Page 149 of Falling for the Enemy

He curled his hands into fists so tight his knuckles popped. His vision blurred and his breath jumped in jagged gusts. He couldn’t get in enough oxygen. Couldn’t breathe out the pain.

His whole world seemed to hinge on his need to reach her. He had to get past her walls and make her see that they were not over.

Wiping his nose on the back of his hand, he told himself he’d give her tonight, but tomorrow he would make her see they weren’t finished.

They couldn’t be.

“I’ll get her back.”

King lifted his head and licked his cheek. When Soren gave a watery laugh, the dog took it as an invitation to climb onto his lap.

“No—” His objection cut off with a grunt as one hundred and sixty-two pounds of fur-covered love decided no meant yes.

King flattened Soren onto the couch and panted happily, his giant tongue rolling out in unfaultable triumph.

“You miss her too, don’t you boy?”

The dog barked, piercing his ears and knocking the wind out of his chest, affirming he not only missed Jocelyn, but her little rat too.

And damn it, he also missed that rabid little dust bunny because Cordelia was a part of her and he wanted every chaotic bit.

“I’ll get them back. I promise.”

Twenty-four long-stem roses landed face down in the trash. Jocelyn blocked Soren’s number first thing Monday morning when he refused to stop calling and texting. That was when he tried flowers.

Now, she was just pissed.

Knowing Soren, he’d eventually show up at her door, and she couldn’t handle that. Nor should she have to. In hopes of avoiding confrontation altogether, she called Wren.

“I just need him to stop,” Jocelyn explained. “No more calls. No more texts. No flowers. Just leave me alone.”

“Joce, maybe if you just heard him out. He’s obviously sorry.”

She knew he was sorry, but that didn’t negate the fact that this was a clear sign of the kind of man he’d always be.

“What would you do if Greyson put his colleagues before you?”

“Bodhi and I are his colleagues.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Logan told Grey there was something wrong with the plane. He obviously didn’t plan to be late.”

“He showed up in golf clothes, Wren. He spent the whole morning golfing, knowing I needed him. I just…can’t.”

Her friend sighed. “I’ll ask Grey to talk to him. I’ll tell him you need more time.”

Would time repair this?

“Thank you.”

Wren hesitated before hanging up. “I think he loves you, Joce.”

Her vision blurred. “Don’t do that. It’s not fair. If he loved me, he would have been here when I needed him.”

“He tried⁠—”

“No, Wren, he didn’t. I texted him in the morning, telling him all about the fish crisis and I…” She practically choked on the truth. “I even said I needed him. If he had left then, he would have been there, but instead, he played a full round. Eighteen holes while I was trapped in Bait-gate.”