Page 24 of Players Like Us (Reunion Gap #7)

Rachel listened, her heart swelling with sadness. To trust someone, to believe in them, only to have them betray you when you were at your most vulnerable? She would not have survived that without scars. No wonder he despised Simon. “What did Simon do?”

“He waited until I left for a ski trip with three of my buddies. I almost canceled it, but I’d promised them I’d go and it seemed wrong to cancel at the last minute.

The skiing was great, but all I could think about was getting back to her.

When she didn’t answer my phone calls, I got worried, certain something had happened.

She’d been in a car accident, she was in a coma, she’d gotten sick and couldn’t get in touch with me.

It had to be something horrible that made her unable to respond.

And I was right. Something horrible had happened and I didn’t find out about it until I got back.

” He dragged a hand over his face. “I never saw it coming.”

Rachel stroked his arm. “I’m so sorry.”

“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.”