Page 30 of Players Like Us
“Yeah, me too, but I guess it had to happen sooner or later. Georgianna confessed five minutes after I returned home. She was waiting at my place, filled with tears and remorse, and the whole tale spilled out. Maybe if she weren’t on her fourth glass of wine, she would’ve been a little more prudent, a little less visual with the retelling. I stood in the living room, my coat still on and had to hear how that bastard took her to dinner to discuss a joint venture that turned into two bottles of wine and a night together. The next morning she realized the horrible mistake she’d made and wanted to confess, but forced herself to wait so she wouldn’t ruin my trip. Imagine that?” A laugh, a shake of his head. “Ruin my trip? As if she hadn’t just friggin’ ruined my life. Apparently, Georgianna thought ‘waiting’ might take away some of the sting, and hey, while she was waiting she might as well sleep with him again, right?”
Oh, no. “She did?”
One more laugh, cold, harsh, filled with disgust. “Of course she did. I guess she thought since she’d already slept with him, another night or two wouldn’t matter. When she spilled all those details I didn’t want to hear, she begged for another chance, said she’d give me anything I wanted… Time… A promise of fidelity from this day forward… A prenup… Shares in the company...” He shook his head. “What do you think that would have looked like and how would she have explained it to her old man? ‘I slept with someone and this is how I’m going to get another chance? I’m going to give him ten shares of stock, so would you please sign off?’”
“You didn’t deserve that, Neal. Nobody does, and I’m sorry you had to go through that.” Rachel wanted to confront this woman, blast her with thoughts of how she’d wronged this man.
“I wish I could tell you I kicked her out and told her I never wanted to see her again, but I stood there in that living room and I thought about her proposition. Not the prenup or the damn stock, but the pledge of fidelity, the ‘I’ll do whatever you want’ part. A guy can gain a lot of benefits with that one… But for what? I’d never trust her again. The lies, the betrayal, the damage she’d done was irreparable. Georgianna knew I’d never trusted Simon and she’d been the one to call him arrogant and self-centered, but maybe that’s what she liked. Maybe that’s what she liked in me. I don’t know, doesn’t matter.” He turned to her, his voice rough. “That’s why I didn’t want you to go near him again.”
His behavior toward her all made sense now. “When I ignored your warning, it brought back all of the old memories?”
One word, filled with hatred. “Right.”
“And because I wouldn’t listen, you decided to cut me out of your life? To protect yourself?”
Long pause, followed by “Yes. I know what that man is capable of... He’ll come after you, especially when he realizes that I…” He stopped, shifted his weight, and reached for two beers. “Who’d believe I’d do all that talking and I’m not even drunk.” He handed her a beer, sat up and uncapped his own. “I say we get started.”
Rachel placed a hand over his, stopping him. “Neal, what did you mean when you said Simon would come after me, especially when he realized that you… What? Realized what?” The stare said he didn’t like that question and the clenched jaw said he didn’t plan to answer it. “You haven’t spoken to me in weeks, basically disappeared and treated me like I’d done something terrible. That hurt and it’s not fair. I wish you’d told me what he’d done to you.”
More staring, a scowl, and then “He knows that I don’t want to see you get hurt, and he’ll use that against me.”
“Because…?” For heaven’s sake, was he trying to tell her in a very roundabout way that he cared about her? Or was he trying not to tell her?
“Because I care about you, Rachel. More than I should.”
Finally. “I care about you, too.” She stroked his cheek, held his gaze. “And it doesn’t matter if I shouldn’t… The truth is, I do.”
“Rachel, this isn’t a good idea. We can’t—”
She stopped him before he said We can’t do this, or We shouldn’t do this. We will only hurt each other. She didn’t hear any of it as she kissed him, devouring his mouth with need and want and passion. And when he returned the kiss? There was no denying the desire that pulsed between them. He tasted of scotch and mint and she wanted more. She clutched his shoulders as he eased her onto her back, the kiss turning hotter, deeper, more desperate. When he trailed a hand up her thigh, she moaned. One tiny moan that should have been the first of many...
Later, she would wonder what might have happened if she’d held in that moan, buried it deep inside. Would he have continued his exploration, one delicious touch at a time? She would never know because that single moan made him break the kiss and jerk his hand away. “We can’t do this.”
Rachel already missed the heat of his body, the taste of him... “We can’t?”
“No.” He pushed himself to his feet, took several steps back—away from her and the kiss they’d just shared. “No. I’m sorry.”
19
It was one thing for Neal to turn her down when she was a teen, but to push her away now? “Why did you bring me here?”
He dragged both hands through his hair, left pieces sticking up. “I needed to get away. It was all too much and you looked like you needed a break, too.”
“How would you know when you weren’t even in the room?” She stumbled to her feet, tried to smooth the wrinkles from her dress. Not happening.
“I was watching you.” Pause and then “Tate and Charlotte have a big house with lots of hiding places.”
She forced a laugh because it was better than crying, and right now she was very close to tearing up. “Hiding places? What are you, a child?”
A shrug. “I wasn’t ready to face you in front of everyone. There was too much going on in my head, and I needed to sort it out.” He cleared his throat, his voice coated in regret. “I should never have kissed you, and I’m sorry.”
“Technically, I kissed you.” Rachel shook her head, picked up his jacket and tossed it at him. “Don’t forget the beer.” She turned away and headed into the darkness in the direction of his car. So what if she fell and landed on the ground? It was so much better than listening to Neal Alexander make excuses.
“I gave my word I wouldn’t touch you.”
She swung around, his words pinging her brain. “You gave your word? To whom?”
“I can’t say.” He grabbed the beer and flung the jacket over his right shoulder, catching up to her in three strides. “It’s dark, so hold onto me or you could fall.”
