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Not the marriage plan— that part was genius.
But the other?
“I’m sorry about leaving the way I did.”
Our eyes meet.
“It’s what we agreed to. More or less. But. Why did you?”
I was supposed to marry Ray that night. There shouldn’t have been anything but loss and hurt and anger in my heart, but somehow this man with his wounded eyes had tempted me to let him in. I didn’t want to give the guy who seemed perfect the chance to show me he wasn’t.
“I liked you.” Too much. “And that wasn’t part of the plan.”
“That makes sense. But was that it?”
I know what he’s asking.
Embarrassment has me looking away as I think back to our breathless laughter. The heat of his kiss when we took our vows. My brazen proposition that we take the wedding night that was our due.
His agonizing rejection. And then his promise that if I was willing to wait, he’d give me our wedding night the next morning… and he’d make it so good I might want to marry him for real.
That was a risk I couldn’t take.
“I should have said goodbye.”
“Probably better you didn’t.” Pushing back from the counter, he winks. “Might not have let you go.”
* * *
Liam
It should beawkward between us, especially after that bullshit I dropped on her about the way she left in Vegas. Uncomfortable, at the least. But somehow it isn’t. And same as a year ago, falling into conversation with this woman is all too easy. There are things I love to learn… She’s a toy maker. In middle school, her sister accused their parents of giving them porn star names. Her favorite ice cream is cherry dark chocolate. And she doesn’t know jack about hockey.
But this? This I can’t believe.
“You still have to work with the fuckwit?” I choke out, after turning on the fireplace and refilling our glasses.
She’s tucked in the corner of the couch again, but this time I sit beside her without even thinking about it.
“Right? Our parents own our company together. It’s a joint family business. He’s in legal, and I’m in operations.”
“But how did your dad not kick his ass when he found out what went down? I’m seeing HR buried in paperwork for years.”
Her head tips back, resting against the leather cushions behind her before rolling so she’s facing me. She sighs. “My dad doesn’t know what happened. No one does, actually. Except you.”
The hell? “Why do they think you took off?”
I might not be close to my family, but I can’t imagine a scenario where being a runaway bride doesn’t merit a few questions.
“Ray—”
“Fuckwit,” I correct.
She smiles. “Since I wasn’t there, he told everyone that he hadn’t wanted our life together to start with a lie between us. So, he confessed to a one-night stand the year he was in college while I was still in high school. A single drunken indiscretion that he was hoping I’d find it in my heart to forgive.”
She stops to look me over and laughs. Her slight hand covers the fist I hadn’t realized I’d made, and she gives it a shake. “Sweet. But settle. It was a year ago.”
“He lied to your family?” She must have been wrecked to come back to that. “What kind of motherfucker—”
