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She brushed by him, her light floral scent tantalizing.
Chad wrapped his arm around her waist and tugged her to him. “Hope, I’ve hurt you without ever intending to. Will you please speak with me, allow me to apologize, and permit me to love you?”
Hope’s eyes widened. She pulled from his arms, her gaze darting around. “Where’s Faith?”
Chad swallowed down his disappointment. How would he ever draw her out? “She left on a hike, armed with pepper spray. She’s confident, brave, and all grown up.”
Hope met his gaze and smiled then. “She is, isn’t she? She’s so creative and whimsical that I worry she doesn’t understand the evil in this world, but I’ve realized lately she’s braver and more independent than I give her credit for.”
“She is.” He slowly moved in.
Hope leaned against the wall and blinked up at him. She was alluring and looked like a fitness model. He knew she wasn’t trying to be tempting to him, and it was easy to see she was still upset. His desire for her could not outweigh what she needed right now.
So he didn’t touch her. “Faith is praying that you’ll believe I am not a player. I’m one hundred percent committed to you and you alone, and I need you to know we willneverend up like your parents.”
Her eyes widened. “How could I believe any of that?”
“Because it’s true, Hope.” He gently framed her face with his palms. “I love you and only you. Over the past three years, I’ve grown in my depth of love for you and realized no other woman is the right fit for me. I never want to date or be with any woman besides you.”
She stared at him for long enough his hopes rose. Then she arched up toward him, and Chad was stunned. Faith’s prayers and his own were coming true.
Hope dodged under his arms and away from him. She spun to face him, her chest rising and falling quickly. Chad pivoted to her, his shoulders heavy with the burden of her lack of faith in him.
“You kissed that nurse last night,” she said.
“I didn’t.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what you saw, but she came in close and whispered something to me about my mum. I couldn’t understand, so I leaned in to hear her better. Then she kissed me. I was stunned, and she had a death grip on my neck. I should’ve pushed her away quicker. That nurse is now on probation for unwanted advances toward me. You can call Stefan and verify it.”
Please, please let her listen, he begged heaven above. All he wanted was to make her happy and to love her.
“Can you call somebody to confirm that you weren’t making out with Bermuda Venus the day after our initial weekend together?”
Chad could only stare at her. “Bermuda?” He’d gone out with the actress years ago when she was on set in Southern Germany.
“Don’t play innocent with me.” Her voice was begging, not angry. “We had that one incredible weekend together right here in Wengen.”
“Yes.” He’d never forget that weekend. “I knew you were special from the first day I met you. I imagined we’d have much more time to develop a relationship. And then the day after you went home, you refused to answer my calls or texts. I was hurt and had no inkling you’d dump me after we connected like we did.”
“You went out with and kissed Bermuda the day I flew home. The pictures were all over the American tabloids and on the internet. I fell too quickly for you that initial weekend, but with my background I knew I couldn’t date a double-timing player like you.”
He blinked at her. “Hope, I never …”
Hope looked vindicated, yet sadder than ever. “You barely remember. There have been so many women, what we have isn’t worth remembering.”
“You’re wrong, Hope.” He yanked out his phone, held down the side button, and prayed Bermuda wasn’t on set right now. Actually, it would be almost midnight in California. Hopefully she was still up. “Call Bermuda Venus.”
Hope leaned against the wall. Her hands trembled and her blue eyes were sad. Chad could protest his innocence all day, but when he’d offered to call Steffan to clear up the Nurse Shaylee misunderstanding, she’d challenged him to call somebody to clear up the Bermuda Venus misunderstanding. He hadn’t even known there was an issue in her mind with him and Bermuda. An issue that had been festering for three years?
“Chad!” Bermuda’s voice was happy and thankfully, she didn’t sound sleepy. “How’s my handsome and charming major?”
Hope’s face crumpled. Chad prayed this was the right move. He didn’t want to hurt Hope ever again.
“Bermuda,” he said, his own voice tight, none of his usual ‘charm’ in it. “I need you to verify something for me.”
“Okay …?”
“When you were on set in Southern Germany, we did that photo shoot together.”
“Yes, we did.”
