Read Online 24 1/2 Kisses (A Bashir Family Romance) by Kennedy Claire - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kennedy Claire
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the magic seemed to dissipate and I remembered why I was there.
Ask the question and get your damn closure, Scarlett.
Before I could say anything, he broke free of me.
“I’ll be right back. Please don’t go anywhere.”
He didn’t wait for me to answer before walking away. I let out a deep breath and decided to find the ladies room and regroup.
Inside the palatial mansion, a butler directed me to the bathroom and just as I approached it, someone grabbed my arm from behind.
I whipped around half-expecting Rhett again, but was surprised when I saw a tall, leggy brunette.
Greta.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” she offered, taking her hand quickly away. “I just saw you dancing out there with Dev.”
I wasn’t sure what she was getting at.
“Hi Greta. Nice to see you again.”
She scrunched her face in severe thought as she looked at me.
“I know who you are now. Wow, I can’t believe I didn’t see it when I saw you in his office.”
She laughed sardonically to herself.
“I’m sorry, I don’t quite follow you.”
“It just hit me when I saw you dance with him, you’re the girl .” She shook her head like she had finally solved some great mystery.
“Again, not following you .”
“You were the girl in his apartment that morning.”
I knew exactly what she was talking about but I played dumb.
“I’m sorry, I don’t quite recall that.”
She snorted. “Right. He only begged me to drop by his apartment just at the moment you happened to be there . I really liked him, too, until I realized he was just using me to make you jealous.”
What the hell was she talking about?
“Greta, are you saying he knew I was there?”
She suddenly looked like she regretted saying too much.
“I think you better ask Dev. I just wanted to meet you—properly—now that I know who you are.”
“And who am I?”
She paused in thought.
“You’re the girl who wrecked everyone else’s chances with the most eligible bachelor in New York.”
Before I could ask her anything else, she turned on her black stiletto heel and left.
After I primped and preened in the marble-white bathroom, I returned to the party which was now in full swing and looked for Dev. I didn’t have to look for long. He was immediately at my side as he had been waiting for me.
“I thought you left me,” he asked, standing next to me so close I could feel his arm brush against mine leaving a slight tingle.
“I haven’t asked my question yet.”
I turned to him and searched his face for some clue what he was feeling. The little revelation about Greta was bouncing around in my head.
“Are you sure you don’t want dance again?”
“No, I don’t want to dance again, Dev.”
“Okay, then ask your question. Anything.”
I wanted to ask him why he led me to believe he was cheating on me when he wasn’t. I wanted to ask him why he let our love die. And why he so callously broke my heart. I wanted to ask him why he never told me about Gerald Franklin or the extreme stress he must have been under.
But the question I really wanted to ask more than anything was too much for me to say out loud.
Do you still love me?
Instead, I did what I came there to do. I did my job.
“Is the rumor that Gerald Franklin is your biological father true?”
I saw the pain in his eyes when he realized that I was asking as a reporter and not as Scarlett— his Scarlett . I instantly regretted my question.
He lowered his voice and leaned in closely to me.
“Is that what you really want to know, Scarlett?”
It wasn’t. I already knew the answer after meeting Gerald; he was indeed Dev’s father. But I came here to finish a job .
Didn’t I?
“Yes, it is,” I lied.
His eyes narrowed in disappointment and I wanted to run away.
“The rumor is true. Gerald Franklin is my father.”
I came back to my senses. What was I doing?
“You know this is on record, Dev, and it will be printed?”
“Yes, and now you have the
Ask the question and get your damn closure, Scarlett.
Before I could say anything, he broke free of me.
“I’ll be right back. Please don’t go anywhere.”
He didn’t wait for me to answer before walking away. I let out a deep breath and decided to find the ladies room and regroup.
Inside the palatial mansion, a butler directed me to the bathroom and just as I approached it, someone grabbed my arm from behind.
I whipped around half-expecting Rhett again, but was surprised when I saw a tall, leggy brunette.
Greta.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” she offered, taking her hand quickly away. “I just saw you dancing out there with Dev.”
I wasn’t sure what she was getting at.
“Hi Greta. Nice to see you again.”
She scrunched her face in severe thought as she looked at me.
“I know who you are now. Wow, I can’t believe I didn’t see it when I saw you in his office.”
She laughed sardonically to herself.
“I’m sorry, I don’t quite follow you.”
“It just hit me when I saw you dance with him, you’re the girl .” She shook her head like she had finally solved some great mystery.
“Again, not following you .”
“You were the girl in his apartment that morning.”
I knew exactly what she was talking about but I played dumb.
“I’m sorry, I don’t quite recall that.”
She snorted. “Right. He only begged me to drop by his apartment just at the moment you happened to be there . I really liked him, too, until I realized he was just using me to make you jealous.”
What the hell was she talking about?
“Greta, are you saying he knew I was there?”
She suddenly looked like she regretted saying too much.
“I think you better ask Dev. I just wanted to meet you—properly—now that I know who you are.”
“And who am I?”
She paused in thought.
“You’re the girl who wrecked everyone else’s chances with the most eligible bachelor in New York.”
Before I could ask her anything else, she turned on her black stiletto heel and left.
After I primped and preened in the marble-white bathroom, I returned to the party which was now in full swing and looked for Dev. I didn’t have to look for long. He was immediately at my side as he had been waiting for me.
“I thought you left me,” he asked, standing next to me so close I could feel his arm brush against mine leaving a slight tingle.
“I haven’t asked my question yet.”
I turned to him and searched his face for some clue what he was feeling. The little revelation about Greta was bouncing around in my head.
“Are you sure you don’t want dance again?”
“No, I don’t want to dance again, Dev.”
“Okay, then ask your question. Anything.”
I wanted to ask him why he led me to believe he was cheating on me when he wasn’t. I wanted to ask him why he let our love die. And why he so callously broke my heart. I wanted to ask him why he never told me about Gerald Franklin or the extreme stress he must have been under.
But the question I really wanted to ask more than anything was too much for me to say out loud.
Do you still love me?
Instead, I did what I came there to do. I did my job.
“Is the rumor that Gerald Franklin is your biological father true?”
I saw the pain in his eyes when he realized that I was asking as a reporter and not as Scarlett— his Scarlett . I instantly regretted my question.
He lowered his voice and leaned in closely to me.
“Is that what you really want to know, Scarlett?”
It wasn’t. I already knew the answer after meeting Gerald; he was indeed Dev’s father. But I came here to finish a job .
Didn’t I?
“Yes, it is,” I lied.
His eyes narrowed in disappointment and I wanted to run away.
“The rumor is true. Gerald Franklin is my father.”
I came back to my senses. What was I doing?
“You know this is on record, Dev, and it will be printed?”
“Yes, and now you have the
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