Heat of the Night by Elle Kennedy Page B

her, then seemed to change his mind. “It was fun at least, no?”
    Anger ignited in her body. “Yeah, loads of fun,” she answered darkly. “Now do me a favor, Ryan, and get the hell out of my house.”

    It was past midnight when Ryan let himself into his apartment, his suit rumpled from the flight and his heart battered from everything he had put it through tonight. You did the right thing , the voice in his head said, but he didn’t feel reassured. Had he done the right thing? He couldn’t get the image of Annabelle’s tears out of his mind, and it killed him knowing that he’d hurt her.
    But she would be better off in the long run, right? He didn’t belong in her world, and he would never fit in to that wealthy lifestyle of hers. Her father had made that pretty damn clear. Annabelle would be fine.
    She’d probably get back together with that asshole Bryce, move into a big mansion, and have a luxurious life. He was sparing her the embarrassment of being with some military bum who made in a year what her father probably earned in a week.
    You are not good enough for my daughter.
    Gregory Holmes’s harsh words continued to buzz in his brain. He groaned softly, then pulled his tie from his pocket and hurled it across the room. He stalked into his bedroom, where he tore off his suit and slid into bed, naked and pissed off. The moment his head hit the pillow, the scent of orange blossoms filled his nostrils, which only made him angrier. Damn Annabelle and her snobby parents and her sexy orange blossom smell and all that sexy sarcasm. He groaned again, the sound muffled by the pillow, and then in an uncharacteristic burst of fury, he threw the pillow across the room. The damn thing hit the stack of DVDs atop his dresser, sending the pile crashing to the floor.
    With the instincts of a well-trained Navy SEAL, Matt suddenly appeared in the doorway, looking alert and urgent. “What happened?” he demanded.
    Ryan let out a hysterical laugh. “Nothing. DVDs fell, that’s all. Sorry if I woke you.”
    Matt studied him, a worried expression filling his face. “What the hell happened to you?”
    “Nothing,” he said again.
    “You have crazy eyes, man. The same look you had on your face during that last gig in Afghanistan.”
    Matt furrowed his brows. “Weren’t you supposed to come back from San Francisco tomorrow night?”

    www.samhainpublishing.com
    59

    Elle Kennedy
    “I left early.” Then he thought, to hell with it, and added, “I broke up with Annabelle.”
    Matt’s eyes widened. “What? Why the hell did you do that? We both know you’re crazy about her.”
    He smothered a sigh. “I’m crazy about Jane,” he corrected.
    His friend went silent for a moment, confusion practically radiating from his body. “No, you’re not.”
    A shrewd glint entered Matt’s eyes. “You don’t have that lovelorn little boy look on your face anymore when you say her name.”
    “Fuck. Just mind your own business, O’Connor. Annabelle and I are over, and that’s that.” Sarcasm dripped from his tone. “If you want her around that badly, you date her.”
    Matt raised both eyebrows. “Wow.”
    “Wow what?” he grumbled.
    “You’re in love with her.”
    Ryan gritted his teeth. “Would you go back to your room already? I’m trying to sleep here.”
    “No, you’re not. You’re trying to sulk.”
    “Fuck off, Matt. Just leave this alone.”
    Matt shook his head, but rather than pressing the subject, he simply walked away. A moment later, Ryan heard Matt’s bedroom door shut with a soft click.
    Damn it. Matt was wrong. He wasn’t in love with Annabelle. He couldn’t be. Two weeks, that’s all they’d spent together. Had some sex, shared some laughs—that wasn’t love.
    Was it?
    He settled back in his bed, staring up at the ceiling in dismay. No, he couldn’t love her. And he just prayed that Matt really would leave it alone. He didn’t need his friend harassing him about this break-up, if you could