Page 33 of Dangerous Affair (The Phoenix Three #2)

“I didn’t mean to tell you like that.”

“How did you mean to tell me?” Grayson and John had quickly excused themselves. Liam figured it was his scowl at hearing Quinn’s news that sent them running.

“When we were alone. I’ve had this trip scheduled for months, Liam, before I met you. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Nothing to do with me? I thought…” He swiped his hand through his hair.

“You thought what?”

“Maybe that I meant something to you. Enough of a something that you would tell me you had plans to leave the country. Guess I was wrong.” He was being an ass.

He knew it, but he plowed on anyway. “Did you plan to wait until the last minute to tell me, like when you were packing to leave? Or were you just going to walk away without looking back?”

“This is why I don’t do relationships.” She turned her back on him, walked to the window, and looked out. Her shoulders were stiff, her frustration visible. “Why do men think they have a right to dictate how a woman lives her life?”

“I’m not trying to—”

She faced him. “I thought maybe you were different. My career is my life, Liam. It’s what I live for. I’ve been up front with you about that.”

“Meaning you don’t have room for me.” It wasn’t a question because he got it. He was, after all, exactly what she’d said. A brief fling. He should have listened to her from the start.

“I wish…” She shook her head. “Never mind.”

“You wish what?” He was close to begging her to make room for him in that life of hers that she guarded so fiercely, but stubborn pride kept his mouth shut.

“That I’d never met Jasper. Then I wouldn’t be standing in this room worrying about men after me, children getting sick, and doing my best not to cry because I feel like I just lost a friend.”

She wished she’d never met him. That hurt. It also made him feel mean. He held up his thumb and index finger an inch apart. “I was this close to falling in love with you, but I guess I should thank you for showing me the error of my ways.”

Tears filled her eyes. “You’re welcome.” Without another word, she walked out of his office.

Eff him, he was an ass. A pissed-off ass, but an ass all the same.

How had it come to this? He scrubbed his hand over his face.

If she never intended to include him in her life, it was better this way.

Yes, he was hurt. And yes, he was falling in love with her, but he should thank her for saving him from being all in.

His office suddenly felt empty without her in it.

If only she had given him a chance, he would have shown her that he wasn’t like her ex…

whatever the hell his name was, or any other man in her life who didn’t encourage her to fly free.

He would have been there for her, been her number one cheerleader.

He would have never stopped her from doing what, as she’d said, “fed her soul” no matter where in the world it took her.

He would have been her safe haven whenever she came home to him.

“Guess that’s that,” he muttered. He walked to the window, stood where she had, and looked out at the view she’d seen.

The Phoenix Three was on the top floor of a three-story building that Grayson’s father had bought and rented back to them when they’d started their company.

It was two blocks from the beach, and over the tops of the buildings, he could see the Atlantic Ocean.

Was it only last night that he’d sat out on his balcony with her, enjoying that same ocean and feeling so much hope for the future?

Her coconut vanilla scent was still in the air, and he breathed deep.

He’d almost handed over his heart, not knowing she’d be taking it to Ukraine with her but not bringing it back to him. Good thing he hadn’t.

He’d lost his family, and now he’d lost the woman he could love, make a life with.

Even years later, he still missed his family, and since losing them, he’d longed to make a new family of his own.

A woman who loved him and a home filled with the laughter of children.

Maybe the universe was sending him a message that he was meant to be alone.

Yeah, he was feeling sorry for himself. He was entitled to a little self-pity, wasn’t he?

If only for tonight? Tomorrow, he would pick up the pieces and move on.

Too bad he wasn’t much of a drinker. If he was, he could go home and drink his misery away. Sadly, a beer in the evenings while sitting on his balcony and decompressing from the day or wine with dinner occasionally when on a date was about the extent of his alcohol consumption.

Where was she? He walked out to the hallway. The small conference room had an all-glass wall, and seeing that she was sitting at the table where she was safe, he returned to his office.

He went to his desk, hesitated for a moment, then picked up his cell phone and called his mother.

He needed to hear the voice of the one person in the world who unconditionally loved him and hadn’t abandoned him.

The name Lisa would show up on her screen, a fictional book club friend.

If his father was around, she’d let it go to voicemail and call him back later.

“Hello, son. This isn’t our usual day to talk. Is everything okay?”

“I was thinking about family and missing you.” She worried about him as it was, so he wasn’t going to tell her he was nursing a broken heart and give her more reason to be troubled on his account.

“I wish…”

“Yeah, me, too. But he’s never going to change, Mama. I did get an interesting phone call. Do you know a Robert Sullivan?”

“If it’s the same man, he’s the Realtor your father used when he was looking for property in Savannah some years ago. I met him at dinner a few times when I went down there with your father. Nice man. Why are you asking?”

He remembered his parents going to Savannah to scout a location for a new pub back when he was in high school. “It’s the same man. His daughter went missing, and he asked me to find her. Here’s the shocker, though. He said Dad gave him my name, said that if anyone could find her, it was me.”

There was a long silence, then, “Your father gave him your name? Actually said your name after swearing he never would again?”

“That’s what Mr. Sullivan said.”

“Oh, Liam. That’s wonderful. It means there’s hope he’ll forgive you.”

He crushed the anger heating his neck, swallowed the words she’d wash his mouth out with soap if he uttered them. This was his mother. “I did nothing wrong to be forgiven for, Mama. I’m doing good things, you know, like saving children. Why can’t he see that?”

“I don’t know, son. I’ve tried to talk to him about this, but the stubborn ass refuses to listen. I thought for sure he’d eventually come around.”

He didn’t have to see her to know that tears were running down her cheeks.

“He’s too hardheaded to back down. You know that.

Once he takes a stand, that’s it for him.

” He blew out a breath. “Listen, it’s not your job to fix this.

Only he can, so don’t take this weight on your shoulders.

” Grayson came to the door. “I need to go. I’ll call you on our usual day. ”

“Liam.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m proud of you. I want you to believe that.”

“Thanks, Mama. That means a lot to me. I love you.”

“I love you, too, my precious boy.”

“How’s your mother?” Grayson asked after Liam disconnected the call.

“Missing her boy and wishing my father wasn’t a stubborn ass.” Both Grayson and Cooper knew he’d been declared dead by his father.

Grayson came in and took a seat in front of Liam’s desk. “Think he’ll ever come around?”

“No. If he was going to, he’d have done it by now.”

“I say it’s his loss. What was that between you and Quinn?”

“Hell if I know.”

“As an objective observer, it seemed like you overreacted.”

“I guess I really messed up. She insists we’re nothing more than a fling.”

“And you want more, I take it.”

“Yeah. I think she’s the one, Gray. Unfortunately for me, from her past experiences, she has it in her head that men want to control her life. I can’t seem to get her to understand I’m not like those other men.”

“Don’t take this wrong because I’m on your side, but your reaction to learning she has a trip to Ukraine planned didn’t help your case.”

“I know. I didn’t handle that well. She just caught me by surprise, and I reacted. Where is she? I’ll go talk to her. See if I can repair the damage.” It was going to be awkward with her staying with him if he couldn’t, but she couldn’t go home. Not yet. It still wasn’t safe for her.

“Give her a few minutes to calm down. She called Harlow and asked if she’d come pick her up.”

At least she would be safe with Harlow.