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  He moved closer, putting his arms around her.

  She pressed her cheek against his shoulder, allowing her tears to flow freely.

  “It’s all right,” he whispered the words against her ear. “I shouldn’t have said that. I just wanted to hurt you like I’m hurting.”

  She clenched a hand into a fist and pressed it against his shoulder. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I thought it was over between us, Trey. There was this big, gaping wound in my heart when I thought I’d lost you again. I felt alone, afraid, and so unhappy. When he came back into my life, I needed him to love some of the ache away.”

  He stiffened against her. “Loved?” He drew away slightly and lifted her chin so he could look down into her eyes. “Are you telling me you love him?”

  She resisted the urge to lie. They could never have a serious relationship with lies between them. “He’s a great guy. I think I’ve always been a little in love with him. When I thought you were lost to me—”

  The color drained from his face. “If you’re in love with him, where does that leave me, Carlee?”

  “Do you believe you can love two people at the—”

  “No, I do not!” He jerked away from her. He paced the length of the foyer before turning to look at her, his blue eyes icy with anger and accusation. “Don’t you stand there and tell me you love us both! I don’t want to hear that shit!”

  She stared silently at him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “Oh, God! Oh, God, this can not be happening!” He raked both hands through his hair. “You can not be in love with another man! You belong to me!”

  Her legs buckled and she slid down the wall to the floor, wrapping her arms around her bent knees. “I’m sorry!”

  He stared down at her, a hint of moisture in his eyes. “And that’s supposed to make this all better for me?”

  A sob escaped her closed lips. Another followed and she lost control. She closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against the top of her knees.

  “Oh, no! Don’t cry! Please don’t cry! This is my fault! None of this would have happened if I had called.” He knelt beside her and drew her into his arms. “This is all my fault for not taking care of business.”

  He rocked her, kissing her hair. “Don’t cry.”

  But she couldn’t stop the tears or the pain.

  He held her, whispering soft assurance while she sobbed. When the flood of tears subsided, he drew her to her feet, and wiped her cheeks dry with a handkerchief.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. But even as she said the words, she felt a stab of guilt. She had spent several lifetimes longing for Trey, but she didn’t regret a moment of the time she’d spent with Sam.

  He stroked a hand down her cheek. “I won’t ever make the mistaking of taking you for granted again.”

  “Then you can forgive me?”

  “Forgive you?” He shrugged. “I’ll have too, won’t I?”

  His voice lacked warmth and conviction. She sighed. She was going to have to work to regain his trust. Still his next words shocked and annoyed her. “But you should know that I won’t overlook your sleeping with another man ever again.”

  She narrowed her gaze. “Take care of business, Trey and it won’t ever happen again. Leave me alone and unsure of you for months at a time again and you’ll just have to learn to live with the consequences!”

  He stared at her. “If you ever sleep with another man, under any circumstances, you’d damn well better be prepared for my going on a fucking spree you’ll hear about all over the damned state!”

  “And you expect me to believe you’ve been celibate for over two months?”

  “Fuck you, Carlee!” He pulled the door open and stormed out, slamming it closed.

  She sank back down against the wall, fresh tears filling her eyes. Now it was over between them.

  * * * * *

  Halfway into the forty-minute drive to Mick’s condo, Trey regained control of his temper. He pulled over to the shoulder of the road, turned on his hazard lights, and picked up his car phone. He dialed quickly.

  His chest tightened when he heard the remnants of tears in Carlee’s voice when she answered. “Hello?”

  “I’m sorry, honey!”

  “Trey! Oh, Trey!”

  “No, honey, don’t cry. Please. I’m a first class idiot who tends to say things I don’t mean when I’m hurt.”

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you!”

  “I know that, honey.” He sighed. “This whole mess is my fault. Can I come back and make it up to you?”

  “I think we need some time away from each other, Trey.”

  “We’ve had far too much time apart. I’m on my way, Carlee.”

  “Trey—”

  “We belong together. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.” He broke the connection, started the car, and pulled back onto the road. He took the first exit and headed back to Carlee’s place.

  He stopped his car in her second parking space. He picked up his car phone to call Mick. The phone rang several times before Mick answered, sounding very annoyed. “What?”

  Trey smiled. “Busy?”

  Mick groaned. “Please don’t tell me you’re on your way already.”

  “So you are busy.”

  “Can’t you find something to do for an hour or two?”

  Erinae must be with him. “Actually I’m going to either spend the night with Carlee or—”

  “Great. Have fun!”

  The dial tone sounded in his ear. He laughed and got out of the car. This time he removed his garment bag and shaving kit from his trunk.

  Carlee opened the side door and Danny rushed out to meet him. “Hey boy, I’m glad to see you again too.”

  He walked down the driveway and into the door Carlee held open. He put his bag and kit on the table there and turned to look at her.

  The baggy sweat suit that covered her from neck to ankle sent a clear message. He stifled a sigh. “No sex?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  He struggled. “Okay. I’ve waited this long. I can wait a little longer.”

  Her eyes widened. “You mean you’re okay with that?”

  He laughed. “Of course not, but I’m not going to try to coerce you.”

  “Oh, Trey!” She linked her arms around his neck and pressed her cheek against his shoulder. “Thanks for understanding. Tonight I just need to be held.”

  “You want to talk?”

  She shook her head. “No. I just want to be held.”

  Spending the night holding her in his arms made for an extremely long night. Long after she slept, curled against his side, he lay plotting strategy for winning back the portion of her heart and affection he had lost to his rival.

  The next morning he woke to the smell of brewing coffee. He sat up and looked around. He was alone in the bedroom. He glanced at the bedside clock. Five-twenty a.m. He got up and headed to the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom, wearing a pair of briefs with his hair damp from the shower.

  Carlee sat up in the bed with a tray across her lap. “You’ve shaved and showered.” She smiled. “I hope you have time for a quick bite before you leave.”

  He noticed she wore the baggy sweats from the night before. Getting back into bed with her when she wasn’t interesting in anything but a cuddle would be asking for blue balls. He smiled and walked over to the bed. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I thought I’d take Danny for a walk before I hit the road. I have a meeting this morning I can’t miss.”

  “What time?”

  “Nine o’clock.”

  “That’s plenty of time to have a quick bite. I’ll take Danny out after you leave.” She reached over and pulled the cover back. “Trey?”

  The breath caught in his throat when he saw her bare legs. She had taken off the sweatpants. He lifted his gaze to hers. Tiny lights of desire danced in her dark eyes. She wanted more than a cuddle. So did he, but if he got in bed with her now, he wou
ldn’t be climbing out for hours. And he would not make that meeting.

  He leaned down and kissed her cheek again. “I’d better not.”

  He saw the beginnings of hurt in her eyes before she looked away, allowing the cover to fall back in place. “Fine.”

  He sat on the side of the bed, stroking a finger down her cheek. “Don’t misunderstand. I’d love to have breakfast with you, but I really have to go.”

  “Fine. Go!”

  He cupped a palm against her cheek, turning her to face him. “I’ll call you later today.”

  “Don’t do me any favors, Trey.”

  He dropped his hand away from her face and rose. “I have a two hour drive ahead of me. Don’t give me any shit, Carlee.”

  Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth.

  He bent and kissed her until they were both breathless. When he straightened, she stared up at him, a confused look in her eyes. “Trey—”

  “We need to talk, honey, but for right now just know that I will not make the mistake of allowing you to be unsure of me ever again. You are the only woman for me. Is that clear enough for you?”

  She nodded, pressing her trembling lips together.

  “Good.” He bent and kissed her again, gently this time. “I adore you.”

  “Oh, Trey! Why didn’t you say that before?”

  “Because I was an arrogant idiot who almost blew it and lost the best thing that ever happened to me again!”

  “I’m yours as long as you want me.”

  “That’ll be forever! We were meant to be together.”

  “Trey!” She linked her arms around his neck. When she kissed him, he tasted her tears. He drew away and sighed in relief when he saw her smile.

  “Hey. Want to know a secret?”

  She nodded. “I love secrets.”

  He cupped a palm against the back of her neck. He pressed his lips against hers. “I love you.”

  She jerked away from him, her lips parted, her eyes wide. “You do?”

  “Yes. Why do you look so surprised?”

  “Because I love you too!”

  He closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against hers. “Are you sure about that?”

  “Yes!” She closed her fingers in his hair. “Please don’t misunderstand about Sam. I’ve always loved you, Trey. If you can’t forgive me for Sam—”

  He sighed. “There’s nothing to forgive. He made you feel loved and wanted at a time when I let you down again.” He opened his eyes and looked at her. “As far as I’m concerned we don’t need to talk about that again.”

  “You can forgive and forget it?”

  “Yes. I’ve had other lovers, why shouldn’t you have at least one other?”

  “You mean that?”

  “Of course I do. Just do me one favor, honey.”

  “What?”

  He glanced over at her nightstand. “Can you move his picture? If I have to look at him smiling once more, I’ll smash the picture and then—”

  She snatched the picture and clutched it against her chest, her eyes wide. “No, Trey, you will not smash this. I’ll move it.”

  But she was clearly going to keep it. He wouldn’t protest—for now. “I’ll take Danny for a quick run and then I have to leave.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Forty minutes later, they parted at the door with a quick kiss. She closed the door and went back to the bedroom. She had showered while he walked Danny so she lay across the bed, smiling up at the ceiling.

  Finally. He was hers. The alarm ringing half an hour later interrupted her thoughts. She dressed, grabbed her briefcase, and left for work, taking Sam’s picture with her.

  She encountered Erinae in the parking lot. She blinked. “Nae? You look great today!”

  Erinae grinned, linking her arm through Carlee’s. “I should. I had a great night!”

  “With Mick?”

  Erinae arched a brow. “The man’s wicked in bed.”

  “He is?”

  “I spent the night screeching like a banshee! Talk about hot, mindless sex! The things that man can do with that big, delicious cock of his! It ought to be against the law for a man to have a cock half that lethal! I can barely walk this morning.”

  Heat rushed to Carlee’s cheeks. “Glad you had a good night.”

  Erinae grinned. “I’m thinking you had a pretty good night yourself.”

  She smiled. “Yes. I did. Trey and I had a talk and then he held me until I fell asleep.” She turned to look at Erinae. “He knows about Sam and he can handle that. And Nae, this morning, he told me he loved me!”

  Erinae hugged her. “I knew things would work out between you two in the end.”

  “What about you and Mick?”

  “We talked a little before the bedroom fireworks. He has issues.”

  “What kind?”

  “The kind that leaves deep scars. He lost his only child in a tragic car accident. Afterwards, his wife divorced him.”

  “Poor Mick!”

  “Yeah. He’s still broken up about it.”

  “What? His daughter or the divorce?”

  “I know he’s broken up about his daughter. I’m not sure about the divorce, although I do know she’s the one who pressed for it.”

  “Poor Mick!”

  “Don’t you worry too much about him. He’s handsome, kind, well-off, and he’s wielding a lethal cock he knows how to use. He’ll do just fine. Now. Let’s go do some work.”

  Carlee walked into her office to find a vase of violet flowers in the middle of her desk. She dropped her briefcase on the sofa along the wall by the door and rushed across the room to pluck the card from between the flowers.

  Tears filled her eyes as she read the four words on the card: I love you. Trey.

  “Hey! They’re pretty.”

  She turned. Erinae stood in the doorway. She smiled and held up the card. “He loves me, Nae!”

  “Oh, Lee, of course he does!”

  She nodded. “Yes. He does. Everything is going to be fine now.”

  “Yes, but it was going to be fine even if things hadn’t worked out with him. Right?”

  “Well, yes, but it’s better this way. I’ve spent my whole life waiting for and needing him.”

  “I know, honey, but, try not to be too needy.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing! Just don’t need him too much.”

  In case things don’t work out after all.

  The unspoken words hung in the air between them. She shook her head. “That’s not going to happen, Nae. We love each other and love can and does conquer everything.”

  “Yeah I know, but let’s just not tempt fate. Okay?”

  She laughed. “Lighten up, Nae. We’re in love and nothing can change that.”

  Erinae kissed her cheek. “I know.”

  “I’m sure you do.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean with you and Mick.”

  Erinae shook her head. “Me and Mick? Don’t get the wrong idea. You are in love with Trey. I’m in lust with Mick’s big cock, but I am in absolutely no danger of falling in love with him.”

  “You’re not?”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “After the way you went on about how great he was in bed, I thought—”

  “He is great in bed and he has a ravenous sexual appetite which I thoroughly enjoyed satisfying. I’m telling you that man loves the sistas. He did things to me that made me holler. The sex was so good it’d make you wanna disown your mama, but it was still just sex. You know, some women just like a good raunchy fuck. We don’t all have to be in love to enjoy cock.”

  Her face burned. “I know that.”

  “Do you? You’ve had two lovers and been in love with them both. Good for you, Lee, but sometimes the rest of us love to go with the good, hot sex.”

  “I know.”

  Erinae laughed. “Imagine a woman your age so easily embarrassed. No wonder Trey is nuts about you. You are
totally delicious.”

  She laughed. “Now you sound drunk as a skunk.”

  “Ain’t it the truth? Now. I have to get ready for a meeting.”

  Later that morning as Carlee sat in her office, smiling at the flowers, her phone rang. She picked it up on the fourth ring. “Hello?”

  “Hi, honey.”

  She smiled. “Trey! Hi!”

  “How are you?”

  “Very happy. How are you?”

  “The same.”

  “How did your meeting go?”

  “Fine, thanks to my partner. I found it difficult to think about anything except you. I made a mess of the meeting.” Her smile widened.

  “Listen, I have another meeting at two this afternoon. After that, I’m out of here for the day. Do you have something sexy and scandalous you can wear to dinner?”

  “Where?”

  “Mick has a friend who owns a restaurant in the waterfront area. He says he can get last minute reservations if you’re interested. We could go dancing afterwards.”

  “It’s a two hour drive.”

  “I know.”

  “Four hours is a lot of driving for one day. Why don’t I find some place half way and meet you—”

  “No. I don’t mind the drive.”

  “Do you have work tomorrow?”

  “Yes.”

  “Will you stay the night?”

  “I thought you’d never ask. After my meeting, I’ll stop by the hospital and then see you around six at your place? Or would you prefer to meet at the restaurant?”

  “That’s going to be an awfully long day. Meet me at home and I’ll fix dinner. We can do the dancing and other things routine afterwards.”

  “Other things?”

  “It’s been a long time.”

  “A very long time.”

  “Unless I run into a traffic jam, I’ll be home just after five-thirty. Are you a steak and potatoes kind of guy?”

  “I don’t care what you cook. I just want to see you.”

  “Just see me?”

  “Okay. See you and make love to you.”

  She nodded. “Me too, but you need to eat and I need to get some work done. I’ll see you later.”

  “Okay.”

  * * * * *

  That night after taking Danny for his last walk of the night, Carlee and Trey tumbled into bed. It was as he rose over her, his cock at her entrance, that she realized the enormity of what she’d done in making love with Sam without a condom. She pressed her hands against Trey’s chest, closing her eyes. “Oh, God!”