Do Him Right (9 page)

A tender smile played around his mouth. “Clearly, you are a
better event planner and PR person.”

“Yeah. Wonders never cease,” she muttered.

“I hope Jeff Wentworth has shown you he’s proud of what you’ve
done here.”

“He has.”

“Oh?” A mask fell over his features. “Giving you a
promotion? To date? Girl friend?”

“No.” She stepped forward. Because Chet had jealousy written
on every line of his face, she felt empowered, and she used every ounce of it. “He
gave me a bonus. And my expenses.”

“Kind of him. I’m sure there’s more to come from good ol’
Wentworth.”

“No. I don’t want anything from him. I don’t want anything
to do with him.

“You work for him.”

“Not anymore, I don’t.”

His mouth fell open, then he snapped it shut. “What do you
do then?”

She glanced around the empty office. Empty, like her life. “I’m
not certain.”

“You’ll find your way.”

Will I?

“Where have you been, Shana?”

He sounded like a wounded animal. The agony in his voice
gutted her.

“You’ve been gone two months. A long time. Where’d you go??”

“Uvalde.”

“Uvalde? So close. So far. You’d rather leave me and hide,
than damage your precious image. Must be damn hard to be a perfectionist.”

She smarted at his insult. “I wanted to be perfect for you.”

“Well, you’re not.”

“Guess you’re right.” Tears burning her eyes, she stared at
him. “I’m ashamed of myself! I hated myself.”

“Welcome to the real world, baby. We all do things we wish
we hadn’t.”

“But I ruined your career.”

He shook her. “
I
ruined my own damn career. That’s
what I tried to tell you all along. I told you about the head injuries and
alcohol. I thought once we got through all that, you’d see it didn’t mean a
hill of beans to me that you were the reporter.”

All the air left her body. She groped for logic. “You
knew
?”

He stared into her eyes, hauling her closer. “I knew.”

She grabbed handfuls of his shirt. “Since when?”

“Since you sent me the proposal with your name on it.”

Her mouth couldn’t drop open any wider. “You knew! You knew
I was the reporter.” She pushed away from him, her mind frantically trying to
connect the dots. “I wondered—but you forgave me?”

“Not at first.” His eyes danced in wicked delight. “Maybe
after the first ten minutes, I said to myself, what the hell. She’s smart and
beautiful. And I knew why you were here. Why you negotiated and practically
gave the project away for peanuts. The more I got to know you, of course, I
forgave you. But by the first night and the second day, I was so much in love
with you I’d forgive you anything.”

“And I was tearing myself up inside to try to make it all up
to you.”

“You did, baby.” He pulled her closer.

She stepped backward.

“Look around, honey. All this, you made.”

Her gaze fluttered over the bare office, and all she saw,
all she felt, was the heartache she’d created for herself and him. “I could
never find the courage to tell you. That first day I walked in here I just
wanted the job so that I could build something good for you and make it all up
to you. Then…then I took one look at you up close, and suddenly I wanted you so
much more. I couldn’t think beyond having you. I got caught up in needing you
to want me and love me.”

“And I wasn’t any help, was I?” He pushed tendrils of her
hair back over her ear. “I took one look at S.J. Carpenter and knew I was
falling so hard, I’d never hit bottom. I wanted you, baby, just as much as you
wanted me. Once we got started, there was no going back.”

“Not for apologies?”

“I was ready to wait for them until you were ready to give
them. I didn’t want to rush you. I wanted you to come to me in your own time. I
saw how you needed a man who was kind and thoughtful. Not a hothead.” He smiled
tenderly. “I wanted to be that man. I tried, honey. I tried to be patient and
knew you’d really come here to apologize, make it all up to me. You did. Just
being sweet you. Then you got scared that night at the Long Horn.”

“I felt like such a sniveling kid. I hated that you might
fight with Jeff, and I couldn’t tell you why. Not all of it. I was so used to
blocking out my past. The merest hint that someone would hit someone else and
break their jaw or give them a black eye rattled me. Made me want to run. I can’t
breathe. I panic.”

“But you have to know that I was ready to fight that night.
But I won’t be anymore. Promise.”

“When someone does you wrong. Insults you then you see
red—anyone would.”

“Not like I did years ago. I was out of control. Had to
learn how to be a gentleman.” He grasped her shoulders again. “Maybe you did me
a favor writing that article, huh? Kicked me over the edge with it. Made me see
I had to change my ways.”

Tears dribbled down her cheeks. “I wanted to tell you, but
my pride wouldn’t let me admit I was wrong.” She sank against him, her face to
his warm throat. “So wrong.”

She sobbed for a bit, and he let her, just holding her and
caressing her back. It felt so wonderful to be embraced by him again, she
curled her arms around him and let him absorb her.

“I was wrong too,” he told her softly, “not to tell you how
much I cared about you. I tried to show you instead. But I could see you were
afraid that if you told me, I’d get angry at you. And you didn’t want to risk
that, did you?”

“No, I wanted you to think the best about me.”

“Darlin’, don’t you know? I think the world of you and more.”
He kissed her ear and hugged her closer. “I’m gonna get better at telling you
and showing you that every day, every hour. I promise. If we talk as much as we
make love, we won’t quarrel and you won’t become afraid we’re going to argue.”

“It’s true. I would rather talk our heads off and make love
than fight.”

“Well, we don’t have to fight, do we? In fact, I think we
just did. And now I can hold you, and you can tell me anything, darlin’. I
should have said that the day you told me about your parents, but I was so
bone-headed. I was hurt you had told me secrets and yet you were leaving me—I
could feel it. And I wanted to keep you for myself. I should have told you that
morning.” He reached in one of his pockets and gave her a white handkerchief.

She blew her nose, hiccupped and looked up at him. “You did,
and I didn’t meet you halfway. I should have.”

He gave her a lopsided grin. “Promise you will from now on?”

“Absolutely.” She hiccupped again.

He set her away from him and walked over to his desk then
hitched a hip on the edge. “So then, here’s the next part.”

She hiccupped. “What part?”

“You promise to meet me halfway in any argument? Anything we
have to decide?”

“Yes,” she agreed, though she didn’t understand where he was
headed.

“Good. Then promise me two more things.”

“Anything.”

“That you’ll never leave me.”

It took her a minute to feel the sweet impact of that
promise. “Never.”

“That you’ll never hurt me again.”

“No. Never.” She fought back more tears.

“Because if you ever go anywhere again without me, Shana, I
think I’ll die.” His face was blank with desolation.

“Oh, Chet. How could I leave you? I love you!”

She began to fall apart again as he came over and caught her
up in his arms, tears brightening his own eyes. “Say that again.”

And when she did, he kissed her once more. “Say you’ll marry
me.”

“Oh, you’ll have me?” she asked like it was the one thing
she could never hope for.

“Aw, honey. I will have you all the days of my life.”

“And you forgive me?”

“I love you. I would forgive anything you do, darlin’.”

She flung her arms around his neck, suddenly saucy with the
prospect of having him for a husband. “So then, can we get married soon?”

“Soon as I can get a license.”

“That’s good.”

Her objective tone made him look down and blink. “Yeah? Why’s
that?”

“Because I need a place to live.”

He raised his brows.

“I let go of my apartment in San Antonio. My aunt’s ranch in
Uvalde is two hours away, and I have no accommodations here in Hayward.”

“Hmm, I do see that.” He played along.

She fiddled with one of his shirt buttons. “And I’m also
really proud of you for getting a raise and a bonus…”

“Okay,” he chuckled. “I’m ready, baby, tell me why.”

“Because I quit my job yesterday, and I have no money, and
no place to hang my hat.”

He threw back his head to laugh now and caught her up to
swing her around. “You come home with me, darlin’, and you won’t need a hat.”

“Or any other clothes?” She brushed his blond hair back from
his brow.

“You got that right. I’m gonna put you in my bed and keep
you naked for at least the next eighty years.”

“Can we start now with that, Chet? I need to show you how
much I love you.”

“You show me every time you look at me, Shana.” He took her
hand to lead her out the door. “Let’s go home, honey.”

The best words she’d heard in all her life.

What’s an East Coast gal to do to if she lives deep in the
heart of Texas, travels often everywhere, and adores Paris, Florence, London,
Tokyo and all points east and west?

Ah.

She becomes an author who can write about those romantic
places. With a passion for cowboys, spies, rakes, knights in shining armor and
their gutsy women, Cerise DeLand is an author who adores an alpha male with a
tender heart and a need for a smoldering erotic love affair with the right
woman!

And when Cerise isn’t dreaming up fiction or traveling? She
is a fabulous cook and an avid history buff.

Busy lady. Happy writer.

Cerise welcomes comments from readers. You can find her
website and email addresses on her
author
bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
.

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Do Him Right

ISBN 9781419990724

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Do Him Right Copyright © 2014 Cerise DeLand

Edited by Elizabeth London

Cover design and Photography by Fiona Jayde

Model  Eddie Mironenko

Electronic book publication March 2014

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