Page 30 of Flirting With Disaster

Her eyes met his as he stood over her, his big arms crossed.

Honesty. That was what she was good at. “Yes, I wanted a baby, but not with you.”

He flinched, but she didn’t back down. He deserved the truth.

“I originally had this horrible realization I would be alone for the rest of my life.” She pleaded into his eyes for understanding.

“So you figured you’d get pregnant and trap me into some fairy tale of yours? Been there, done that.”

She shook her head. “No. I didn’t want to have sex with you. Ever. At least, not after I got to know you. I tried to stay away from you, Beckette. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Why? I’m not good enough? Rich enough? A blue collar, recovering alcoholic isn’t acceptable to a big scientist like you?”

“Because I’d fallen in love with you!” She cut off his tirade.

A windstorm picked up in his beautiful golden eyes. His nostrils flared and his jaw clenched. “Don’t love me, Jude Duffy. You have no idea who I am, how I’m capable of destroying you.”

He turned and slammed the door shut on yet another frivolous dream in Jude’s life.

Fourteen

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Albert Einstein

“You look beautiful.”

Jude ran her hands over the vintage gown Nola had loaned her—a celadon green silk, tight in the beaded bodice with an open squared neck that barely held Jude’s bust.

“Beck feels a great responsibility for his wife’s death, you know. She lied to him about a pregnancy. He married her and then, six months later, he realized the truth.” Nola handed Jude the matching mask.

Jude stroked the beads sewn along the edge, her chest aching. She had almost done the same thing to him. How deep his anger must truly be. “I didn’t know.”

“He doesn’t talk about it. They fought. He got drunk, lost his temper and refused to remain home to work things out. He left to join his friends at some bar where the band he played with sometimes performed. When he returned home the next morning, she’d killed herself.”

Tears filled Jude’s eyes. Tears for the compassionate, damaged man she’d fallen in love with.

“He hasn’t sung in front of anyone since then. Except you. You’re good for him. He might even forgive himself if he can get out of his own way and admit your love could be the key to his salvation.”

“He has to save himself. I don’t know if I’ll even see him tonight. He doesn’t attend the guest events.” She didn’t know if she even wanted to see him. He obviously didn’t have the same feelings for her but, perhaps, she needed to be sure before she gave up on love…again.

She refused to be a coward any longer. Beck had taught her that.

Nola smiled. “Then you’ll just have to find him.”

With a nod, Jude took a deep breath and crossed to the door to make her way to the Monster Ball.

He had to listen. He had to understand. She wouldn’t take no for an answer.

It was her time. Her chance to go after something she wanted.

And, more than anything, she wanted to be brave and frivolous enough to pursue her dreams, make her beast see h

ow truly special he was.

* * * *

Beckette put the finishing touches on his costume while Ennis sat on the bed and supervised. Beck was finally back to his old life, in front of the camera, acting, pretending, forgetting.

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