that bastard to come after me but not just for the reason you believe.” He held onto her as she tried to pull back from him. “I want it over with. I want him in police custody so that you’ll be safe but also because I…fuck, Leena, I want you. I can list reasons why I should step away and let you get on with your life but I can’t stop myself from wanting you.”
“The timing is wrong.”
“And when is there ever a right time?” He brought his finger under her chin and lifted her head up so she had to look at him. “You came into my life when I thought I was dying and you were my saving grace. You gave me a reason to fight and even when you left, I continued to fight, hoping that one day I’d see you again. You were beautiful then and you’re even more so now.”
“Oh, Turner.” Her eyes burned with unshed tears.
“I fell in love with you then and I’m still in love with you.” He let his hands fall away from her and stepped back. “When you stormed out of my office I called Chelsea and asked for her help. She met me here and told your guards that I had something to discuss with you that was important, that they shouldn’t tell you I was here and just bring you down instead.”
“Why did you need Chelsea’s help?”
“Because I planned on getting caught with you by the media,” he admitted.
“What?” She glanced down at the roses. “This was all a set-up?”
“No.” He spun back to her. “When I hung up with her, I knew as much as I wanted to use myself as bait to get this asshole to come after me, I realized it wasn’t the only reason. I was jealous. I wanted this bastard out of the picture so I could make my desire known.”
“Turner, I’ve always cared about you and I won’t see you put yourself in danger because of me.”
“But we have another problem.” He dropped down on the sofa next to the discarded roses.
“What?” Not knowing what else to do, she shoved her hands into the front pockets of her jeans.
“It’s best to be upfront about everything.” He ran a hand over his face but continued to avoid her gaze. “I should step aside and let you live your life.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You deserve so much better than me.”
She didn’t know what he was getting at, but she squatted down next to him and took his hands into hers. “I remember you telling me something like that once before. Leena, don’t waste yourself on a cancer ridden patient. I’m dying. But you’re alive and I wasn’t wrong or wasting my time back then.”
“But you want something I can’t give you.” He tried to slide his hand from hers, but she held on. “Children…I can’t give you children.”
“What?” She wasn’t sure how children came into the mix.
“You said you wanted a spouse and children. I can’t give you children. The treatments left…they left me sterile.”
She pushed the roses aside and sat down next to him. “There’s adoption. So many children out there who need a home.” Images of Brandy sitting alone in her hospital bed filled her thoughts. That sweet little girl with the big blue eyes needed a home. “But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.”
“I don’t think so.” He ran his hands down the legs of his jeans. “I learned long ago that you have to think long-term in order to keep moving ahead. If we’re going to get rid of your stalker and I’m going to prove that I deserve another chance with you, then you need to know what you’re getting yourself into.”
“Well, I know of one little girl who needs a good family and I’m sure there are dozens more. Besides adoption, there are other ways. It doesn’t stop whatever could happen between us.”
“On to the next obstacle.”
“And that would be?” She was scared to ask, but wanted to know the answer.
“Your mother.”
She leaned back against the sofa. Her eyes fell shut, and she twirled the ring on her finger again. “Now, that might be a fight none of us are prepared
“The timing is wrong.”
“And when is there ever a right time?” He brought his finger under her chin and lifted her head up so she had to look at him. “You came into my life when I thought I was dying and you were my saving grace. You gave me a reason to fight and even when you left, I continued to fight, hoping that one day I’d see you again. You were beautiful then and you’re even more so now.”
“Oh, Turner.” Her eyes burned with unshed tears.
“I fell in love with you then and I’m still in love with you.” He let his hands fall away from her and stepped back. “When you stormed out of my office I called Chelsea and asked for her help. She met me here and told your guards that I had something to discuss with you that was important, that they shouldn’t tell you I was here and just bring you down instead.”
“Why did you need Chelsea’s help?”
“Because I planned on getting caught with you by the media,” he admitted.
“What?” She glanced down at the roses. “This was all a set-up?”
“No.” He spun back to her. “When I hung up with her, I knew as much as I wanted to use myself as bait to get this asshole to come after me, I realized it wasn’t the only reason. I was jealous. I wanted this bastard out of the picture so I could make my desire known.”
“Turner, I’ve always cared about you and I won’t see you put yourself in danger because of me.”
“But we have another problem.” He dropped down on the sofa next to the discarded roses.
“What?” Not knowing what else to do, she shoved her hands into the front pockets of her jeans.
“It’s best to be upfront about everything.” He ran a hand over his face but continued to avoid her gaze. “I should step aside and let you live your life.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You deserve so much better than me.”
She didn’t know what he was getting at, but she squatted down next to him and took his hands into hers. “I remember you telling me something like that once before. Leena, don’t waste yourself on a cancer ridden patient. I’m dying. But you’re alive and I wasn’t wrong or wasting my time back then.”
“But you want something I can’t give you.” He tried to slide his hand from hers, but she held on. “Children…I can’t give you children.”
“What?” She wasn’t sure how children came into the mix.
“You said you wanted a spouse and children. I can’t give you children. The treatments left…they left me sterile.”
She pushed the roses aside and sat down next to him. “There’s adoption. So many children out there who need a home.” Images of Brandy sitting alone in her hospital bed filled her thoughts. That sweet little girl with the big blue eyes needed a home. “But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.”
“I don’t think so.” He ran his hands down the legs of his jeans. “I learned long ago that you have to think long-term in order to keep moving ahead. If we’re going to get rid of your stalker and I’m going to prove that I deserve another chance with you, then you need to know what you’re getting yourself into.”
“Well, I know of one little girl who needs a good family and I’m sure there are dozens more. Besides adoption, there are other ways. It doesn’t stop whatever could happen between us.”
“On to the next obstacle.”
“And that would be?” She was scared to ask, but wanted to know the answer.
“Your mother.”
She leaned back against the sofa. Her eyes fell shut, and she twirled the ring on her finger again. “Now, that might be a fight none of us are prepared
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