life…
Then, she lifted the wedding invitation from the smooth glass top.
Olivia Lange and Jarrod Sabatino , it read.
You are cordially invited to the upcoming nuptials…
“Our wedding, it’s a year from now. But, why aren’t there any photos of us together?” she demanded, meeting his eyes. “If we’re so much in love, why aren’t there any?”
He lifted a brow. “Well, if you’d take everything out of the envelope, you’d find a few.”
With a shaky hand, she lifted the envelope again, and as he proposed, more photos scattered across the table. She chose the top photo with a shaky hand and stared at it closely. Together, they sat at the bistro table, facing one another in broad daylight. Across the table top, they held hands, and it seemed that they were engrossed in deep conversation. As she stared at herself on the photo, she’d never seen anyone look more enamored than she did. And as he was doing now, he took her breath away. On the glossy image, the sunlight danced across his face, and he seemed just as taken with her.
“A close friend of ours took that photo on August 17 th , six months ago. After a gala presentation, we dined there, and as you can see, we are definitely attuned to each other,” Jarrod suggested, staring down at her. “While we’re having issues, Livvy, it doesn’t change the fact that we are meant to be together.” He paused briefly. “Whether you believe that or not, we do belong together.”
And she could certainly believe that, she mulled, feeling like she was drowning in a deep sea of green as she stared back at him. There was a dangerous appeal about him, one that was wild and unattainable. The exact things that drew a woman to the forbidden, she thought, looking away uncomfortably. And in the short time that they’d been together, it’d been difficult for her to dismiss her immediate attraction to him. It was so obvious that the sexual attraction was there.
“What about now?” she demanded softly. “What’s changed? Separate beds…separate lives. Isn’t that the life that we’re living now? At least, that’s what you’re telling me.”
Turning away from her, he crossed the room, and when he reached the window, he stopped. As he pulled the curtains back, the moonlight streamed in. “Olivia, sometimes, the world just gets in the way, and it upsets a perfect balance. That’s what it’s done to us. In a sense, we’ve betrayed one another, and now, we’re fighting to get past that.”
Reddening, she stiffened. “Betrayal? What happened between us?” she asked, studying him, and again, he was difficult to read.
“You’re not ready for the truth,” Jarrod muttered, standing from the chair, and his eyes seemed to glow like burning green embers. “It’s best that you don’t press it.”
“But, I need to know---have to know,” she whispered, coming up. “Do you know how lost and afraid I feel right now---to have no bearings of who or what I am. My life, it’s like a blank slate and all the while, it’s so dark and muddled that I can’t make sense of anything.” Tearing up, she met his eyes again. “You’re my life line---my only hope. I need you to help me.”
A flicker of emotion flashed in his eyes.
For a brief second, she caught a rare glimpse at the real man, and his voice was unsteady as he spoke again. “Come here.”
“W-what?” she asked, gulping hard.
His words held a sensual softness. “I said, come here,” Jarrod said huskily, extending his hand. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
The silence in the room seemed to hum as she made each step. Once again, she fought the emotions storming within her,
Then, she lifted the wedding invitation from the smooth glass top.
Olivia Lange and Jarrod Sabatino , it read.
You are cordially invited to the upcoming nuptials…
“Our wedding, it’s a year from now. But, why aren’t there any photos of us together?” she demanded, meeting his eyes. “If we’re so much in love, why aren’t there any?”
He lifted a brow. “Well, if you’d take everything out of the envelope, you’d find a few.”
With a shaky hand, she lifted the envelope again, and as he proposed, more photos scattered across the table. She chose the top photo with a shaky hand and stared at it closely. Together, they sat at the bistro table, facing one another in broad daylight. Across the table top, they held hands, and it seemed that they were engrossed in deep conversation. As she stared at herself on the photo, she’d never seen anyone look more enamored than she did. And as he was doing now, he took her breath away. On the glossy image, the sunlight danced across his face, and he seemed just as taken with her.
“A close friend of ours took that photo on August 17 th , six months ago. After a gala presentation, we dined there, and as you can see, we are definitely attuned to each other,” Jarrod suggested, staring down at her. “While we’re having issues, Livvy, it doesn’t change the fact that we are meant to be together.” He paused briefly. “Whether you believe that or not, we do belong together.”
And she could certainly believe that, she mulled, feeling like she was drowning in a deep sea of green as she stared back at him. There was a dangerous appeal about him, one that was wild and unattainable. The exact things that drew a woman to the forbidden, she thought, looking away uncomfortably. And in the short time that they’d been together, it’d been difficult for her to dismiss her immediate attraction to him. It was so obvious that the sexual attraction was there.
“What about now?” she demanded softly. “What’s changed? Separate beds…separate lives. Isn’t that the life that we’re living now? At least, that’s what you’re telling me.”
Turning away from her, he crossed the room, and when he reached the window, he stopped. As he pulled the curtains back, the moonlight streamed in. “Olivia, sometimes, the world just gets in the way, and it upsets a perfect balance. That’s what it’s done to us. In a sense, we’ve betrayed one another, and now, we’re fighting to get past that.”
Reddening, she stiffened. “Betrayal? What happened between us?” she asked, studying him, and again, he was difficult to read.
“You’re not ready for the truth,” Jarrod muttered, standing from the chair, and his eyes seemed to glow like burning green embers. “It’s best that you don’t press it.”
“But, I need to know---have to know,” she whispered, coming up. “Do you know how lost and afraid I feel right now---to have no bearings of who or what I am. My life, it’s like a blank slate and all the while, it’s so dark and muddled that I can’t make sense of anything.” Tearing up, she met his eyes again. “You’re my life line---my only hope. I need you to help me.”
A flicker of emotion flashed in his eyes.
For a brief second, she caught a rare glimpse at the real man, and his voice was unsteady as he spoke again. “Come here.”
“W-what?” she asked, gulping hard.
His words held a sensual softness. “I said, come here,” Jarrod said huskily, extending his hand. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
The silence in the room seemed to hum as she made each step. Once again, she fought the emotions storming within her,
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