Chapter 1- Samantha
My heart nearly missed a beat as I saw the tall, blond man standing across the street from me, talking to a lady I didn't recognize. Even after all these years, seeing him still took my breath away. Time seemed to stop as I stood there, staring at him as memories came flooding back. While I was still thinking about going over to meet him, the lady leaned forward and my jaw nearly dropped as they shared a kiss. I blinked,
Oh s**t.
Needless to say, the urge to go over to him died a quick death.
Thankfully, a car pulled up in front of me and I got in.
“You're late,” I said, my mind still stuck on the man across the street.
“Sorry. I had an engagement,”
I kept my eyes straight ahead, not daring to turn, but my brother had always been able to see beyond the surface.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” Now I looked at him. “I’m perfect.” I smiled.
He didn’t look like he believed me, but he didn’t push.
“Fine, then.” He started to drive.
The four-hour trip from New York had nearly knocked me out and the only thing I craved in the world at that moment was a comfortable bed to collapse into.
The drive was a short one and in less than half an hour, the car rolled to a stop in front of a house with a well-trimmed lawn and white picket fence surrounding it.
Home.
I got down, already feeling the warmth of my bed. I would have a nice bath first, of course, then wrap myself in one of my night robes. I’ll just have to bribe a meal out of Noah.
It was so good to be back.
I opened the door and made a beeline for the staircase before I noticed the figure standing in the hallway.
“Hi, Sam.”
No.
No, it can’t be.
The floor gave way beneath my feet and I felt like I was falling into a dark, bottomless pit. I pressed my eyes shut, hoping - praying- that this wasn’t real, but when I opened my eyes he was still there.
“Oh,” I heard Noah as he walked in behind me. “I forgot to mention that Dom stopped by.”
There was a ringing in my head. How in the world was this happening?
He forgot?
I spun on my heels and marched out of the house, shoving Noah in the process.
“Come on, Samantha.” Noah called after me. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting?”
“Over-” I rounded on him, fists ready to punch, then I turned around again and screamed into the air. “Overreacting? You think I’m overreacting? You know what that… that jerk did to me, right? Or have you forgotten so soon? "How are you even still friends with him?” A poisonous mix of hurt and anger burned in my throat.
“He said he was sorry.”
“Oh, of course he said he was sorry. He knocks me around and leaves me unconscious, and he comes to apologize to you, so now I have to forgive him. Perfect logic.”
“Maybe if you would just calm down and hear him out, he would apologize to you as well.”
“Jesus Christ, Noah!” I was this close to pulling my hair out. I couldn’t for the life of me believe my ears.
He took a deep breath and let it out through his mouth like he used to do when we were kids, and I was having a tantrum. “Just listen to what he has to say.”
“I’d rather eat weeks-old s**t than listen to anything that monster has to say.” I started to walk away, then I turned again. “I’m ashamed of you, Noah. I’m ashamed of you.” Then I just kept walking.
“Where are you going?”
Like you care.
I flipped him the middle finger.
With every step, I could hear Dominic’s voice in my head. Taunting me, telling me that I would never find anyone better than him. I could still feel the force of his fists on me.
“Hey, watch where you're going!”
I stopped in time to avoid getting hit by an approaching vehicle. It was then that I realized how far I’d walked, how blurry my vision was.
Oh God.
I walked into the nearest hotel and paid for a room with my credit card. This was not the way I planned to spend this day.
Damned men.
I hated them. All of them.
I followed the receptionist’s directions to my room, and just as I was about to go in, a door opened down the hall and a man stepped out.
Honestly, I wouldn’t have cared if it was an elephant if he hadn’t spoken. My head whipped to the side and my heart stopped in my chest.
Oh for heaven’s sake. Can’t a girl get a break?
I should have moved. I should have gone into my room and shut the door. Instead, I stood frozen, staring at the man with my mouth open.
Even after all these years…
Can you blame me? Ryan remained the most beautiful man I’d ever met in my life.
What were you saying about hating men again?
Right.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts, but before I could go in, he saw me.
“As I leave and breathe. Samantha?” Hearing my name out of his lips made my heart summersault in my chest.
I turned to him. “Ryan? Hey. I thought it was you.”
A pretty head poked out. In the distance, I could have sworn she looked familiar, but before I could be sure, Ryan kissed her and murmured something into her ear that made her giggle. Then he turned his charm on me.
“My, my,” he beamed, “you look just as lovely as ever.”
I had to work twice as hard to lock my knees in place so they didn’t wobble. “You don’t look too bad yourself. I saw you at the airport earlier.”
“Really? Why didn’t you say hi? Come here.” He wrapped me in a hug before I could even agree, and despite myself, I leaned in.
Ugh, he smells so good.
He feels so good too.
I caught myself and pulled away. “You were preoccupied. Only you were with a redhead earlier.” I gave him a look.
He laughed, not even feeling the least bit embarrassed. Ryan had a running reputation of being a ladies’ man, one he didn’t seem to want to let go of.
“Well…” He shrugged. “Jessica’s just a friend.” He pointed behind him.
Jessica?
I heard a loud screech in my head.
“Jessica Miller?”
“Yeah, you know her?”
I remembered where I knew her from. “That’s my brother’s girlfriend.”
