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Rose
James slipped his hand in mine as we walked back to my cottage. Neither of us spoke. We didn’t need to. Deep down, I knew this was wrong, but I also knew no one would find out. As long as we were careful, my husband wouldn’t find out about what I was going to do, not that he would care. Alexander made it perfectly clear he didn’t care about me. I was sure he was sleeping with other people, and that didn’t bother me at all. Our marriage benefited him mostly. I was just biding my time until I could get away.
It was sad, really. James and I both were caught in loveless marriages. It broke my heart to know that I could have had this man, if only I’d met him sooner. But that wasn’t our reality. Nothing in life was fair. Even when you played by the rules, there was a strong possibility you would be hurt. That’s what gave me the strength to take this leap, to spend my final days of freedom with this man. I knew there would be no happiness in my future, so I would grab it with both hands now while I still had the chance.
We walked up the steps to my cottage. I smiled at him as I pulled out the key and unlocked the door. I could already see the desire swimming in his eyes. We both knew why he was here. There were no illusions as to what was going to happen. I opened the door, stepping inside only to stop in my tracks.
“There you are,” Clarissa said as she stood from my couch. “I decided to come after our phone call the other day.”
James was still partially blocked by my body, but it was obvious someone was with me. There was no point in hiding it. Breaking myself out of my stunned silence, I stepped aside. “Um…Clarissa, this is James. James, this is my friend Clarissa.”
She stepped forward, holding out her hand. There was no judgment on her face, but my friend had become a master of disguise over the years. “James, I’ve heard a lot about you.”
James smiled at her, his steady calm never faltering as he shook her hand. “Clarissa, it’s nice to meet you.”
Clarissa was like a shark in water. She could smell prey from a mile away, and right now, James was on her radar. Not because she wanted him, but because he wanted me. For all my friend’s wonderful traits, sometimes she didn’t know how to step back and respect boundaries.
“So, have you two eaten dinner?”
“No,” I said quickly. “And James has to get back. He was just walking me home.”
Her lips slid into a smooth smile as she tilted her head. “It looked to me like he was about to come inside.”
I shoved past her toward the kitchen. “Well, he did just walk me home. It’s hot out. The least I could do is offer him some water.”
I went through the motions of grabbing a glass and filling it with water, then walking back over to him. He took it graciously, playing along with my ruse, never letting on that he was here to sleep with me. He handed the glass back and I set it on a nearby table.
“Thank you. I have to be getting back now. It was nice to meet you, Clarissa.”
“I’ll walk you out.” I shut the door behind me as we walked back onto the porch and down the steps. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea she would show up.”
“It’s fine.”
I ran my hands up and down my arms. Was this a sign? Maybe James and I were never supposed to be together. Fate was stepping in and pulling us apart. Just when I thought I would get a moment of happiness before returning to a loveless marriage, the rug was pulled out from under me.
“Hey,” James said, his voice enough to make me look up. “It’ll be okay.”
“She’s here to talk me into going home,” I admitted.
“So, you did tell her about me.”
I nodded hesitantly, hoping he wasn’t angry with me. “I’m sorry. She’s my best friend.”
“I understand. Look, the reality is, she doesn’t know who I am. As long as you can convince her nothing’s happened and won’t, she might leave.”
“Or she might not.” I swallowed the lump in my throat at the thought of never getting what I wanted. “She needs to understand how important this is to me.”
“Would she give you away?”
I shook my head rapidly. “Never. She didn’t agree with my marriage to begin with. She just doesn’t want me to do something that might end up hurting me.”
“Well,” he grinned, “she sounds a lot like Shane.”
“I thought he didn’t like me,” I admitted.
“No, he likes you just fine. But I can’t afford to make any mistakes, and he knows that all too well.”
“It’s nice that we have friends that are involved in our lives.”
