Read Online Wild For Mr. Wrong by Virna De Paul - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Virna De Paul
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enough problems. Do him a favor and leave.”
The idea that she had caused Daniel pain did not sit well with her. Since she couldn’t steamroll her way past Vance’s body, Bryn nodded her head. “Fine.” She’d just come back later.
Bryn turned around and was about to walk away when she heard the front door opened again, and Daniel’s voice following her. “Wait,” Daniel called. She turned around to see him face Vance and place a reassuring hand on his friend’s shoulder. “It’s okay. Really. I can take it from here. Why don’t you get on home to your wife and soon-to-be-born baby?”
Vance looked askance at Bryn. “You’re sure?”
“ Definitely, man. Thanks again.”
Vance walked inside and came back out a few seconds later, his coat and keys in hand, then paused to give Daniel a hug and a warm pat on the back. “Don’t worry about your schedule. I’ll have one of the juniors take care of it.” With a final glare at Bryn, Vance walked to his car, a black Mustang parked at the curb, started the engine, and drove away.
After several seconds of awkward silence, Bryn cleared her throat.
“ Juniors?”
“ Our new hires at the firm,” Daniel clarified.
He looked haggard. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he’d gone on a drinking binge the night before. Instinctively, her hand twitched to reach out and caress his cheek. To smooth away the circles under his eyes and offer him some respite from his pain.
“ What are you doing here, Bryn? Is Vance right? Did you come to gloat?”
Bryn took that insult on the chin. She’d earned it, but she abhorred the idea of him thinking that. “No! Of course I didn’t. I heard about what happened. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“ Why?”
“ Well, I heard you were feeling badly…”
Daniel shook his head. “No, I mean why would you care?”
Bryn didn’t respond. She didn’t know what to say. She did care. Cared enough to put aside her pride. And overcome her own fears and hang-ups. But how to convey those thoughts to an angry, hurting man?
Daniel sighed. “It’s okay, Bryn. I don’t need you here. I’m fine.” He turned around, walked into the house, and shut the door.
She stared at the closed door for a few seconds. Maybe she should just leave him alone, she thought. But, no, Daniel was clearly hurting. If her prior words were contributing to that, she needed to fix it.
Bryn threw open the door. “You’re being—” Her words came to a crashing halt when she saw Daniel sitting on a brown leather couch, his face buried in his hands. Bryn looked around, but saw no signs of alcohol. Sheets covered the sofa, probably where Vance had slept the night before.
Bryn felt her heart skip. Thank God he’d had Vance with him last night.
She walked slowly toward him. Reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. She felt awkward. Clumsy. Her body moved stiffly. Daniel’s shoulder muscles clenched under her hand, and she waited for him to turn away. Instead, he grasped her hand with his own and rested his face against her fingers, rubbing his forehead against her like a cat.
Unable to step away, she raised her other hand and began stroking his silky hair. He stilled. Simply breathed. As if afraid she’d stop. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and hugged her to him, his face shifting to her stomach. Bryn closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of being held by Daniel. Of holding him. God, she’d missed him.
“ It’s my fault,” he whispered.
“ No, no,” she said, jerking away. He refused to look at her, so she crouched in front of him. “Daniel.” She reached out, cradled his face in her hands, and forced him to look at her. “Daniel, listen to me. You know that’s not true.”
“ How can you say that? You were there, Bryn! I got the bastard off.” His fingers were now
The idea that she had caused Daniel pain did not sit well with her. Since she couldn’t steamroll her way past Vance’s body, Bryn nodded her head. “Fine.” She’d just come back later.
Bryn turned around and was about to walk away when she heard the front door opened again, and Daniel’s voice following her. “Wait,” Daniel called. She turned around to see him face Vance and place a reassuring hand on his friend’s shoulder. “It’s okay. Really. I can take it from here. Why don’t you get on home to your wife and soon-to-be-born baby?”
Vance looked askance at Bryn. “You’re sure?”
“ Definitely, man. Thanks again.”
Vance walked inside and came back out a few seconds later, his coat and keys in hand, then paused to give Daniel a hug and a warm pat on the back. “Don’t worry about your schedule. I’ll have one of the juniors take care of it.” With a final glare at Bryn, Vance walked to his car, a black Mustang parked at the curb, started the engine, and drove away.
After several seconds of awkward silence, Bryn cleared her throat.
“ Juniors?”
“ Our new hires at the firm,” Daniel clarified.
He looked haggard. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he’d gone on a drinking binge the night before. Instinctively, her hand twitched to reach out and caress his cheek. To smooth away the circles under his eyes and offer him some respite from his pain.
“ What are you doing here, Bryn? Is Vance right? Did you come to gloat?”
Bryn took that insult on the chin. She’d earned it, but she abhorred the idea of him thinking that. “No! Of course I didn’t. I heard about what happened. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“ Why?”
“ Well, I heard you were feeling badly…”
Daniel shook his head. “No, I mean why would you care?”
Bryn didn’t respond. She didn’t know what to say. She did care. Cared enough to put aside her pride. And overcome her own fears and hang-ups. But how to convey those thoughts to an angry, hurting man?
Daniel sighed. “It’s okay, Bryn. I don’t need you here. I’m fine.” He turned around, walked into the house, and shut the door.
She stared at the closed door for a few seconds. Maybe she should just leave him alone, she thought. But, no, Daniel was clearly hurting. If her prior words were contributing to that, she needed to fix it.
Bryn threw open the door. “You’re being—” Her words came to a crashing halt when she saw Daniel sitting on a brown leather couch, his face buried in his hands. Bryn looked around, but saw no signs of alcohol. Sheets covered the sofa, probably where Vance had slept the night before.
Bryn felt her heart skip. Thank God he’d had Vance with him last night.
She walked slowly toward him. Reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. She felt awkward. Clumsy. Her body moved stiffly. Daniel’s shoulder muscles clenched under her hand, and she waited for him to turn away. Instead, he grasped her hand with his own and rested his face against her fingers, rubbing his forehead against her like a cat.
Unable to step away, she raised her other hand and began stroking his silky hair. He stilled. Simply breathed. As if afraid she’d stop. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and hugged her to him, his face shifting to her stomach. Bryn closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of being held by Daniel. Of holding him. God, she’d missed him.
“ It’s my fault,” he whispered.
“ No, no,” she said, jerking away. He refused to look at her, so she crouched in front of him. “Daniel.” She reached out, cradled his face in her hands, and forced him to look at her. “Daniel, listen to me. You know that’s not true.”
“ How can you say that? You were there, Bryn! I got the bastard off.” His fingers were now
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