Last Chance Lullaby by Donna Alward

Author:Donna Alward [Donna Alward]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Donna Alward
Published: 2021-11-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

“That’s not fair.”

Jace looked away. He wasn’t sure why he’d said it. A momentary impulse of truth perhaps? The fact that his shock had been utterly and completely real when the announcement of her marriage had been made? Maybe now she needed to realize just how much it had affected him.

But in this moment, it was a way to put distance between them because the memories were coming back and he didn’t want to need her again. What he’d said before had been true, too. He had been thinking of kissing her. Of touching her and making love to her. Not now, of course. But the memory of doing so in the past touched him so profoundly that it sparked a need in him. A need for her, and that would be a mistake.

He’d nearly given in to his need before, and all it had done was prove his point. He’d wanted to be wrong. He’d wanted to believe that Anna was different, from her father and the other spoiled girls who hung around Morelli. But in the end she hadn’t been. And the truth of that still stung. No matter how much their friendship still meant, the fact remained that she’d gone ahead and married a man who had been able to give her everything Jace couldn’t.

He’d asked for time, and she hadn’t waited. Of all the people in the world, he’d trusted her. He hadn’t thought she was like the rest of the rich kids. And even though he knew he was partly to blame, her marriage to Stefano had still tasted like betrayal.

“Many things aren’t fair. That’s life, isn’t it?”

He couldn’t stop the hard edge to his voice any more than he could stop the memory of finding her with a ring on her finger when he’d returned from Kelowna. A ring that wasn’t his, a two-carat stunner that glittered on her finger. Eighteen years old and a hurried engagement to another man to cover up their mistake—no, his mistake. It had been a punch to the gut, and he’d felt it each time since. Each time he’d seen her with her babies. Even the moment she’d arrived here, so obviously shattered, with that ring still on her hand. He looked down at her hands now. No gold or diamonds adorned the long fingers. She was no longer Stefano’s. But neither was she his.

“I know you’re angry with me…”

He sighed and began picking up the mess on the blanket. “I’m angry about a lot of things. Angry at your father for his narrow-minded views. I knew his ambition for you was always a good marriage. And yes, at you, too. I was angry that you married Stefano. You’re right. And I’m more angry that you turned your back on me.”

“Why do you think I came to you?” The words were gentle, and she cocked her head slightly, as if waiting for an answer. Only she didn’t wait, she kept on. “Don’t you think I know how

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.