Page 134 of Rival Hearts

Because I loved him.

I slowly opened my eyes. When I turned my face toward the window, the morning had just arrived, the dawn.

I had a hollow feeling in my chest. I missed Alex.

Especially after the dream I’d had.

I wished it could just be real, but that couldn’t happen. It was over between us, and that was the right thing.

Wasn’t it?

38

ALEX

“Someone is here to see you, sir,” Marina said over my intercom system. “A Miss Charlotte Reynolds.”

“You can send her in.” My stomach twisted. What was she doing here? She’d made it so clear she wanted nothing to do with me, but I’d meant to reach out to her after what Gabe had told me.

I just hadn’t decided how I wanted to do it. I’d wanted to prepare a speech about how much I cared for her, how much she meant to me, but I’d so much to take care of with business that I hadn’t gotten to that point.

When she walked in, my heart skipped a beat.

Charlotte had always taken my breath away.

Her blonde hair hung in waves over her shoulders, but her hazel eyes were guarded. She didn’t wear any makeup, her natural beauty shining through, and the freckles on her nose stood out even more than usual.

“Charlotte,” I breathed when I saw her.

“Did you mean it?” she demanded right away.

“What?” I asked, confused.

“The press release. The yacht line that you’re releasing. The direction with the company that you told me you weren’t going to take.” She stared at me, her eyes filled with questions, her face stern. It was as if everything for her depended on the answer I gave her. She bit her lower lip, and fuck, she was so beautiful when she did that.

I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to hold her and show her how much I really loved her.

Because losing her had shown me exactly that—I was madly, head-over-heels in love with her.

“I did,” I said.

“I don’t understand. What about the people you’re supposed to pay and the money you’re going to lose with this?”

“The investors who threatened to leave left anyway. I had to figure out a way to make it work, find different funding, different investors… and when I started looking for new people, I realized that this business isn’t about jumping through hoops to line up with the investors. It’s about finding investors who are on board with our vision.”

Charlotte stared at me, so I kept talking.

“I’ve been trying to please people for a long time. I always thought that being in charge, being the leader of a company like this with so many people underneath me, was about doing what they expected of me. I didn’t realize that what they expected of me was to lead them, not to follow them.”

I shook my head. It was coming out all wrong.

“I don’t know how else to—”

“No, I think I get it,” Charlotte said. “Can I sit down?”

I nodded, and she walked to the armchair and sank into it as if it was hard work to stand. She sat back and let out a shuddering breath.

“Are you okay?”