Page 49 of Tangled in Temptation

“Do you really feel that way?” I asked, my voice sharper than intended. “Don’t give me any bullshit. Be straight.”

“We already had this conversation—” she began, but I interrupted her, unwilling to let the conversation slip away.

“We’re having it again because I can’t look at you and believe you actually think I care that little about you. I think you do care about me.”

“Don’t do this to me.” Her voice was strangled. I could hear the pain. It made me want to hold her, but I knew that would only prolong the pain.

“Catherine,” I said.

“No.” She shook her head.

She didn’t immediately drive away, which told me there was still a chance I could talk to her. I just wasn’t sure what I could say.

I reached in through the window and took her hand, trying to give her the reassurance she needed. My words just wouldn’t come. She let me hold her hand for a few precious seconds and then jerked it away.

“You can’t do that,” she said. “You have to stop.”

“I asked if you cared about me,” I said.

“It doesn’t matter if I do,” she said. “Don’t you get it? It’s not about whether you care or not. It’s about you sorting your life out. It’s about Paisley and Regina. It’s about the people you’re hurting while trying to figure everything out. I don’t want to be collateral damage.”

“Catherine,” I began again. “I’m sorry you feel that way, but it’s not the case. Not anymore.”

She cut me off with a bitter laugh. “You say that, and usually I fall right back under your spell. I get away from you, and you pull me back in. I’ve been fooling myself into thinking you could ever be mine.”

I stared at her, hearing her pain, but what she wasn’t saying answered my question. She did care, that’s why she was trying to cut ties. “That’s not true,” I said softly. “I just need some time and all of this will be resolved.”

“You’re not hearing me,” she said. “I have no time to give you. I don’t want to keep waiting for you to get your shit figured out. Do you honestly think that’s fair to me? I don’t believe you are a cruel man, so stop.”

“Catherine, I would never intentionally hurt you. Never. I’ll admit this is a complicated situation, but it’s almost over.”

“Yeah, right,” she scoffed. “I’m not interested. I can’t compete with some blue blood like Regina. I don’t want to try. If a man can’t come to me of his own free will because he’s being pulled away by someone else, I don’t want him. I have some self-esteem. Competing with a woman like that is not really something I’m interested in. She can have you.”

“There’s no competition,” I said aghast.

“Goodbye. You stand in front of my truck again and I will run you over.”

I stepped back and watched her pull through the gate. It felt like she was driving away with my heart. I nearly fell to my knees right there in the driveway. Watching her drive away and not chasing her was one of the hardest things I had ever done.

I didn’t want her to think I was trying to manipulate her. I realized my history probably led her to believe that. I could admit that when I got near her, I was turned on. I was drawn to her. Yes, we ended up in bed together more often than not, and the connection we had was incendiary. It wasn’t just physical; it was on a level I hadn’t experienced before. She got under my skin, made me question everything, challenged me in ways no one else ever did.

I stared at the gate long after the dust settled from her departure. My thoughts were a tangled mess of regret, confusion, and longing. I needed to fix this. Not just for Catherine but for myself as well.

What had begun as a casual entanglement had grown into something very real, and I wasn’t ready to let it go. But neither could I ignore Paisley’s feelings or Regina’s manipulations. I had to make a decision, and fast.

Technically, the decision was made. I had Regina right where I wanted her. I would give her the one thing she wanted and get what I wanted. At least, I would get most of what I wanted. Paisley was going to get to live with me for at least a year. I had no doubt in my mind she’d come back again in another year, but that gave me a year to find another solution.

I went back to the garden hoping I was doing the right thing. If Catherine would just give me a little leeway, we could make things work. I meandered along the pathway until I heard footsteps running my way.

I turned to see Paisley. “Hey.” She smiled.

It was a real smile. The first time I had seen her smile in a long time. “I thought you were shopping with your friends.”

“I was.” She shrugged. “I saw Catherine this morning.”

“You did?”

“She told me I should talk to you,” she said.