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Blaze peered down at the freshly inked signature on the contract that would change his life. And he couldn’t make himself care. The lawyer had said the deal was the best he’d read in years and that Blaze would be a fool to pass it up.
An asshole he was, a fool he wasn’t—at least not with his business, where other people depended on him to do what was best for them. Anna, though, she got the ass end of his shit life.
Throwing himself back into his office chair, he tipped his head back, closed his eyes, and cursed. His cell pinged. Another text from Anna. Another READ without responding.
He knew he was being a dick for not responding to her, especially after taking her virginity and promising her a future without heartache or lies.
It only took him six hours to break that promise, and nothing in the world would be able to shield him from the abject misery, pain, and guilt that would come once Anna realized what he’d done. There was no hole deep enough to bury himself. No wound bloody enough to leech his disgust. He was a piece of shit, and he deserved to rot in hell for ever touching her. For ever giving in to his dream to love her as he truly wanted to love her.
She deserves better than me.She always had. And he was a fucking tool for even hoping to be good enough for her, for desperately clinging to the belief that his past would stay in the past, that his nightmare of a former life would fade to black and leave him standing in even a sliver of her sunlight.
Anna. Soft. Warm. Satisfied. A beautiful smile on her beloved face. Last night, every dream he’d ever had become reality. The woman he loved had fallen asleep in his arms, and his thoughts had been overrun with images of their future. Moving in together. Making love on every surface of their apartment. Him getting down on one knee, begging Anna to be his forever. Their wedding. Him planting his baby in her belly—their gorgeous blue-eyed, brown-haired kids, with their mother’s smile and his penchant for getting into trouble. It was the perfect life, one he never thought he would have. He’d fallen asleep, his heart soaring, his soul peaceful for the first time in his life.
But the night always ends. Dreams are meant to end when you wake up. And the dream he’d suffered had woken the truth in him, one he’d been fighting—and denying—
since he’d pressed his lips to Anna’s that first time days ago. A truth that had been scratching at the back of his mind but he’d ignored it, giving way to a hope he so desperately wanted.
That morning, though, his whole world came crashing down, proving that the future he’d imagine only hours before was impossible. He’d been a fool to even think he and Anna could be together.
Now, he just had to learn to breathe again.
He was done. Dead. Nothing mattered any more. Not without Anna.
And it was all his own fault.
He’d denied himself for eight years, keeping to his promise to love her without allowing himself to get involved with her. When he broke that promise, finally giving in to what he felt for her, he should have known he would be punished.
“I’ll take her, too….”
But if Blaze didn’t have her, she’d be safe. She’d be heartbroken but safe. Devastated but safe. She’d hate him for the rest of her life, but she’d still have a life, one where she could move on, find a better man to love, have that wedding and those kids free of any fear or taint or darkness.
For he could only offer her those things.
The door of his office opening tore him from his malaise, making him drop his head and glare at the intruder.
AJ stood in the doorway, concern and weariness written into his swarthy face.
“Man, you look like shit. Why don’t you go home? It’s almost 8. Matter of fact, why aren’t you at Happy Jack’s looking to score your next bedmate and celebrating your new partnership?”
Blaze grunted, shutting the blue folder holding the “life-changing” documents.
“I’m not up to it tonight, man,” Blaze answered, his tone flat.
AJ arched a black brow.
“You sick?”
“Nope.”
“You switch sides?”
“Fuck no, this cock is for pussies only,” Blaze remarked, a hard laugh following.
This cock will never want another pussy, not after having Anna.
Fuck!
Pushing his chair back violently, Blaze snatched his truck keys off his desk and stormed toward the door. AJ crossed his arms over his wide chest, pinning Blaze with a scowl.
