growing need to be by myself, to discover who Annette really was. Since arriving I’ve had Chace, Aaron and even Eric tell me who and how I should be.
“I hate to have you living so far away,” Eric said.
“It’s not that bad,” I said with a shrug. “Besides, I should find another apartment soon.”
“You know there’s plenty of room for you at my place.”
And how would that differ from living at Aaron’s , I wanted to ask. “Thanks,” I said instead. “But I think I really need to be alone for a little while. At least a few days.”
His jaw tightened as he nodded his acceptance of my answer. It was almost enough to make me change my mind. Going to stay at his place would solve so many problems, but would create a whole other batch of them. I had to stick to my guns.
“Will you be able to come around to work your voice for this new production? I know you're doing well without me, but I still think there’s some refining I can help bring to your voice.”
“I’d like that, Eric.”
“Okay, I’ll leave you to your packing then.” He headed for the door, but turned back to me before turning the doorknob. “One last thing…” He reached into his pant pocket. “What is this doing here?” He held up the ring Kristine had given him… the ring Eric had left on top of Kristine’s grave in France.
“Where d’you find that?” I tried to sound calm, but heard the frantic fringe on my voice.
He pointed to the top kitchen drawer just beneath the thermostat.
It didn’t make sense. How could the ring have come into my apartment? I wanted to scream out the ridiculousness of the whole situation. A frozen apartment. The mysterious appearance of a ring. A man who wanted to marry me.
A daunting chill speared through my body and I wanted to cry out in frustration. The chill had nothing to do with the temperature of my apartment. It was a chill that came from within. A chill based on fear and a complete lack of control.
I shivered and shoved my hands deep into my coat pockets.
“Look,” Eric said as he put the ring on his finger. “I’ll take this thing away from here.” He stepped closer and put his arms around me, his hands working over my body in an attempt to rid me of my chill. “Come on,” he said after a long moment. “Let’s grab some of your stuff and get you out of here.”
We hurried to my bedroom. I was so cold, I didn’t even care that he rummaged through my drawers and threw clothes indiscriminately into a bag.
“Something is going on in this place, you know that, don’t you? This isn’t some simple heating problem. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kristine had something to do with all this. She’s probably up to her old tricks again, using some kind of gypsy magic to possess your apartment.”
With two bags full, we headed to the door. Eric wanted to drive me back to the motel, but I took the cab instead. Between the three beyond gorgeous men that I love, I was finding it harder and harder to resist each one before I was certain what I wanted. Chace tempted me with his sweet boyish earnestness, while Aaron tempted me with his worldliness and charm, but Eric…Eric was temptation itself. I fought against myself from succumbing to his wishes to have me go back to him house instead of the small motel room near the Met, but in the end, I won over temptation, and found myself stronger but lonelier for it.
Chap t er 12
A fter only a few more days in the dingy motel, I finally had a new home to go to. Aaron had found me a great apartment at a reasonable price.
“This is so much better than my old apartment… so much bigger.” I set a box of dishes on the kitchen counter. “Look at these counters… and the cabinets. They’re gorgeous. Are you sure about the price?” It seemed too good to be true. It was only thirty dollars more than my old apartment, and yet so much more modern.
“Yep,” Aaron said. He seemed
“I hate to have you living so far away,” Eric said.
“It’s not that bad,” I said with a shrug. “Besides, I should find another apartment soon.”
“You know there’s plenty of room for you at my place.”
And how would that differ from living at Aaron’s , I wanted to ask. “Thanks,” I said instead. “But I think I really need to be alone for a little while. At least a few days.”
His jaw tightened as he nodded his acceptance of my answer. It was almost enough to make me change my mind. Going to stay at his place would solve so many problems, but would create a whole other batch of them. I had to stick to my guns.
“Will you be able to come around to work your voice for this new production? I know you're doing well without me, but I still think there’s some refining I can help bring to your voice.”
“I’d like that, Eric.”
“Okay, I’ll leave you to your packing then.” He headed for the door, but turned back to me before turning the doorknob. “One last thing…” He reached into his pant pocket. “What is this doing here?” He held up the ring Kristine had given him… the ring Eric had left on top of Kristine’s grave in France.
“Where d’you find that?” I tried to sound calm, but heard the frantic fringe on my voice.
He pointed to the top kitchen drawer just beneath the thermostat.
It didn’t make sense. How could the ring have come into my apartment? I wanted to scream out the ridiculousness of the whole situation. A frozen apartment. The mysterious appearance of a ring. A man who wanted to marry me.
A daunting chill speared through my body and I wanted to cry out in frustration. The chill had nothing to do with the temperature of my apartment. It was a chill that came from within. A chill based on fear and a complete lack of control.
I shivered and shoved my hands deep into my coat pockets.
“Look,” Eric said as he put the ring on his finger. “I’ll take this thing away from here.” He stepped closer and put his arms around me, his hands working over my body in an attempt to rid me of my chill. “Come on,” he said after a long moment. “Let’s grab some of your stuff and get you out of here.”
We hurried to my bedroom. I was so cold, I didn’t even care that he rummaged through my drawers and threw clothes indiscriminately into a bag.
“Something is going on in this place, you know that, don’t you? This isn’t some simple heating problem. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kristine had something to do with all this. She’s probably up to her old tricks again, using some kind of gypsy magic to possess your apartment.”
With two bags full, we headed to the door. Eric wanted to drive me back to the motel, but I took the cab instead. Between the three beyond gorgeous men that I love, I was finding it harder and harder to resist each one before I was certain what I wanted. Chace tempted me with his sweet boyish earnestness, while Aaron tempted me with his worldliness and charm, but Eric…Eric was temptation itself. I fought against myself from succumbing to his wishes to have me go back to him house instead of the small motel room near the Met, but in the end, I won over temptation, and found myself stronger but lonelier for it.
Chap t er 12
A fter only a few more days in the dingy motel, I finally had a new home to go to. Aaron had found me a great apartment at a reasonable price.
“This is so much better than my old apartment… so much bigger.” I set a box of dishes on the kitchen counter. “Look at these counters… and the cabinets. They’re gorgeous. Are you sure about the price?” It seemed too good to be true. It was only thirty dollars more than my old apartment, and yet so much more modern.
“Yep,” Aaron said. He seemed
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