Dare To Be Strong by Dale Mayer

Author:Dale Mayer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary, Romance, Thriller, Anthology
ISBN: 9781928122128
Publisher: Valley Publishing
Published: 2015-01-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 4

Karina pressed the elevator button to head up to her room for the night. Warm, mellow and flushed from good wine and great company, the world looked bright and rosy.

“Karina?”

She stilled as butterflies fluttered in her stomach.

Brian.

Turning to look at him, she couldn’t help the intimate smile from blossoming forth. Why not? They were alone.

“Are you going up to your room or will you stay downstairs for a while?” Brian pointed to the open elevator door.

Flustered, she shrugged.

“Actually I thought maybe we could talk? Catch up on the last decade.” A slow, sexy smile formed on his lips. “Come have a drink with me in the bar, please…” he wheedled.

His words reminded her of the last time they were together. When she’d pursued him. Did she want to go for a drink? Did she want to spend time with him now? Hell, yes. The silky tone of his voice and barely hidden suggestiveness slid into her blood, heating and speeding it as it thrummed through her system. She wanted to breathe. She would breathe. In a minute. When her world righted and her imagination calmed. Christ, he could still send her sideways like no other. Whatever they’d had in the past had nothing on what was happening now and would happen…

If she let it.

His desire to spend more time with her felt sincere, and this time it was his idea. Why not?

She nodded and watched Brian’s smile widen.

He led the way to the bar, choosing a quiet, discreet corner at the back. They chose seats across from each other. He studied her quietly for a long moment. “I know I said it before but it is really good to see you.”

She managed a lopsided smile. “Is it?”

His gaze warmed, making her insides shiver. “Yes,” he whispered, “it is.”

The heat in his gaze became unbearable to resist. She looked down briefly, breaking the contact. She took a deep breath and asked the burning question of the day. “Why did you ask me down to the bar?”

“To apologize.”

The answer flew back so fast she couldn’t do more than stare.

Swallowing heavily, hating the anxiety and fear that clutched at her insides, she sent up a silent prayer to the universe. Please don’t let him apologize for the best night of my life.

“For what?” She couldn’t manage more than a whisper.

“For not being there in the morning. And…” He frowned, staring down at the black marble tabletop. “And for not contacting you afterwards.”

She shuddered. After a moment, she managed to get out the words choking her throat. “Why didn’t you?”

His regretful sigh reached across, deep into her psyche. “There’s no excuse. I was dumb and I was scared.”

She blinked. That so wasn’t what she expected to hear. “Really? Why were you scared?”

He slouched back in his seat, his hands folded together on the table.

She narrowed her eyes. Then she saw his uncertainty. He was squeezing his hands together so tightly his knuckles were turning white. Good. She watched him struggle for control and sat back to listen.

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