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Walking to sit on the edge of the bed, he sat down heavily, the drink cradled between his hands. He was sitting here now, yearning for her, and could not understand what was happening to him.
A grim smile touched his lips as he remembered her taking over. He had distinctly told her he would not tolerate unfaithfulness and meant it. Tossing back the drink, he tried to quell the urge to call her so that he could hear her voice.
Chapter 12
She gave in and called his office on Tuesday. He had not called the entire weekend, and she had spent Sunday being miserable and trying hard to finish some work. She attended services at the local church and then reluctantly agreed to dinner at her brother's place, where Lori told her the news and how they hoped everything went okay.
To his credit, David did not mention Deacon again; she was grateful for that. But Monday had been busy, and she finally made a luncheon date with Jerri for Tuesday to discuss the upcoming project.
She allowed Tuesday morning to slip past and could not hold out when the day fell into noon. Taking a deep breath, she placed the call and was sifted through reception until she was transferred to his snotty assistant, who wanted to know the nature of the call even though she told the woman where she was calling from.
"Mr. Manchester and I are in dialogue about some projects the publishing house deals with." She fabricated wildly. "Do you have any idea when he might be coming back?"
"I am not at liberty to disclose that information." The woman told her coolly. "I will, however, leave a detailed message for him when he calls."
"So, he might not be back for this week?"
"That remains to be seen. I will give him your message, Ms. Pennant," She said before hanging up.
Bitch, Delores thought as she leaned back in her chair. What if he decided that he did not want to see her again? She was not going to let him, of course. He would discover that she was not one of the women he used and discarded in the past. There had been something there - that last night.
He had been gentle with her; his kisses had been potent and explosive. He had made love to her as if he could not bear to stay away from her. And he had done so without using anything. She had to admit the shame of hoping that she was pregnant.
No, she could not wish to bring a child into this mess. It would not be fair, and with his history, he would probably wonder if the baby was his.
No, she wanted his trust and please God, his love, which sounded like a mountain that could not be scaled. But he had left for a business trip without even giving her a call for them to meet, and she did not know when he would be back, which was making her edgy.
She did not know where she stood with him, but she supposed he was exercising his right and stressing that what they shared was just a physical relationship.
She was Delores Pennant and had never felt the need to allow a man to make her wallow in self-pity. She would live her life just as he was living his life. With that in mind, she picked up the phone and called Carter.
*****
He did not think of it as running away. He had business in China and decided to take the trip instead of sending someone to represent him. He had not called her, not even on Sunday when he had returned from the club and felt the yearning to have her beneath him.
The fact that he was this needy told him that he was going to have to stay away from her for a bit until he got his emotions under control. She was taking too much of his head space. He was finding it increasingly difficult to sleep at night.
At odd times, he would remember the touch of his mouth on his nipples, and his body would clench in need. The taste of her lips and the texture of her nipples were imprinted on his mouth, and he could still taste her.
In the past, he could walk away from a woman and barely remember her name. He had programmed himself to be that cold, that clinical after the fiasco with Janice, and had sworn that he would never allow himself to get tangled up like that again. But it boggled him that he had just met her, and she was starting to be the focus of his life.
He went to bed thinking about her, wanting her with an intensity that frightened him. And in the mornings, she was on his mind. He had to give them some space. Perhaps time away from her would give him some perspective and lessen the feeling of need he had when he thought of her.
And he needed his wits about him. He was dealing with the Chinese government, a delicate negotiation requiring considerable skill. A fleet of cargo ships that his company was investing in or thinking of. He could speak the language adequately enough and was conversant in Spanish, Italian, French, and a bit of German.
He did not like dealing with interpreters and preferred to talk directly with the source. He would be here for a week. A week should be enough to lessen the ache in his loins. A week should be enough to get her out of his system. He had idly contemplated taking up the clear invitation in Mae Ling's eyes.
The delicate and beautiful Chinese girl, the daughter of one of the associates, had made it plain that she was available. But he had not been interested.
Turning away from the stunning view from his hotel window, he went to pour himself another drink. He would work on the contracts and proposals until he was exhausted. Then maybe he would get some sleep.
*****
"You called, and here we are." Carter Reynolds murmured as they took their seats at the booth reserved for them. "I was surprised to hear from you. The last time we spoke, you turned me down flat."
"That's because you insisted that we should go back to your apartment and have sex." She reminded him mildly as she reached for her margarita.
"Ah, yes. Your loss." He grinned at her, white teeth brilliant in his chocolate-brown face. Carter Reynolds was a looker and a famous basketball player from her old neighborhood.
