love her anymore.”
Reid intended to do exactly as she’d directed, because he didn’t want to lose her. He liked what they had. It was easy and comfortable and peaceful. It was everything his relationship with Kate hadn’t been, but he couldn’t look at this beautiful, sweet woman who’d been so good to him and lie to her.
“I don’t know how I feel. I wish I could tell you what you want to hear, but I’m all mixed up inside. Seeing her again has thrown me. I won’t deny that. I need some time to figure out what it means.”
“Take all the time you need.” She picked up her bag and headed for the door. “I’ll send for the rest of my stuff.”
“Mari, please. You don’t have to go. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
“Yes, it does, because I happen to love you, and I won’t sit on the sidelines and watch you leave me.”
“ Leave you? You’re the one who’s leaving!”
“You left me the minute you saw her.” This was said so quietly that Reid almost didn’t hear her.
“Mari—”
“Please, don’t do this. Don’t deny what we both know is true. We had a lovely time together, and I don’t want to watch it die a painful death while you pine for the one who got away. Don’t do that to us, or to me.”
Before Reid could piece together a coherent response to that, she was out the door and in her car. He slammed the door shut and pounded his fist on the wood. How had this day spun so far out of control from when he’d woken up in the morning to make lazy love with Mari to watching her storm out the door as their relationship came to a sudden, turbulent end?
“I’ll tell you how it happened,” he said, fuming as he grabbed his car keys. “Kate Harrington is how it happened. Once again she’s turned my entire life upside down, and this time she’s not getting away with it.”
After dinner, Kate took what was left of her bottle of wine to the beach patio and stretched out on one of the wide lounge chairs. It wasn’t lost on her that the chairs were made to accommodate two people, and as usual, she was alone. Normally, being by herself didn’t bother her. But here, in paradise, she felt lonelier than she had in a long time.
Of course it was because nothing had gone as she’d hoped today. Now that she’d seen Reid again, Kate was able to admit that she’d expected to find him single and as lonely as she was for what they’d once had. But he seemed to be happily settled with the dark-haired beauty he lived with.
Thinking of her, the petite woman with the dark eyes and curvy body, Kate experienced an emotion that was all new to her—jealousy. Was he with her now, in bed, making love to her? Or were they looking at the same moon on their deck, talking about his long-lost girlfriend who’d come to visit today and laughing about how misguided she’d been to show up that way, expecting to pick right up where she’d left off with Reid so long ago?
“Ugh,” she said to the moonlight, scrubbing a hand over her face as if to erase the memories of the other woman Reid loved now. It wouldn’t do her any good to think about them and what they might be doing.
The house phone inside rang, jarring her out of her musings. Kate got up to answer it.
“Ms. Harrington,” the operator said. “My apologies for disturbing you, but you have a visitor. A Mr. Matthews. He’s quite insistent on seeing you.”
Frozen with shock, Kate held the phone to her ear and stared at the wall, trying to formulate a coherent thought. Reid was here. And he wanted to see her.
“Ms. Harrington?”
“Please send him down.”
“Very well.”
Since she didn’t have time to change before he got there, she retied her robe and ran her fingers through her hair. What was he doing here? She could barely think by the time he knocked—or rather pounded—on her door a minute later.
Before she could get to the door, he pounded again. “Open up, Kate!” What the heck had gotten into him?
She opened
Reid intended to do exactly as she’d directed, because he didn’t want to lose her. He liked what they had. It was easy and comfortable and peaceful. It was everything his relationship with Kate hadn’t been, but he couldn’t look at this beautiful, sweet woman who’d been so good to him and lie to her.
“I don’t know how I feel. I wish I could tell you what you want to hear, but I’m all mixed up inside. Seeing her again has thrown me. I won’t deny that. I need some time to figure out what it means.”
“Take all the time you need.” She picked up her bag and headed for the door. “I’ll send for the rest of my stuff.”
“Mari, please. You don’t have to go. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
“Yes, it does, because I happen to love you, and I won’t sit on the sidelines and watch you leave me.”
“ Leave you? You’re the one who’s leaving!”
“You left me the minute you saw her.” This was said so quietly that Reid almost didn’t hear her.
“Mari—”
“Please, don’t do this. Don’t deny what we both know is true. We had a lovely time together, and I don’t want to watch it die a painful death while you pine for the one who got away. Don’t do that to us, or to me.”
Before Reid could piece together a coherent response to that, she was out the door and in her car. He slammed the door shut and pounded his fist on the wood. How had this day spun so far out of control from when he’d woken up in the morning to make lazy love with Mari to watching her storm out the door as their relationship came to a sudden, turbulent end?
“I’ll tell you how it happened,” he said, fuming as he grabbed his car keys. “Kate Harrington is how it happened. Once again she’s turned my entire life upside down, and this time she’s not getting away with it.”
After dinner, Kate took what was left of her bottle of wine to the beach patio and stretched out on one of the wide lounge chairs. It wasn’t lost on her that the chairs were made to accommodate two people, and as usual, she was alone. Normally, being by herself didn’t bother her. But here, in paradise, she felt lonelier than she had in a long time.
Of course it was because nothing had gone as she’d hoped today. Now that she’d seen Reid again, Kate was able to admit that she’d expected to find him single and as lonely as she was for what they’d once had. But he seemed to be happily settled with the dark-haired beauty he lived with.
Thinking of her, the petite woman with the dark eyes and curvy body, Kate experienced an emotion that was all new to her—jealousy. Was he with her now, in bed, making love to her? Or were they looking at the same moon on their deck, talking about his long-lost girlfriend who’d come to visit today and laughing about how misguided she’d been to show up that way, expecting to pick right up where she’d left off with Reid so long ago?
“Ugh,” she said to the moonlight, scrubbing a hand over her face as if to erase the memories of the other woman Reid loved now. It wouldn’t do her any good to think about them and what they might be doing.
The house phone inside rang, jarring her out of her musings. Kate got up to answer it.
“Ms. Harrington,” the operator said. “My apologies for disturbing you, but you have a visitor. A Mr. Matthews. He’s quite insistent on seeing you.”
Frozen with shock, Kate held the phone to her ear and stared at the wall, trying to formulate a coherent thought. Reid was here. And he wanted to see her.
“Ms. Harrington?”
“Please send him down.”
“Very well.”
Since she didn’t have time to change before he got there, she retied her robe and ran her fingers through her hair. What was he doing here? She could barely think by the time he knocked—or rather pounded—on her door a minute later.
Before she could get to the door, he pounded again. “Open up, Kate!” What the heck had gotten into him?
She opened
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