The Night Before Christian Read Free

people—knew she didn’t take orders. Especially from
him. Emory bolted to her feet. “Who in the hell do you think you’re talking to?
Your fiancée hired me to do a job, and I damn sure intend to do it.” So
much for keeping her emotions in check.
    “Over my dead body.”
    “That can be arranged.”
    He ground his teeth so
hard she thought his jaw would snap out of place. A beat later, he released a
sound that could be construed as more of a mock than jovial laughter.
    “Not everyone’s a big
time aerospace engineer. Some of us need the money because—” She stopped
abruptly, breaking off the string of words before revealing too much. He
wouldn’t care that her mother’s health issues were sending her to the poor
house. He simply wanted his way.
    “Is that what this is
all about? You’re hard up for a dollar?” He reached into his pocket, removed
his wallet, snatched all of the bills from inside and tossed them onto the
table. “There you go.”
    Twenty dollar bills
scattered over the dark wood. His actions infuriated her so much a bout of
nausea washed over her. Why did everyone in this family believe she could be
bought? Even if she were contemplating quitting before, there was no way she
would now. Staring him square in the eyes, she said, “You’re going to need far more
than that to cover my bill. And I’m not quitting.”
    A vein pulsed in the
center of his forehead. “Like hell you’re not.”
    Who was this man who
stood in front of her? This hardened shell was not the warm and loving
Christian St. Claire she once knew. He turned to leave, but she wasn’t going to
allow him the last word. “When did you become such a heartless bastard?”
    Christian stopped mid-reach
of the doorknob. His body tensed and he seemed to struggle with whatever
thoughts raced through his head. Over his shoulder, he finally said, “When the
only woman I’ve ever loved spit that love back in my face and showed me she
never truly cared for me at all.”
    He was never one for
hiding his true feelings from her. A beat later, Christian yanked the door open
with so much force Emory swore it would come off the hinges. Though his words
briefly froze Emory, awareness returned before Christian escaped.
    “Oh no, you don’t.” She
slammed her hand into the door and banged it shut. Under any other
circumstances, being this close to the man who’d taken her body to places she
could only label as uncharted territory would have rendered her unable to
speak. But with the degree of anger coursing through her, the words came
readily. “How dare you say that to me? That’s bullshit and you know it. I’ve
always loved you. I’ve never not loved you. What I did then, I did for—”
She stopped abruptly. Calming her tone, she said, “You don’t know everything,
Christian.”
    His shoulders slumped
and eyes grew weary. “I know I loved you. I know I loved you more than I loved
myself. I know my life was supposed to have been with you. I know you walked
away and never looked back. I know that now I’m doing the same.”
    As bad as she wanted to
wrap her arms around him, tell him she’d loved him with the same
intensity—still loved him—she couldn’t. Swallowing the painful lump of emotion
in her throat, she repeated, “You don’t know everything.”
    Through clinched teeth,
he said, “I know enough.” Staring into her eyes, he said, “Stay away from me, Emory.”
    His words cut her to
the core, but the hurt, the pain, the torture she witnessed in his eyes told
her it was useless to say any more. She stepped aside and allowed him to exit.
What was the benefit in telling him that just because she’d let him go, didn’t
mean she’d wanted to, or that she’d walked away to protect him and the only
life he’d ever known.
    Goodbye, Christian .
    She never imagined
she’d be uttering those painful words again in this lifetime. He bolted through
the shop door without as much as a glance back in her direction.
    Emory