[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
She brushed her lips against his before disembarking. He
helped her onto the bed as he got up on wobbly legs and
headed to the bathroom attached to his bedroom.
"I see you're moving," she called as he stood in the
bathroom. "Coming or going?"
"Going." Tank emerged from the bathroom and padded
back to the bed.
"How did I know? Same ol' Keys. Can't stay in one spot
long enough to settle down."
He grunted but didn't respond to her statement. "So tell
me. Why did you come out to J's opening?" He positioned
himself on his side just as Eminence reclined back.
"I'm planning on starting my own club."
"Wow. Sounds like you have your life in order."
"Not exactly." She chewed on her lower lip. "I have the
financial backers. I know what I want to name the club. I've
even scouted a location for it. Hell, even Jordie said she would
help me if I needed it."
"But?"
71
Reignited
by Bridget Midway
"I don't know. I'm afraid to take that final leap."
He stroked his hand up and down her arm, producing
goosebumps in his wake. "You need to go for it. Opportunities
like this don't happen often."
"Yeah, says the man who's moving and has no direction in
life." She laughed, but he found nothing funny in her
statement.
"There you go again. You're making assumptions. I think
what it comes down to is the fact that, as usual, Eminence
Dutton can't commit to anything."
She moved back away from him. "What the hell are you
talking about?"
Tank jumped to his feet. "All this time, I thought you didn't
trust me. I think you didn't trust yourself." He slipped on his
underwear and continued standing across the room from her.
"You always had an out plan when it came to me."
"That's ridiculous." She pounded her hand on the mattress.
"It's all so clear now. Every conversation we had, it was
about what I needed to do in order for you not to leave me."
Eminence's bottom jaw unhinged. "That's a lie!"
"Keys, have you picked a college? If you don't go to
college, we're going to have to break up." He folded his arms
over his chest. "Keys, do you know what you want to do with
your life? If you don't, I can't be with a man with no
direction."
She blinked then chewed on her lower lip.
"Then when you found me with our friend, you got your
easy-out pass, and you were gone. You didn't want to hear
the truth or even try repairing our relationship, which was not
72
Reignited
by Bridget Midway
even broken." He stormed toward her. She started to look
smaller and smaller on his bed. "So tell me. Did you care
about me at all or was I just some experience for you to have
so that you could continue to have your own pity party?"
Without a word, she scooted to the edge of the bed while
keeping her body covered.
"Nothing to say?" He goaded.
"You're wrong about me. I wasn't looking to push you
away. I was looking to make you better." She tightened the
sheet around her body. "I think all great relationships should
make the people in the couple better. I've told you that
before and I told that to uh, never mind."
He cocked his head. "Told that to who?"
She stood. "I think I should be going."
As he regarded her, the pieces started to fall together.
"You're in a relationship now, aren't you?"
With her back to him, he watched her shoulders lower, but
she wouldn't look at him.
"Holy shit. Here you are, Miss High-and-Mighty, accusing
me of sleeping with your best friend for years, and you're
cheating on your boyfriend with me. Unbelievable. Guess the
apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, right?"
Silence. Eminence didn't even move for a moment. She
waited a beat before she finally dropped the sheet and picked
up her clothes.
Tank remained quiet as she got dressed. When she headed
to the bedroom door, she stopped and turned back to him.
"Oh, no. I know your trick now." He wagged his finger at
her. "You're expecting me to run after you like I've done most
73
Reignited
by Bridget Midway
of my life and like I had been doing all night. Damn it,
Eminence! I love you. I always have, and I always will. I
would have done anything for you and Jordyna. I never asked
you for anything. And the one thing I wanted from you was
the one thing you could never give me: trust. You never
trusted that I could be something more than a stupid jock.
You didn't trust that I would be okay even without a college
education. And you didn't trust me when I told you that
nothing happened between me and Jordyna."
He approached her. "I hate to disappoint you, but I've
started my own security company. I'll be leaving " he
glanced at his watch, " in three days for Washington, D.C.
where one of my offices will be based. I'll have five over the
country once this opens. So you can stop feeling sorry for
poor Keys Tanksley."
"Congratulations," she said almost in a defeated tone. "I
wish you lots of success."
"Yeah, good luck with that relationship. I'm sure you two
will have lots to talk about." He held the bedroom door open
for her. "You want me to drive you home?"
She shook her head. "I'll be fine."
Before he could say anything else, Eminence ran
downstairs. After a beat, he heard his front door slam.
"Shit!" With one swing, he punched a box off of a pile of
boxes to the floor.
Contents from the opened box tumbled onto the hardwood
floor. The item that rolled to his feet kept him cemented in his
spot. The ring.
74
Reignited
by Bridget Midway
Why the hell had he kept that damn ring he'd bought for
Eminence back when he was in high school? He knew back
then that she wouldn't have married him, and from the way
she slinked out of his life just now, he had no future with her, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
She brushed her lips against his before disembarking. He
helped her onto the bed as he got up on wobbly legs and
headed to the bathroom attached to his bedroom.
"I see you're moving," she called as he stood in the
bathroom. "Coming or going?"
"Going." Tank emerged from the bathroom and padded
back to the bed.
"How did I know? Same ol' Keys. Can't stay in one spot
long enough to settle down."
He grunted but didn't respond to her statement. "So tell
me. Why did you come out to J's opening?" He positioned
himself on his side just as Eminence reclined back.
"I'm planning on starting my own club."
"Wow. Sounds like you have your life in order."
"Not exactly." She chewed on her lower lip. "I have the
financial backers. I know what I want to name the club. I've
even scouted a location for it. Hell, even Jordie said she would
help me if I needed it."
"But?"
71
Reignited
by Bridget Midway
"I don't know. I'm afraid to take that final leap."
He stroked his hand up and down her arm, producing
goosebumps in his wake. "You need to go for it. Opportunities
like this don't happen often."
"Yeah, says the man who's moving and has no direction in
life." She laughed, but he found nothing funny in her
statement.
"There you go again. You're making assumptions. I think
what it comes down to is the fact that, as usual, Eminence
Dutton can't commit to anything."
She moved back away from him. "What the hell are you
talking about?"
Tank jumped to his feet. "All this time, I thought you didn't
trust me. I think you didn't trust yourself." He slipped on his
underwear and continued standing across the room from her.
"You always had an out plan when it came to me."
"That's ridiculous." She pounded her hand on the mattress.
"It's all so clear now. Every conversation we had, it was
about what I needed to do in order for you not to leave me."
Eminence's bottom jaw unhinged. "That's a lie!"
"Keys, have you picked a college? If you don't go to
college, we're going to have to break up." He folded his arms
over his chest. "Keys, do you know what you want to do with
your life? If you don't, I can't be with a man with no
direction."
She blinked then chewed on her lower lip.
"Then when you found me with our friend, you got your
easy-out pass, and you were gone. You didn't want to hear
the truth or even try repairing our relationship, which was not
72
Reignited
by Bridget Midway
even broken." He stormed toward her. She started to look
smaller and smaller on his bed. "So tell me. Did you care
about me at all or was I just some experience for you to have
so that you could continue to have your own pity party?"
Without a word, she scooted to the edge of the bed while
keeping her body covered.
"Nothing to say?" He goaded.
"You're wrong about me. I wasn't looking to push you
away. I was looking to make you better." She tightened the
sheet around her body. "I think all great relationships should
make the people in the couple better. I've told you that
before and I told that to uh, never mind."
He cocked his head. "Told that to who?"
She stood. "I think I should be going."
As he regarded her, the pieces started to fall together.
"You're in a relationship now, aren't you?"
With her back to him, he watched her shoulders lower, but
she wouldn't look at him.
"Holy shit. Here you are, Miss High-and-Mighty, accusing
me of sleeping with your best friend for years, and you're
cheating on your boyfriend with me. Unbelievable. Guess the
apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, right?"
Silence. Eminence didn't even move for a moment. She
waited a beat before she finally dropped the sheet and picked
up her clothes.
Tank remained quiet as she got dressed. When she headed
to the bedroom door, she stopped and turned back to him.
"Oh, no. I know your trick now." He wagged his finger at
her. "You're expecting me to run after you like I've done most
73
Reignited
by Bridget Midway
of my life and like I had been doing all night. Damn it,
Eminence! I love you. I always have, and I always will. I
would have done anything for you and Jordyna. I never asked
you for anything. And the one thing I wanted from you was
the one thing you could never give me: trust. You never
trusted that I could be something more than a stupid jock.
You didn't trust that I would be okay even without a college
education. And you didn't trust me when I told you that
nothing happened between me and Jordyna."
He approached her. "I hate to disappoint you, but I've
started my own security company. I'll be leaving " he
glanced at his watch, " in three days for Washington, D.C.
where one of my offices will be based. I'll have five over the
country once this opens. So you can stop feeling sorry for
poor Keys Tanksley."
"Congratulations," she said almost in a defeated tone. "I
wish you lots of success."
"Yeah, good luck with that relationship. I'm sure you two
will have lots to talk about." He held the bedroom door open
for her. "You want me to drive you home?"
She shook her head. "I'll be fine."
Before he could say anything else, Eminence ran
downstairs. After a beat, he heard his front door slam.
"Shit!" With one swing, he punched a box off of a pile of
boxes to the floor.
Contents from the opened box tumbled onto the hardwood
floor. The item that rolled to his feet kept him cemented in his
spot. The ring.
74
Reignited
by Bridget Midway
Why the hell had he kept that damn ring he'd bought for
Eminence back when he was in high school? He knew back
then that she wouldn't have married him, and from the way
she slinked out of his life just now, he had no future with her, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]