I Love My Man (Nicole's Erotic Romance) (10 page)

Breakups are so weird. But betrayal is
weirder.

Recovering quickly – as he’s so good
at doing – David adopts a professional tone immediately, turning to Mark.
“My partners couldn’t be here, but I’d love to talk with you, if you can spare
a minute.” It’s difficult for me not slap him in the face, and just as I’m
thinking this, he surprises me and turns to her. “Jess, I know what I did to
you was wrong.” His eyes go soft, and he struggles. “I’m sorry. I really am
sorry. You didn’t deserve that.”

Jess’s eyes are like stone. “Okay.”

He pauses and concentrates. “Is it okay if I
work with Mark and Nicole on the project? I won’t, if you don’t want me to.
That’s more important. I’ll walk away.”

This surprises her. Amber gasps. I think it
surprises Chris as well. From the look on his face, he can’t help but respect the
earnest gesture. Jessica glances from David, to me, to Mark, and back to rest
on me. I know anger still burns hot in her. I may be moodier than my girls, but
Jess is more like me than she thinks. She just covers it with humor. Without
breathing, I stare at her, wondering what she’s going to say. The ball is in
her court. He gave her permission to shut the alliance down, and the money with
it. But as she looks at me, her face transforms. I can see the love in it
– the love she has for me.

“This time I’m going to make the right
decision when it’s given to me, not later when I’ve almost lost the people I
love.” She looks at David, takes a deep breath and says, “I’m okay with it.”

Mark exhales. We all relax as a group, like
we were all holding our breaths. It’s a wild thing to be a part of.

“Okay then,” I take a step away, releasing
Mark’s hand. “Let’s let you two guys talk business. We’ll be over here.”

He smiles at me and I shake my head, but
smile back.

Now That That’s Behind Us

Amber and I flank Jessica as we walk away. Amber
whispers, looking back at Mark and David talking. “Can your love life get any
wilder?”

Jess is still shell-shocked. “Nope.”

Chris and Josh leave together to get us
drinks, giving us space. Me and my girls? We follow them, several steps behind,
an unbreakable circle of three.

I touch her hair. “You okay?”

Jess looks down to the floor, frowning.
“Yeah. I think so. It’s just…”

“What?” Amber asks.

Jess sighs. “I’m surprised how much I really
needed to hear that.”

I share a look with Amber. “Well, you guys
were in love.”

“And he hurt you really badly,” Amber
sympathetically takes her hand.

“Yeah, he did. It feels really good… to hear
it.”

I take her other hand. “Two powerful little
words:
I’m sorry
.”

Jess looks up at me. “Hey, Nicole.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry.”

I grin at her and Amber moans at the
sweetness. “You guys!”

We join Josh and Chris at the bar and they
hand us three glasses of wine. Chris picks up his chin, looking behind us.
“Mark is coming back.” He asks the bartender for another.

I turn and see Mark walking to us, smiling,
his eyes on me. “How’d it go?” I ask as he takes my hand and leans down to
greet me with a kiss.

“Good.” Chris hands him a glass. Mark thanks
him, but then he looks to Jess and cocks one eyebrow. “What’d you ever see in
that guy?”

Jess shrugs. “I can’t even remember.”

Mark makes a
sssssss
noise, sucking air through his teeth. “Yeah, well, there’s
no way I’m working with him on this.”

Eyebrows go up, surprised looks dart rapidly
around. Everyone is completely surprised. I stare at him, slack-jawed. “Because
of what he did?”

Jess gasps, “Are you serious?”

He shrugs and looks at me, his face calm and
confident. “Remember what I said? It’s you and them, or just you.” He casually
turns to the group, like what he’s saying is no big deal. “I don’t want to
partner with someone who can’t be trusted. And I
really
don’t want to invite someone into this group who doesn’t
belong. I’ll get someone else to invest.”

I am awestruck. “That’s pretty much the most
wonderful thing you could have done.”

Chris raises his glass and we all join him.
Looking at Mark, he says, “To loyalty.”

“To loyalty!” We clink glasses and sip with
smiles on our faces.

Amber bursts out with, “We have to toast to
Nicole’s first show, too!”

I frown, seeing Jack over the crowd, coming
down the stairs from his office. “Hold that toast. Something’s wrong.”

Jack catches my eye. He’s not happy. What
happened up there that’s got him this upset? He’s got a phone in his hand. Did
someone call? There’s a deep crease in between Jack’s eyebrows as he walks up.
His eyes tell me he wishes he didn’t have to say what he’s about to say.

He joins us by the bar and motions for the
bartender to give him another. Then he turns to us and purses his lips. “I have
bad news, Ms. Henry.”

Dread hits me hard. I always imagine the
worst. It’s in my nature. “You’re kidding. You mean there’s something else,
besides Michael’s wife calling me a whore and Jess’s cheating ex-boyfriend
showing up like a crazy nightmare?”

He pauses. “Afraid so. I just got a call. The
New Yorker sends their regards. They won’t be coming tonight.”

My friends all look at me, surprised as a
relieved grin spread across my lips. “Jeez Jack! Is that all?” Through
laughter, I say, “You scared me for a second. Stop looking at me like that,
guys! Who cares if they come?”

Jack, usually so jaded and sardonic, is the
most taken aback. He even looks disappointed. “You don’t care?”

“Not at all. Who cares what a critic thinks
when I’m surrounded by friends like these?” I look up at Mark and add, “And a
boyfriend so wonderful, I can’t believe it.”

Marks face glows with pride. He kisses my
nose and raises his glass again.

“To Nicole’s first show!”

Everyone brings theirs glasses together and
cheers. Jack toasts with us, but as my group drinks from our glasses, he turns
away, calling playfully over his shoulder, “The New Yorker’s won’t be coming
tonight… because they’re coming tomorrow.”

“Jack! You jerk! You just wanted to see if
you could…”

He chuckles his way into the crowd and doesn’t
let me finish.

“Can you believe that guy?” I ask my
friends.

“Wait! He was pulling your leg?” Amber asks.

Josh laughs, “I like him. We think alike.”
Amber hits him. “That’s foreplay for us. Amber, come on, we’re out in public,”
he teases her, making her smile.

Chris’s arm is around Jess as they both
watch Amber and Josh being silly. Mark has my hand tightly tucked in his. My
heart expands as I look around the group.

“I have one last toast.” They all look at
me, bringing their glasses up and waiting. One after the other, I look into
their eyes…with Mark’s last. I smile wide.

“To family.”

THE
END

Epilogue

I may have lied when I said I didn’t care
about The New Yorker coming. When I went to the gallery the next day, I bit my
lips to shreds as I watched a female critic – very hip outfit, glasses,
poker-face to die for – silently inspecting every single painting. Jack,
of course, found it very entertaining to watch my face. The entire time she was
there, I was convinced she hated me. She was polite enough, but I couldn’t tell
what she was thinking. That woman was born from statues. It was about as fun as
getting a pap smear.
 

When the issue came out, I had Amber read it
to me. She’s the rock of us three, and I knew she’d be calm and collected, while
Jess and I climbed the walls as we listened. The review said things I can’t
repeat without sounding like a conceited asshole. Let’s just say, it was all
good.

We did the long-distance thing for a little
while. We even went wine tasting in Napa, the one time I visited. That’s when I
met his friend Brendan. Nice guy… but obviously a player with a taste for the
naughty, so I suggested Mark might want to move in with me soon.

To this day, I wonder if he didn’t bring
Brendan with him on that trip to push me in the co-habitation direction.

But life is about throwing your heart over
the fence and taking the leap. And if you do that, and it breaks… pick it back
up and try again. But don’t beat yourself up. You can’t look back. You’re not
going that way...

 
Nicole’s story is also in her best friend’s
books. The stories of Jessica, Amber and Nicole overlap and intertwine.

And if you want to know
more about Brendan, Mark’s friend in SF, Brendan’s got his own series out now –
Throbbing Hearts.
 
Turn the page for
his covers/links

Sabrina Lacey writes
every day and always loves to hear from you! Leave stars and a review telling
her what you loved about I Love My Man!

=

By Sabrina Lacey

The “I Love My…” romance series has scenes and
stories intertwined in all the books.

JESSICA

I LOVE MY HEALED HEART

AMBER

I LOVE MY SIDE OF THE STORY

NICOLE

I LOVE MY SECRET
~ Part 1

I LOVE MY HOPE
~
Part 2

I LOVE MY CHANCE
~ Part 3

I LOVE
MY MAN
~ Part 4

THROBBING HEARTS

Part 1

0.5 will be in the multi author
box set “It’s in His Kiss” (cover on previous page)

_________________________

CAN’T
WAIT FOR SABRINA LACEY’S

 
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I
LOVE MY CHANCE.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amazon Bestselling Author Sabrina Lacey is just like many women in
modern times - she's been a lot of things to a lot of people. She's been a...
wife, f'ing ex-wife, girlfriend, ex-girlfriend who broke his heart,
ex-girlfriend who's heart he broke, daughter with two dads, one mom and five
step-moms, teacher, stand-up comedienne (for four crazy years), wackadoo (since
birth), loyal friend, spontaneous nutcase, fed-up bartender, wide-eyed fashion
photographer, lazy bones, complete bitch, and sweetheart (though less often
than bitch).

Happy to entertain you - and happy to
hear from you...always.

Cheers!