Nailed - Opal Carew Page 0,75

she’d done her best to make the marriage work and it was he who was ending it so conceded the controlling interest of the company to her.

He also generously gave her the penthouse, which he owned, and even put in a provision that he would pay the taxes and other expenses so she could afford to stay there. In fact, she had no doubt he would offer her a generous divorce settlement.

Not that she cared about any of that. What she wanted was Kane.

Everything about the e-mail tore her heart to shreds. He was loving and generous and really cared about her, but he was ending the marriage. Maybe he didn’t love her, but she loved him and she just couldn’t let him go.

Will had stayed with her to help her through this. He sat beside her on the couch. He had read the e-mail along with her.

She turned to him and crumpled into his arms. He held her tight, comforting her with gentle strokes down her back.

“I just … Oh, God, Will, I don’t want to lose him.”

“Why, River? You have your life back, and your company. Have you considered that this could be the best thing that could happen to you?”

She drew back and stared at him, shaking her head. “He’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I love him.”

A broad smile crossed Will’s lips. “Finally. I was beginning to think you’d never admit it. So now the question is … are you willing to tell him that?”

* * *

It had been three days and River still didn’t know where Kane was. He’d responded to Will’s e-mails about business matters, but ignored everything else. River didn’t try e-mailing him, knowing he probably wouldn’t respond anyway.

And she wasn’t going to tell him she loved him in an e-mail.

Her cell rang and she picked it up from the coffee table.

Oh, please, let it be Kane.

“Hello?”

“I know where he is.” It was Will. “Meet me in the lobby.”

River raced to the bathroom and washed her face with cool water, hoping her red, puffy eyes wouldn’t be too noticeable, and then she headed for the elevator. Will was waiting for her.

He drove her to a posh hotel downtown and pulled into the entrance. As the doorman opened her door, Will handed her a key card.

“He’s in room eighteen sixteen. That’ll get you in.”

Will had told her he’d used his technical skills to track Kane down using the GPS in his phone, and hacked into the hotel’s computer to confirm he was registered. She certainly had no doubt that Will would be able to program a key card for her.

“I’ll be nearby. If you need me, just text.”

She nodded, then went into the hotel and crossed the lobby to the elevators. Within moments, she was standing outside room 1816 staring at the door.

Should she knock or just walk in? She was his wife, so there should be no problem with her just going inside … except that he was here because he didn’t want to see her.

She sucked in a breath and knocked. Will had confirmed that Kane was in the room now. At least, his phone was.

She waited, but he didn’t answer. She knocked again.

Had he glanced out the peephole and decided to ignore her?

Finally, she pushed the key card into the slot and opened the door. She stepped inside the huge suite. Sunlight shone in the large windows, glistening on the glossy wooden furniture. The place was bright and cheery, flower arrangements filling the room with a lovely fragrance.

But she didn’t feel cheery. Her stomach quaked as she glanced around, not seeing Kane anywhere.

He must be in the bedroom.

She walked toward the door, which was open, but didn’t see him as she approached.

“River?”

She spun around to see Kane, his broad chest naked and water droplets running down his shoulders from his damp hair. All he wore was a towel.

“What are you doing here?”

“I had to find you,” she said. “I need to talk to you.”

He frowned and walked across the room to the bar, then poured himself a drink from a crystal decanter.

“I came here because I didn’t want to talk. As I said, the marriage failed. Let’s just leave it at that.” He tossed back the drink and walked toward the bedroom.

He closed the door behind him, and her chest tightened, but she hesitated only a second before hurrying to the door. She pushed it open. Her breath caught at the sight of him, totally naked, the damp