Page 60 of Tangled Temptation

Angie drove away from the ranch house slowly, but Jared was nowhere in sight. She managed to wait until she was twenty miles from the ranch to pull over and cry. Best to get it out now and then drive home.

She cried for the little girl abandoned by her parents, all the foster families that sent her back, for her adopted family who, while they loved her, didn’t quite know how to help her, and most of all, for Jared.

The only man who’d captured her heart only to refuse it.

Her life was never going to be the same.

Chapter Twelve

Mondaymorning.

Angie strode into her office. This place was worse than hell. When she arrived home last night, she dropped her suitcase, climbed into bed, and cried, then cried some more. She couldn’t seem to stop.

Finally, she climbed out of bed, took a hot shower, made herself some soup, and curled up on the sofa and watched a sappy movie so she could cry without feeling guilty. It had taken her twice the time this morning to conceal her tear-ravaged face.

She looked at her desk and felt like crying again. It was piled high with work.Did no one doanythingwhile I was gone?As she blew out a breath between pursed lips, she sat and turned on her computer. The company logo swam before her eyes.

No more crying.Hadn’t she cried enough? Forcing the tears away, she began sorting out the piles on her desk. Then she turned to her computer and opened her task manager app. While she laid awake and stared at the ceiling, she started making priority lists in her head.

First task: Resign from her job. She hated this job. She’d only stayed out of a sense of duty.

Well, screw that.

She ignored her full inbox and began typing.

Second task:I’m going back to the ranch and confront Jared.

How dare he ignore her love for him? She wasn’t ready to give up on him yet. There had to be a reason he walked away from her, and she was going to find out what it was. She was going to get her man, even if it meant giving up her pride to do it.

Jared made her feel whole, wanted, and sexy. She wasn’t going to give that up. She needed him. She loved him, even if he didn’t love her. Angie was determined to be with him. On his terms, if need be. But if a relationship with Jared was impossible—for whatever reason—she would at least have closure. And closure was better than not knowing.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Miss Ice Queen back from her vacation.”

Angie glanced up to see Bill from customer service step into her office.Great, I have to deal with this idiot today.“I really don’t have time for your issues today, Bill.”

“Oh yes, you do.” He gave her a slimy grin, and she shivered.

What a contrast from Jared’s grin. Jared’s made her wet. “As you can see, I have a ton of work.” She gestured to the files on her desk. Not that she was planning to do much today.

“Don’t worry; this won’t take long.” He pushed the door shut behind him.

***

Jared followed the receptionist’s instructions to Angie’s office. Outside the closed door, he took a deep breath.I should kick my own ass for letting her drive away.

When she blew his mind with her words of love, his instincts kicked in, and he walked away from her. He was an idiot. After he made it back inside the ranch house, he knew he’d made a mistake, but by the time he got back outside, she was gone.

He’d spent last night doing some long hard thinking. He’d been a coward not to ask her to stay. Angie’s words of love were honest and true. She wasn’t like his childhood sweethearts, his college girlfriends, or his ex-fiancée.

No, Angie said the words because she meant them, not because she thought he wanted to hear them. Unlike the women of his past, Angie loved him for who he was. She enjoyed his domination and his need for sex. And instead of embracing her love, he walked away, giving in to the old tapes playing in his head.

Therapist, heal thy self.

Jared wasn’t going to walk away now. He would make this up to her, show her that he was a man worthy of her love.

And, yes, he loved her.

He had for a while, but he’d been too blind to recognize it for what it was. He wouldn’t let Angie down this time. He raised his arm to knock when he heard the raised voices.

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