company. Nic, who’d always had a healthy dose of confidence, leaned on the strength of their friendship to show up without an appointment. It wasn’t a good look.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he said as he walked in and took a seat in front of her desk.
“What do you want, Nic?” She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. MJ played with her bouncy curls when she was annoyed. Nic’s unannounced visit was very annoying. Granted, there was a time when seeing Nic would’ve sent her heart fluttering and made her smile. She’d even gone so far as to fantasize about a future with him. But that was before he’d made it clear that he didn’t have the same feelings for her that she had for him, leaving her crushed. Nic had used her to get what he wanted and she vowed that she’d never be used by another man again. Mimi Collins-Daniels, MJ’s best friend, had tried to warn her that Nic was a player, but Michael had wanted to see the best in him. She wanted to believe that she could be the one to bring out the love in him, like a princess in a fairy tale. Unfortunately, life wasn’t a fairy tale and neither was her one-sided relationship with Nic.
At least she’d learned her lesson. She’d never make the mistake of falling for a player again.
“What’s up with the attitude this morning?”
“Why are you here without an appointment? Mondays are busy days for me.” She raised her right eyebrow. “You could’ve at least brought coffee and bagels if you were going to come in here unannounced.”
Nic shook his head. “Well, I apologize, but I have an amazing idea and I need your help to make it sizzle.”
MJ sighed. “I’m listening.”
“Are you?” He rolled his eyes. “Stayed out partying last night?”
Michael gave him a look. “Get on with it. I have another appointment.” The sooner he said what he had to say, the quicker she could get him out of her office. “And how I spend my nights aren’t your concern. What’s your idea?”
“The Great Atlanta Jazz Fest. A two-day citywide event to spotlight the growing scene here and give New Orleans a little competition.”
MJ perked up in her seat. “Go on.”
“Of course my spot would get the most publicity because I’d be a main sponsor and host all of the after-parties.”
Michael gave him an icy glance. “Yeah, I imagine you would expect that. What about the artists?”
“I have a few ideas. A few of the groups I’ve had at the club would be great headliners. But we need some big names.”
“Okay, so how are we going to work this event and get the city on board?”
Nic nodded. Michael turned to her computer and pulled up her internet browser. “We need to make sure we don’t have any of the same artists who were in New Orleans headlining here. We want Atlanta’s jazz fest to be different, our own thing.”
Even if this festival was Nic’s idea, MJ knew having her company attached to a successful event like this would put her business at the top when it came to landing multimillion-dollar accounts. She needed this to work, even if it meant working with Nic.
Nic slapped the edge of her desk with excitement. “And this is why I came to you. I knew you could make this work. You’re one of the only other people I know who can take an idea and make it as big as it needs to be.”
“Me and my staff...”
“No, MJ, I’m only working with you on this. I know your people are sharp, but you’re the best.”
“Everyone here is capable of making this a stellar—”
He interrupted her. “We have a contract, remember? It says that we—”
“Clearly, I know what it says,” she snapped. “Give me a couple of days to get a proposal together. Then we can start firming up plans.”
“Miss Jane,” her assistant said over the intercom. “Mimi Collins is here for you.”
Nic rose to his feet. “My cue to leave. I’ll call you to make an appointment so that we can go over this in more detail.”
“Please do,” she replied as Mimi walked in.
There was no love lost between Michael’s best friend and Nic. Ever since they were undergrads at Spelman and Morehouse, Mimi and Nic had butted heads. MJ could never put her finger on why, and at this point she’d chalked it up as one of life’s unexplained mysteries.
“Ooh,” Mimi said, giving Nic a cool glance. “Am I, hopefully, interrupting something?”
“Hello and goodbye, Mimi. I was just leaving.” Nic strode to the door.
“Don’t let me stop you.” Mimi
took the seat that Nic had vacated.
“Guys, this is my office, not the quad,” Michael said. “Nic, we’ll talk soon.”
Mimi made a face and crossed her legs as Nic walked out the door. “Please tell me that was about business.”
“It was and you’re rude!” MJ broke out into laughter. “I don’t get you two.”
“Whatever. Are you in as much pain as I am?”
“Not you, Miss Marathon Queen.” MJ rolled her eyes. “Let me just go on record and remind you that this morning’s run was your idea.”
Mimi yawned. “Well, I had a bit of a workout last night with my loving husband, so three miles was a bit much this morning.” Mimi stretched her left foot out. “And these heels are murderous. But I had to show up at the Blog-Her conference looking like a million bucks.”
“Umm, TMI, Mimi! How’s the conference going so far?” Michael asked, quickly changing the subject. MJ had watched her friend rise to fame and infamy with the power of the keystroke as the creator of the Mis-Adventures of Mimi blog. After her public spat with the online dating website Fast Love, Mimi had fallen in love with her attorney, Brent Daniels. Michael had hoped their real love story would’ve made her friend a little less controversial on her blog. It hadn’t and that was why the public loved her. Mimi still wrote about relationships and real life issues.
Her last post had been about women not waiting for a man’s potential to kick in while dating. The post had gotten over seven million hits.
“I think I might have started something positive,” Mimi said with a smirk.
“Why does that statement scare me?”
“Because you’re nuts. I met a web designer who wants to make a site that celebrates women. Highlights our trials and tribulations. Falls from grace and comebacks. There are a few sisters looking to create some dating apps that aren’t just about your looks and can match couples by the books they’ve read.”