Love Triangle Six Books of Torn Desire - Willow Winters Page 0,434

wish I didn’t react this way every time he was near, but I can’t control the way my body is hyperaware of every expansion of his lungs, every beat of his heart, every dart of his eyes.

“I had fun today, Brooklyn,” he murmurs as he plants a soft kiss on my cheek. A shiver rolls down my spine, his scruff on my skin making me feel more alive than I ever have with Wes. God, I hate this. One minute, I’m convinced Wes is the man for me. The next, I’m trapped in Drew’s spell once more. A spell that’s only caused me heartache time and again.

“Me, too.”

He lingers for a moment longer, then steps back, heading toward his SUV.

As he’s about to get behind the wheel, I call out to him. “Hey, Drew?”

He meets my eyes, not saying a word.

“Thanks for buying me that dress.”

His brows scrunch together. “What are you talking about? Mrs. Bradford—”

“Didn’t pick out that dress for me to try on. There’s no way.” I smile. “I appreciate you wanting to make sure I’m able to wear the dress of my dreams on my wedding day. You really are a great friend.” I say the last part more for myself than anything else. A reminder. “Thank you.”

A thoughtful expression passes over his face, the corners of his lips turning up slightly. “You deserve nothing less.” With that, he ducks into his car, a little sadder than he was moments ago.

A tightness settles in my chest as I watch him drive away, then stare into the distance after his car disappears from sight. I bring my hand up to my cheek, the feeling of his kiss still lingering on the skin. Will I ever stop doing this? Am I torturing myself by spending all this time with him?

My dinner date with Wes tonight can’t come at a more perfect time. A romantic night out is exactly what I need to remind me that marrying him is good, is right. I need to sit across the table from him at an exclusive restaurant as we dine on beautifully prepared dishes and drink exquisite wine. I need to feel his lips on mine as he makes love to me. I need to fall asleep in his arms, cocooned in his unwavering devotion, forgetting about whatever’s going on with Drew. What I don’t need is to fantasize about something that will never be a reality…at least not my reality.

I get behind the wheel of my car and turn the key. As I go to shift into drive, my phone rings. I reach into my purse, almost relieved when I see Wes’ name appear on the screen. It’s like he knows how much I need him right now.

“Hey,” I answer. “I was just thinking about you.”

“Oh really?” His tone becomes flirtatious, a huskiness in his timbre that makes my insides clench. “What exactly were you thinking about?”

Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth, I smile coyly, even though he can’t see me. “About tonight. Maybe we skip dinner and order takeout instead. You can have me for dessert.”

“Actually…” He hesitates. “I hate to do this, but I have to cancel.”

“Oh.” My posture slumps. Wes has canceled on me before and it never upset me. But I’m finally willing to work on us, on rekindling the spark I’m sure we had at the beginning. If we didn’t, why did I date him for so long?

“I know, baby. I’m sorry. It’s just…” He trails off as a female voice I don’t recognize sounds in the background. It piques my curiosity. I know his secretary’s voice. She’s an older woman with a voice that evidences her lifelong cigarette habit. That voice does not belong to Susan. It belongs to someone younger, someone much more chipper.

“I’ll be right there,” I hear Wes say, his words muffled, as if he placed his hand over the speaker so I couldn’t hear. “Let me take care of this real quick.”

His tone sounds different, almost borderline sensual. Or maybe I’m imagining it. Wes has never shown me anything short of complete fidelity, even when I constantly fail to offer him the same. Am I so stressed that my brain is playing tricks on me, trying to convince me my devoted fiancé is cheating on me? Nothing could be more absurd.

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” he says, his voice clear once more. “One of our clients didn’t like the designs, so we’re scrambling to get something approved before they break ground on