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It made sense, though. It would take a master to know when to hold back. There was nothing tentative about what Tim did with Valerie. He was cautious and careful. Maybe he wasn’t too caught up in formalities, but Valerie had assumed that it was just because he wasn’t a contracts-and collars kind of dom. She’d liked his laid-back style that put her at ease so quickly, and he’d always made her feel like there was no room to disobey, and she hadn’t wanted to. She’d wanted to please him.
Valerie eased back onto the road and let out a long, ragged exhalation. “I wish you hadn’t told me that.”
“Why, because you’ve tossed him back into the sea for some bitchy, gold-digging shark to discover?”
Yes.
And Valeriehatedfeeling like she was missing out on something that could have been amazing. She’d made her decision, though. She’d chosen success over fleeting pleasures, and she couldn’t let Tim tempt her from that.
“I can’t do this, Carine.”
“Yeah, you keep saying that, and I don’t think I’m going to convince you otherwise, so I don’t know what else I can do at this point. I will say that you’re gonna reach the top of your career—I have no doubt that’s going to happen—and you’re going to be miserable of all the things left undone. You’re going to be forty with a cold dark heart and cobwebs in your womb.”
Valerie gritted her teeth. “Mind your own womb. I can’t do it all, Carine. I can’t throw away what I’ve worked so hard for. Tim might be able to have it all. He’s a man and men aren’t the ones who make all the sacrifices. It’s us.”
“You’re breaking my heart. This is turning into one of those soap operas I can’t watch anymore because your two favorite characters obviously aren’t going to get it together and you think they’re so stupid for it.”
“I won’t bring it up again, then. Consider it dropped.”
“Fine. I’ll be at the office in Shora, by the way. I’ve got to put some paperwork together for a new construction loan.”
“You sold a lot?Really?”
“Yep.” As good as that news was, Carine wasn’t smiling.
Oh boy.
“Which one?” Valerie asked.
“Oh, one of the cheap ones near the intersection that’s going to be so busy once Phase Three is done, but the guy didn’t care. He’s buying the property for investment potential and is looking to get a second one back where the pool and playground are going to be. He’s waiting on feedback from his wife for that. She’s, like, three months pregnant and they’re motivated to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible.”
“Well, congratulations. That looks like two sales in the bag. Why so sullen?”
“Because commissions are slow things. I’ll be happy when I’m closer to payday.” Carine shrugged. “See you in a bit.”
“See you.”
Valerie disconnected and stared at the boring highway ahead. She tried not to think about much at all except that animals might scamper across the highway that she needed to be prepared to slam on brakes for, but her thoughts kept circling back around to things Carine had said about Tim.
He was just too damned interesting. She hated that he was so fascinating. Even with that rude, snot-nosed kid of his, he was still unbelievable desirable.
Gorgeous and settled. Whip-smart and possessing incredible intuition.
He knew just how to make her beg.
She wanted to beg for him.
And, surprisingly, she wanted to be that three-months-pregnant lady looking forward to putting down roots in a brand-new home with her guy, but she had goals and…stifling inhibitions.
If she wanted success, she had to give some things up to get it. That had been so much easier before when the thing she was giving up didn’t have a face and a name, or a smile that made all four of her cheeks burn hot.
She pounded her thigh and spat, “Fuck.”
It wasn’t fair. It really wasn’t. But there was no turning back now. She was committed to succeeding, and she couldn’t do that if she committed to anything—or anyone—else.
