My Love Break Read Free Page A

was going to do next.
    It was one thing to be forgotten. Another thing to pretend there was never anything between us.
    “If I tell Damian about our relationship won’t that help him remember faster?”
    “No. It will add another layer of stress that might harm Damian’s long-term healing. We can’t take that chance.”
    Once again I heard what she wasn’t saying.
    Tell him now and you take responsibility for harming him. 
    That obviously wasn’t a risk I was willing to take. But the idea of denying who I was to Damian was repugnant. I wanted nothing to do with it.
    “There has to be another way.”
    “There isn’t.”
    “How can I pretend that he doesn’t mean anything to me, Elaine? I love him with all of my heart. I won’t be able to hide it.”
    She settled the full weight of her ice-blue gaze upon me. “It’s because you love him that you will do this. You will hide your feelings and channel it into aiding him until he can remember you on his own. You will hide them because you love him.”
    Even though Elaine’s tone didn’t change, I could feel the passion in her words. She spoke from experience. Looking at her, I wondered who she’d loved so intensely.
    “And if he never remembers me? What will I do then?”
    “Don’t fail.”
    That simple, huh?
    “You have a lot of faith in me.”
    “Of course. Aren’t you the one he picked? Besides, you will make him love you again. You did it once. You can do it again.”
    What if I couldn’t? That was just one of my many, many fears. How would I know what to do? I didn’t even know why Damian fell in love with me in the first place.
    I spoke aloud to bolster my courage. “I need to keep it a secret. For Damian’s health.” I inhaled deeply. “He needs to concentrate on getting better. He doesn’t need the pressure of me.”
    “He will remember you, Risa.”
    “I hope so.”
    “Damian will remember you and he will understand this sacrifice you’ve made for him. You’ll see.”
    Although my smile trembled, I’d made up my mind. I’d bury our relationship. Even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. I would do this thing for him.
    For Damian.
    Now that my mind was made up, I needed to methodically go through the pitfalls I could see.
    “I was an Account Executive at my company. I’ve never done admin work before. Damian will probably fire me the first time I forget to put something on his calendar.”
    “Don’t forget.”
    A wry smile traced across my face. Both of them were so curt and matter-of-fact. The family resemblance was showing again. “I’ll do my best.”
    “Besides, I told Damian you were new. You’ll also be his first PA so you have that excuse.”
    “He’s never had a PA before? But why?”
    “Damian is private.”
    That was true. Thinking further, I probably shouldn’t have been surprised by it. Damian was very particular and exacting when it came to his work. It was probably easier for him to do things himself rather than risking someone else making a mistake.
    Which meant that I would have to be flawless.
    My body, deadened for so long, abruptly came back to life.
    Unbidden, heat swarmed through me as I remembered kneeling at Damian’s perfect feet as he softly tallied up my infractions and the kind of punishment I’d earned as a result.
    A moan worked its way up my throat. Was this the perfect way back to Damian? Would being his PA awaken the same hungers in him? I prayed for it to be so.
    Oh, my God. This is what I had been reduced to? A woman hoping and praying for her lover to find fault in her just so that she could feel again?
    Yes. A thousand times yes.
    The Risa of before had been replaced by a new version, one that would do anything to keep the man she’d come this close to losing.
    Hope born by desperation, but born nonetheless, flooded me.
    Impulsively, I reached up and hugged the taller woman. “Thank you so much, Elaine. I don’t know why you’ve been so kind to me all these months but I’m