And he couldn’t enjoy any of it, knowing Sienna was back in New Orleans, hating him.
Toby took one last look around the ornate theater, the stage littered with the metallic confetti that had showered upon everything when Aria was announced as the winner.
Toby squatted down to the floor, and scooped up a handful of the colorful squares. He sifted them through his fingers, letting them fall back to the floor, repeating the motions over and over as his brain replayed that last conversation with Sienna like a heart wrenching movie.
Why didn’t he stop her from leaving? Why didn’t he go to her before coming to Los Angeles? He could have explained why he’d had that lapse in judgment over the offer from the Madrid Lions. Because that’s all it had been, a lapse in judgment. For just a few minutes, he’d needed to hold on to the fantasy. It was a dream that had been such a huge part of his life, a dream he believed was dead. All he’d wanted to do was pretend, just for a moment, that he would have a second chance.
In his heart, Toby knew basketball would never be a part of his life again, not in the way it was once supposed to be, and especially not by playing in some virtually unknown European league. He’d finally accepted his fate. Hell, he’d embraced it.
But none of it mattered anymore. Without Sienna, all of this was meaningless.
His cell phone rang again. Toby retrieved it from his pocket and flipped it open.
“This is Toby.”
After a short pause, a soft voice came through the phone. “Congratulations.”
Relishing the familiar sound, Toby allowed his eyes to shut close as he rose from his crouched position. “Thank you,” he answered. “Congratulations to you, too. Tonight was just as much your victory as Aria’s.”
“She looked spectacular up there, Toby.”
“She was. I’m sorry you weren’t here to see it,” he said. When she remained quiet, Toby changed course. “How did things go Sunday night? Did you get through the ball okay?”
He could feel her sigh all the way from New Orleans. “It just may have been the thing to alienate my mother to the point of cutting me off completely.”
“Was Curtis Henderson there?”
“He was, but I didn’t confront him. He wasn’t worth putting myself through that again. I just want to put it behind me. Unfortunately, my mother continues to live in that world, and I don’t see her changing anytime soon.”
“Forget about her. You don’t need her.”
“My own mother?” Sienna asked.
“You don’t need Sylvia’s kind of love,” he said. “You’ve got enough people in the world who love you.”
“Thank you,” she answered.
“Actually, I should be saying that to you. I talked to Isaac tonight,” Toby explained. “He told me you went to see him. You’re going to need a business card the size of a postcard if you keep adding all these job titles: marketing executive, promoter, cheerleader, and now defender.”
“Well, I’ve always endeavored to be well rounded,” she said with a soft laugh.
“Sienna, I’m sorry,” Toby said, because he needed to. “I know you don’t understand how I could think about accepting that deal, but it was just something I wanted to hold onto for a little while. I was never going to say yes.”
“I figured that out for myself,” she answered. “Sometimes, we need the dream.”
“And that’s all it’s ever going to be for me, a dream,” Toby assured her. “You are my reality.”
For a long stretch, she remained silent, and then a softly whispered, “I love you,” came through the phone.
Love tightened his chest, sinking into his bones and causing a pleasurable ache to course through Toby’s entire body. It was intense, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I love you, too,” he said, clutching the cell phone so hard he thought he would crush it. “God, Sienna, I love you so much.”
The lights in the balcony section of the theater began to shut off row by row.
“Looks as if they’re putting you out of there,” she said.
Toby’s eyes roamed the ceiling as the lights overhead went dim. “Yeah, I guess—” Wait. “How do you know…”
“Turn right,” Sienna said.
He did.
Sienna was standing at the end of the row, her fingers wiggling in a little wave. For a minute, the shock of seeing her kept his feet from moving.
“Are you going to just stand there wasting my cell phone minutes?” she asked.
Still staring at her, Toby shook his head and shut his cell phone. Sienna did the same, and started walking toward him. He met her half way.
“What are you doing here?” Toby asked, enveloping her in a hug.
“I couldn’t miss this, Toby.”
“Were you here the entire time?”
She nodded. “I arrived at the theater right before the first act went on stage. I watched the show from the Green Room.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“And miss the look that’s on your face right now?” She laughed.
An usher emerged from behind the stage curtain. “The theater will be closing in ten minutes,” he said.
The rest of the overhead lights shut off, leaving only a few red, blue and green stage lights casting a warm glow across the first row of seats. The multicolored hues illuminated Sienna’s face.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” Toby said, bending his head.
“That sounds good to me,” she answered. She wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her mouth to meet his.
“Ma’am? Sir?” It was the usher.
“Cee Cee,” Toby said against her lips.
“Yes?”
Toby raised his head and looked down at her, his mouth creasing at the sight of the devious smile tipping up the corners of her lips. “What I want to do is going to take more than ten minutes.”
Toby caught the amusing gleam in her eye before the remaining lights of the theater went black.
Her voice tinged with playful sexiness, Sienna lips touched his as she answered, “That sounds good to me, too.”
__THE END__
Thank you so much for purchasing and reading Release Me.
Be sure to check out Eli and Alex’s stories in Deliver Me and Rescue Me.
The Holmes Brother Series:
Set in New Orleans, the Holmes Brothers series follows the lives of Elijah, Tobias, and Alexander Holmes as they find love in one of the world’s most romantic cities.
DELIVER ME
Book One
After being dumped by her boyfriend and passed over for yet another promotion, Monica Gardner moves to New Orleans, determined to make a name for herself as the new attending ER physician at Methodist Memorial Hospital. As for men--she's through with them. But when given the chance to chair the hospital's annual charity banquet, Monica must elicit the help of gorgeous Ob-gyn Elijah Holmes.
Eli will do anything to thwart his matchmaking Mama's plan to reunite him with his high school girlfriend. So, when the sexy new ER doc asks for his help in planning this year's charity banquet, Eli devises the perfect scheme: He'll help put on the best banquet the hospital has ever seen, if Monica poses as his new girlfriend. But when Eli finds himself falling in love, he realizes convincing Monica of his true feelings may be his greatest delivery yet.
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RESCUE ME
Book Three
In a few months, Alexander Holmes saw both of his younger brothers find love, but the hardworking owner of Holmes Construction has no desire to follow in their footsteps. Alex had his chance at wedded bliss, and all he ended up with was a whole lot of heartache...and a precious baby girl. Unfortunately, his sweet little pumpkin has turned into a little monster at school. Suddenly, Alex finds himself in a brand new role: parent volunteer.
Renee Moore moved to New Orleans to help her aunt rebuild after her home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. When she accep
ts a job as the new Special Projects Coordinator at St. Katherine's School, Renee looks forward to molding all those young minds. What she doesn't expect is to fall for the sexy single father of one of her students. When Alex Holmes offers to help in rebuilding her aunt's home, Renee knows she's found a man worth his weight in gold. All she has to do is convince him to open his heart to love again.
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In Her Wildest Dreams
Event planner Erica Cole recruits her best friend to help her plan the ultimate Valentine's Day fantasy, but chocolatier Gavin Foster is determined to show her that they should be more than just friends.
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***
The Rebound Guy
Relationship advisor, Dexter Bryant, is trying to shake his stud-for-hire image, but when Asia Carpenter makes him an offer he can't refuse, Dex will have to play the role of professional rebound guy one last time.
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The “Moments in Maplesville” Novella Series
If you enjoy small town romances, my new “Moments in Maplesville” novella series is perfect for you! Loose yourself in the fictional town of Maplesville, Louisiana!
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Read A Little Bit Naughty, book two in the Maplesville series!
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Romances from Harlequin Kimani!
The New York Sabers
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Bayou Dreams
Check out my brand new series set in the small, fictional town of Gauthier, Louisiana!
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About the Author:
A native of south Louisiana, Farrah Rochon officially began her writing career while waiting in between classes in the student lounge at Xavier University of Louisiana. After earning her Bachelors of Science degree and a Masters of Arts from Southeastern Louisiana University, Farrah decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a published novelist. She was named Shades of Romance Magazine's Best New Author of 2007. Her debut novel garnered rave reviews, earning Farrah several SORMAG Readers' Choice Awards. I’ll Catch You, the second book in her New York Sabers series for Harlequin Kimani, was a 2012 RITA(R) Award finalist. Farrah has also been nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice award for A Forever Kind of Love.
When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading her favorite romance novels or seeing as many Broadway shows as possible. An admitted sports fanatic, Farrah feeds her addiction to football by watching New Orleans Saints games on Sunday afternoons.
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