Read Online Release by Rebecca Lynn - Free Book Online Page B

But if anything, that depressed her even more.  She
had to get away from him.  She quickly walked up to her door, hoping to
get inside before he was done, but he was behind her in a matter of seconds
while she stood there shaking, trying to get the key into the lock, all the
while balancing her umbrella.  She stopped and turned.
    She put out her
hand as if to stop him.  “Jeremy, please.  You don’t understand,” she
said pleadingly.
    Now that she was
under the light above her front door, he must’ve noticed she’d been crying,
because his face took on a tender and concerned look.  He reached his hand
up to cup her face.  “Then make me understand,” he whispered.  He
continued.  “It’s close to one o’clock in the morning, it’s pouring
outside and you’re shaking like a leaf.  Open the door, Ryann.  Now.”
    “God, you’re
such a … grrr.   I don’t want you to come in, Jeremy. 
It’s only going to make matters more complicated.”
    “I won’t stay
long.  I want to make sure you get in safely, and that you’re alright...
and I’m not taking no for an answer.  So,” he took the keys from her hand,
and unlocked the door.  “After you.”
    It was so
obvious he was used to getting what he wanted.  The man was tenacious,
like a pit bull that had something between its teeth.  As long as that
something wasn’t her heart, she’d survive this.
    She let out an
exasperated sigh, and walked into the house, stepping around boxes in the
process, and leaving her umbrella on the floor to dry.
    Jeremy closed
the door, quickly glanced around, then zeroed in on her.  They were
cocooned in the darkened foyer.  The calming effect of the rain hitting
the roof was at odds with the electricity humming between them.
    “You’re moving.”
    She nodded.
    “Is that why you
left in such a hurry?  Because you’re leaving the area and we wouldn’t
have time to explore what this is?”
    She looked down,
sighed, and then met his penetrating gaze.  He looked upset.  And
hurt.
    She steeled
herself.  “Jeremy, although I appreciate you following me home to make
sure I got here safely, it really was a wasted trip.”
    He continued as
if she hadn’t spoken at all.  “When are you moving?”
    She
sighed.  “On Sunday.”
    “Where to?”
    She hesitated,
then said wryly, “I’m moving…into the City.”
    He raised an
eyebrow, and looked relieved…then he smiled his sexy smile, amused, smug. 
“You’re moving from New Jersey into the City?  How interesting.”
    She allowed
herself a small smile, then turned serious again, remembering the reason for
the conversation.
    He apparently
remembered as well.  “Tell me why you left me, Ryann.”
    He was going to
find out eventually, so she might as well tell him.
    “You’re the new
Vice Chairperson at the Manhattan Institute for Art and Design.”
    He nodded, then
frowned.  “What does that have to do with anything?”
    “I’m moving into
the City in two days to be closer to the Institute because I have a summer
internship there.”  She let it sink in before she continued. 
“Because I’m hoping to be hired there in the fall while I continue with my
thesis.”
    She watched for
his reaction.  He continued to look at her, then slowly nodded his
head.  Tension seemed to be leaving his face.  “You’re leaving the
Academy?”
    “I’m handing in
my resignation at the end of the summer.  I wanted to see how the
internship went first.”  Then she added, “And no one from the Academy
knows, so if you could withhold mentioning that to your aunt, I would appreciate
it.”
    He looked
vaguely insulted.  “Of course.”
    She bit her lip
nervously.  What was he thinking?  She couldn’t tell by his
expression.
    Then he slowly
began to stalk toward her, stopping within a foot of her.
    “That’s why you
left?  You anticipated there would be an ethical conflict, and we would
never be able to follow through with this.”  His finger waved