Queen by Sharon Sala

Author:Sharon Sala [Sala, Sharon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary
Publisher: Avon
Published: 2011-01-20T23:00:00+00:00

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Chapter 12

Queen sighed in Cody's arms, trying to think of a way to respond to his words as he swept her off her feet and carried her into his bedroom.

"Oh, I saw the signs. But I couldn't bring myself to believe them. And it's not that I don't want you. A woman would be a fool not to love you, Cody Bonner."

She tilted her chin, aware that she was leaving herself open to all kinds of rejection just by the admission. "It's that I never expected anything to come of it."

"Why the hell not? I've done everything but take out an ad in the paper about how I feel about you," Cody said.

"Because of who I am… and who you are. You only know me now, the woman who was on her way to somewhere else. You don't know the gambler's daughter from Cradle Creek , Tennessee. You don't understand what a gap there is between your world and mine. Where I lived…" She trailed off, her lips tightening at the old, ugly memories. "You don't know how I lived… what we had to do to survive. You fly high-tech planes with computer systems I could never understand. I cleaned house for the owner of the coal mine back home."

"You think that changes how I feel about you? You've got a bullshit opinion of me, and men in general, don't you, lady?"

Her face crumpled. Cody should have known, the moment he'd gotten angry, that it had been the wrong thing to do.

"Oh, hell," he said, raking his fingers through his hair. "Don't cry. For God's sake, don't cry. If you aren't ready, I'm not insisting. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you. I never was any good at saying the right thing to a woman."

It was the fear on his face that made the difference. If he loved her enough to back off, then she had to be brave enough to take that first step and do something she'd sworn never to do… trust a man.

"You already said the right thing, Cody. You said you loved me."

"Then what is it, honey?" he asked, wanting to touch her but afraid to move. "I'll do anything to make you happy. If this feels wrong… if you're not ready for this… then please, don't turn away from me. Just tell me. As much as I want you, I'd rather stop right now than take the chance of losing you."

She started to cry.

"Jesus!" Cody said. He started forward but was stopped by the look on her face. "Baby… don't." He held up his hands and started backing out of the room. "Look! I'm leaving. No pressure. No problem."

"So help me, God," Queen whispered, "if you walk out on me now, Cody Bonner, I'll never forgive you."

He stopped in midstride, stunned by the impact of her words. He'd imagined it was fear that had made her not joy.

"Hell, lady," he growled, starting toward her, "you scared me half to death.

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