Eternal Love (Bend to My Will #11) Read Free

knowledge of his true nature, the darkness he harbored, and what he was capable of. Vivienne had shined light into the blackness of his soul, and he’d allowed himself to envision release from his emotional bondage.
    Yet he hadn’t told Vivienne that; he’d only told her the torrid tales of his youth. He hadn’t spoken of the spark of hope that she ignited within him, not wanting to mislead her. As good and innocent as she was, Vivienne couldn’t sever the evil he carried with him.
    Rationality didn’t alter how Jacob felt. He knew that he’d set things right at last. Putting aside his own needs or desires, he had confessed to Vivienne. It had been the right thing to do, even though it had devastated him. But she came first; it had to be that way.
    Yet now, Jacob’s life seemed aimless. Without Vivienne, the future was untenable, and he lacked any motivation. Career, business, or travel were bereft of joy, and he wanted no part of any of it. He wanted only Vivienne, the one woman he shouldn’t, and couldn’t have.
    Jacob’s heart wouldn’t acquiesce to what was right, so he continued to feel the pull of emotion and feeling, the things that he had so carefully repressed. Yet Vivienne had coaxed both from him. Her inner radiance, and yes, her love for him had changed him.
    Thus Jacob could no longer walk away unscathed. It hurt, damn it. He cared. And he missed Vivienne so badly he thought he’d surely die. But there was no hope of altering the course of the relationship. The time for that had passed, and the dream of a love relationship hadn’t been real anyway.
    Jacob had known his fate, and was clear about what he deserved. The loss of his mother was on his shoulders, and had carved a pit in his stomach that the years hadn’t diminished. It always came back to Carl. He had annoyed his father, which resulted in his mother’s death.
    After he had witnessed his mother brutally abused then carried to an ambulance, he had gone crazy. It didn’t matter that he was only a boy; he had felt as strongly then as he did now. Jacob had railed against the cruelty, and sought revenge.
    That was his nature. Jacob had a dangerous side, and had the capability of killing his own father. Vivienne knew that now, and had wisely separated from him. It was better for her; Jacob was under no delusion about that. Still he wanted Vivienne, but had to face life without her.
    When he flew back to New York, Jacob felt some relief. At least he was closer to Vivienne, for all the good it would do. But being in the same city was a comfort. Maybe he would see her, encounter her by accident. He wished that would happen, as he wanted only to see her. Just the sight of her would soothe the hurt in his heart, or so he thought.
    The day he went back to the office, Meg greeted him. Jacob mumbled something and headed for his desk. He was a wreck, so it was best not to engage in conversation. He wasn’t up to it anyway. His assistant’s cheerfulness sharply contrasted with his moroseness.
    Jacob did his best to work. If he poured himself into the issues at Rinaldi Imports, he could forget, and possibly move on. But that was not to be. Each day was no better than the last, as he tried to focus on something, anything besides Vivienne.
    To his chagrin, Vivienne was in his mind every second. She was a part of him, the best part, and she was gone. Jacob couldn’t get over what had happened, and saw no hope of recovery. He hadn’t thought he was capable of such depth of emotion, but he realized that he couldn’t live without her…he didn’t want to.
    The urge to speak with her, at least once more, was overpowering. The way things had ended wasn’t right. Jacob could see that now. No matter what it took, he must talk to Vivienne. Without further hesitation, he dialed her number.
    Jacob got her voicemail, so he texted. But there was no reply. That wasn’t surprising, as it had been two weeks. He didn’t expect her to be glad to hear from him, but