Page 75 of Second Chance Savior

“No,” she said softly. “Not really. Our relationship worked because we were both busy. Jud wasn’t demanding or clingy, and I appreciated that. Sometimes we’d go a week without talking. Looking back, it was a warning sign.”

“Of what?”

“Of how little I actually knew him. He was all gestures and no substance. Romance is all well and good, but if two people aren’t right for each other, no amount of flowers or chocolates or weekend getaways can fix it. For years, he acted like the perfect boyfriend. But eventually I realized Jud wasn’t the man I thought he was.”

“What did he do?”

She sighed. “Nothing extreme. His voting behavior changed. Flip-flopping on issues I’d thought were important to him. Then there were rumors he’d pulled strings to get some criminal investigations quashed for no good reason. These were cases against drug dealers and an identity theft ring. A friend in the state attorney general’s office tipped me off. Jud denied it, and nobody could prove anything. I didn’t know what to believe.”

I nodded. That sounded like it could be connected to Stillwater. If they’d had Hale in their pocket, Stillwater could’ve sold his influence to the highest bidder.

“The final straw was when he tried to convince me to change my vote on an important bill. I refused, and he got angry.”

My jaw clenched tight. “Did he take that anger out on you?”

“Not physically. He wasn’t like that. We argued, and he backed off right away. Apologized and claimed it was all a misunderstanding. But for me, our entire relationship hadclicked into a different focus, and finally I saw it clearly. He’d been trying to bend me into someone he could mold and manipulate.”

I made an angry sound in my throat. I already hadn’t liked Hale, but he was quickly climbing my shit list. “Then I hope I get the chance to chat with him in person. I have some questions for Mr. Hale, plus a few choice opinions I’d like to share.”

Smiling, Charlie got up from her seat and slid into my lap. Her legs draped to one side, arms looping my neck. “You accused me of being jealous earlier. What about you?”

I squeezed her hips, making her T-shirt ride up in a tantalizing way. She had her panties on beneath, but nothing else. “Am I jealous of Jud Hale? That’s not the right word. What’s that feeling when you want to rip a guy’s eyes out because he once looked at your woman the wrong way?”

She nuzzled my neck. “Not sure I agreed to be your woman.”

“Too bad. While you’re sharing my bed, youaremy woman.”

“A slightly unfair standard when your cabin only has one bed in it.”

“Hey, I don’t make the rules.”

Her lips met mine. A few soft kisses later, she pulled back and said, “Since we’ve been radically honest with each other today, I’d like to ask another question.”

“Uh oh.”

“Have you spied on my phone or computer before today? I’ll do my very best not to get mad.”

I snorted. “Sure you will.”

“I’m serious! You hacked my laptop. Did you go digging around in my personal stuff? I just want to know.”

“You’re asking if I’m some kind of stalker? People arealready saying I kidnapped you. Being your stalker would be the natural explanation.”

“That is so not funny, and yet I want to laugh. Don’t distract me. Answer the question.”

I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her temple. “I checked on you over the years. I could have dug around beyond publicly available info if I’d wanted to. But I didn’t. Even when Genevieve brought up your name in connection to Jud Hale and Stillwater, I looked only at your financials and your career. I’ve always resisted the temptation to delve into your personal life.” I held onto her chin, leveling my gaze. “Because the thought of you with someone else chafes me raw inside. I used to hope you were off living a happily ever after, but it would’ve killed me to see it. No matter how much of an asshole that makes me. That’s why I had to stay away.”

Charlie rested her head on my shoulder. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“You were just trying to be happy. I didn’t mean to fall in love with you.” I rubbed circles into her back. “But I don’t regret it.” How could I, when I finally had her in my arms?

“River.” Charlie lifted her head, and her eyes were glossy with empathy. “Maybe we should stop this now before we hurt each other even worse.”

If one of us was going to come out of this heartbroken, we both knew it would be me. But I didn’t care.

“Do you want to stop?” I asked. “Since we’re being honest.”

She chewed on her lip. But she was staring at my mouth. Impulsive desire warring with her resolve to do the “right” thing. In a way, we’d had the same problem as teenagers. Getting ourselves into trouble because we couldn’t resist pushing each other’s buttons. Even when we were fighting, we had chemistry that was impossible to deny.

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