Hide Your Heart: A New Zealand Small Town Romance (Sexy New Zealand Beach Romance Far North Book 1) by Tracey Alvarez Page A
Authors: Tracey Alvarez
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never said anything until years later.”
“He charmed your whole family?”
“Oh, he charmed everyone around him.” She shook her head ruefully. “I was so blinded, I refused to listen to what my gut told me—that although my mother adored him, my dad”—Lauren swallowed with a throat as coarse as sandpaper— “my dad would’ve cut off his own arm before letting me marry him.”
“The rose-colored glasses started to peel away pretty quickly, I’m guessing.”
“It was less than a year, and things changed. He started criticizing and degrading me in small, subtle ways—demanding to know my every move, insinuating I was unfaithful if he caught another man looking in my direction.” She twisted and untwisted the same strand of her hair. “Married John was nothing like boyfriend or fiancé John. A completely different person compared to the man I’d fallen for.”
Nate took another sip from his mug. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything. I loved him—or thought I did. I kept telling myself it’d be okay. When I found out I was pregnant, it all changed again.”
“Did he want the baby?”
Lauren shut her eyes. Travelled back to that afternoon as she’d met Jonathan at the door, the little plastic strip with its exciting news clutched in her hand.
“Darling, we’re going to have a baby!”
He peeled her arms from around his shoulders, his thumbs digging into her biceps hard enough to leave bruises. “You’re a model, not a breeding heifer.”
The tester fell from her numb fingers.
Jonathan pulled out his cellphone, delivering her a look of pure frost. “I know a doctor who can deal with this quickly and privately.”
“No!” She’d never defied him before. “I’ll walk out this door right now. I’m keeping this baby.”
They stared at each other a moment longer before Jonathan said, “I apologize, Alexandra. I didn’t realize you felt so strongly. I was only thinking of your career.”
He wasn’t sorry. Pain squeezed her reply into a choked whisper. “This baby means more to me than my career.” And it should mean more to you.
No. Drew’s father hadn’t wanted him.
Lauren opened her eyes and shook her head. “Once he found out about my pregnancy, it went downhill. He stopped asking where I was and started to work longer hours. After Drew was born, John had little to do with him, and Drew soon learned not to bother his father.”
“Was he afraid of him?”
Lauren sighed. “Not at first. John didn’t physically discipline him, but he didn’t touch him with affection, either. To Drew, his father was just a person who occasionally entered his little world. A man who treated him much the way a bachelor uncle will absently pat the head of his nephew once a year at a Christmas get-together.”
Nate shifted on the couch, and running a hand through his hair, he leaned forward. “Something happened to change that, didn’t it?”
She pressed her lips together. “Yes. But I don’t want to talk about it now. Let’s just say one day I woke up and realized I’d made a terrible decision that would cost me everything if I didn’t make a better one. So I made a better decision. I left with Drew, came home and divorced my husband.”
“Not before he hurt you.”
“No. I left a little too late.”
Nate rose and sat beside her. The intensity of his gaze caused her fingers to bunch into fists on her knees.
He picked up her hand and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “Thank you for telling me.”
Her blood buzzed from his nearness and the touch of his lips on her skin. He continued to hold her hand until her fingers uncurled. Silence between them transformed from awkward to electric, like the static that crackles in the atmosphere just before lightning strikes.
“I should never have kissed you,” she blurted. “I should’ve walked away.”
Nate’s eyebrow twitched up, but he didn’t speak.
“And it’s not because I don’t find you attractive; I
“He charmed your whole family?”
“Oh, he charmed everyone around him.” She shook her head ruefully. “I was so blinded, I refused to listen to what my gut told me—that although my mother adored him, my dad”—Lauren swallowed with a throat as coarse as sandpaper— “my dad would’ve cut off his own arm before letting me marry him.”
“The rose-colored glasses started to peel away pretty quickly, I’m guessing.”
“It was less than a year, and things changed. He started criticizing and degrading me in small, subtle ways—demanding to know my every move, insinuating I was unfaithful if he caught another man looking in my direction.” She twisted and untwisted the same strand of her hair. “Married John was nothing like boyfriend or fiancé John. A completely different person compared to the man I’d fallen for.”
Nate took another sip from his mug. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything. I loved him—or thought I did. I kept telling myself it’d be okay. When I found out I was pregnant, it all changed again.”
“Did he want the baby?”
Lauren shut her eyes. Travelled back to that afternoon as she’d met Jonathan at the door, the little plastic strip with its exciting news clutched in her hand.
“Darling, we’re going to have a baby!”
He peeled her arms from around his shoulders, his thumbs digging into her biceps hard enough to leave bruises. “You’re a model, not a breeding heifer.”
The tester fell from her numb fingers.
Jonathan pulled out his cellphone, delivering her a look of pure frost. “I know a doctor who can deal with this quickly and privately.”
“No!” She’d never defied him before. “I’ll walk out this door right now. I’m keeping this baby.”
They stared at each other a moment longer before Jonathan said, “I apologize, Alexandra. I didn’t realize you felt so strongly. I was only thinking of your career.”
He wasn’t sorry. Pain squeezed her reply into a choked whisper. “This baby means more to me than my career.” And it should mean more to you.
No. Drew’s father hadn’t wanted him.
Lauren opened her eyes and shook her head. “Once he found out about my pregnancy, it went downhill. He stopped asking where I was and started to work longer hours. After Drew was born, John had little to do with him, and Drew soon learned not to bother his father.”
“Was he afraid of him?”
Lauren sighed. “Not at first. John didn’t physically discipline him, but he didn’t touch him with affection, either. To Drew, his father was just a person who occasionally entered his little world. A man who treated him much the way a bachelor uncle will absently pat the head of his nephew once a year at a Christmas get-together.”
Nate shifted on the couch, and running a hand through his hair, he leaned forward. “Something happened to change that, didn’t it?”
She pressed her lips together. “Yes. But I don’t want to talk about it now. Let’s just say one day I woke up and realized I’d made a terrible decision that would cost me everything if I didn’t make a better one. So I made a better decision. I left with Drew, came home and divorced my husband.”
“Not before he hurt you.”
“No. I left a little too late.”
Nate rose and sat beside her. The intensity of his gaze caused her fingers to bunch into fists on her knees.
He picked up her hand and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “Thank you for telling me.”
Her blood buzzed from his nearness and the touch of his lips on her skin. He continued to hold her hand until her fingers uncurled. Silence between them transformed from awkward to electric, like the static that crackles in the atmosphere just before lightning strikes.
“I should never have kissed you,” she blurted. “I should’ve walked away.”
Nate’s eyebrow twitched up, but he didn’t speak.
“And it’s not because I don’t find you attractive; I
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