Page 55 of Temporary Wife Temptation

“Natalie, we aren’t finished.”

She frowned at the odd tone of his voice. Whatever he’d meant by that, they couldn’t talk about it out here. Natalie walked past him into her office and indicated for him to close the door. She sat behind her desk to create some distance between them.

“If you mean the divorce, then no, we aren’t finished, but we soon will be. I want all the loose ends tied up, so Sophie and I can move on.”

Garrett flinched, and Natalie’s frown deepened. He acted as though her words were gutting him.

“How is she?” His voice was a rough whisper.

The suffocating pressure in her heart reached a breaking point and she nearly doubled over in pain. Gripping the arms of her chair, Natalie choked down the lump in her throat.

“She’s doing great. She’s getting bigger, stronger and faster, which means she can make more trouble in less time.”

A sad but genuine smile tilted Garrett’s mouth, and Natalie’s eyes roamed hungrily over him. When he caught her gaze with fire in his own, yearning blanketed her mind like thick fog blinding a driver. He searched her face and something akin to hope swept across his features. Then, with a suddenness that startled her, he circled her desk and kneeled in front of her.

She pressed back into her seat, not trusting herself to be so close to him. Garrett caught her instinctive retreat and the brief spark that lit his eyes flickered and dimmed. He was quiet for a long moment before he spoke.

“We found the mole who passed the information on to Klapper. A woman in the media department...”

So that’s what this is about. He found out she didn’t betray him and the guilt was tearing him apart. She clenched her hands to fight her instinct to reach out for him. To hold his head on her lap. She hurt for him but she had nothing left in her to soothe his pain.

“If you’re here to apologize, there’s no need,” she said, sounding as weary as she felt. “I’m sure you had your reasons for suspecting me in the first place.”

“My reasons?” His laughter rang with bitter regret. “I had my damn reasons but none of them excuse what I did.”

“I already told you. You don’t need to apologize.” He had to leave. She wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer. “If it’ll help you sleep better, then I forgive you. I really do, so please leave now. If you care even a little about me, please just leave.”

“No.” She thought she misheard him. It was a broken rasp. Then determination flared in his eyes and he said with finality, “No.”

“How could you—”

“I care more than a little bit about you.” He held her arms. “I love you, Natalie.”

“Leave.” She tugged her arms free and stumbled blindly away from him. “I want you to leave. Now.”

“I can’t.” Garrett rose to his feet, but only his eyes—lost and frightened—followed her. “I’ll do anything you want. Everything. Except leave you. I can’t do that.”

She shut her eyes to the naked need on his face. “Can’t or won’t?”

“Natalie...”

“How could you say you love me when you don’t even trust me?”

“I never believed you betrayed me. I trust you with my life...with my heart.” Garrett took a step toward her with his hand outstretched, but stopped short when she backed farther away. “I lied to myself because I needed an excuse to push you away. I saw what losing my mother did to my father. I swore never to love like that—to love someone so much that losing them meant losing myself. Then, I met you—beautiful, brave and so kind. I knew there wasn’t a wall high enough to keep you out of my heart, and it scared me to death. I was so afraid of being hurt that I broke your heart instead.”

“Yes. You did.” She breathed in and out through her nose and spoke to a point above his shoulder. “But I understand. It doesn’t make it hurt any less, but I think I understand. Maybe it’s better this way. You ended whatever was between us. We should move past it and go on with our lives.”

“No. I don’t think you understand.” Anguish drenched his eyes and his Adam’s apple worked to swallow. “If you did, you wouldn’t tell me to move on and live, because there is no life for me without you.”

“But nothing has changed.” Hurt, hope, anger and love screamed in her head and pulled her in opposite directions. “You broke my heart once, and I won’t be able to survive a second time.”

“Everything has changed.” His face was a mask of pain, but his voice was deep and true. “With you gone, everything lost meaning. The company, my family’s legacy, the CEO spot. Those things are nothing more than duty and responsibility. Something I have to do for the benefit of others. Nothing gives me joy or satisfaction. Don’t you see? I’m nothing more than a shadow without you.”

He put one foot ahead of the other and cautiously approached her as though she was a bird ready to take flight. Natalie shook her head and retreated until she backed into a wall. But this time, Garrett didn’t stop until he stood in front of her. He didn’t touch her but his gaze roamed her face, desperate, naked and frantic.

No wall or barrier hid him from her, and she saw him. At last, he bared every part of himself, down to his very core. He was exposed and vulnerable, raw and true, and terrified and powerful—the only way a person in love could be.

“You...love me?” she said, body shaking so hard that her teeth were chattering.

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