Late Call (Volume 1) (26 page)

“You knew I was going tonight. I’m just leaving sooner. I can’t stay down there with her, and it’s ridiculous to expect me to.”

The emotion comes crashing through my body. My heart thumps, my chest constricts. Every part of me shakes, and the tears…

God, the tears.

They fill my eyes and spill over before I can do anything. Before I can fight against the drop, they fall down my cheeks.

“Fuck, Dayton,” he rasps. His voice is hoarse and raw, holding the pain I feel. He brushes his thumbs across my cheeks. “Don’t go, baby. Don’t go.”

With everything I have, I step back and shake my head. “You lied to me, Aaron. A lie of omission, but a lie all the same. This isn’t a tiny thing that can be swept under the rug and forgotten. This is huge and a central part of your life. All the times you asked me to tell you everything about me, you were never willing to return that. You were never going to tell me. You said so yourself. I can’t stay. I’m sorry.”

I wipe at my cheeks and pull a denim jacket over my dress.

I meet his eyes and look away again. If I stare into them, I’ll give in, and I can’t do that. I’m too weak to even be Mia. The pain I feel is too much to pretend it doesn’t hurt.

A knock sounds at the door and I open it, seeing the porter. Aaron sees him too, and as he gathers my bags, Aaron’s gaze sears into me. It burns and it hurts. It breaks my heart all over again.

“Is my car ready?” I ask the short man pushing the cart.

“
Oui, mademoiselle
.” He disappears into the lift, and I place my hand on the doorknob.

“I’m begging you, Dayton. I’m fucking begging you not to go.”

“I was ready to give it all up,” I admit, my voice small and cracking with tears. “When you gave me my necklace again, I was going to tell you. I was ready to give it all up to be with you. I was going to call Monique, cancel the payment, and leave her. I didn’t think I could walk away from you again. I didn’t know if I’d survive another broken heart.”

“So don’t. Stay.
Please.
”

“You were right. True love never dies. It only fades, lingering below the surface until we’re ready for it again. Until fate puts us in the right place and the right time and that simmering love can come alive again.” I look over my shoulder, the tears falling thick and fast, and bite my bottom lip. “I love you, Aaron, but I have more integrity than to stay with a man who can lie to me so easily. I respect myself too much. I’m sorry. I can’t stay.”

I run toward the elevator, needing to get away before I give in to the dam ready to break.

“Day! Fuck, Dayton!” he roars in a raw burst of pain.

The doors close and I hear him smacking his hands against it in defeat before I descend to the bottom floor.

The concierge is waiting for me and his eyes widen at the sight of my tear-stained face. “
Mademoiselle
, is everything all right with your family?”

“My grandmother has taken sick. I’m sorry.” I catch myself before more tears fall. “I can’t…”

He guides me to the car and helps me in. I whisper a thank-you as he closes the door and reach forward to close the partition.

The car pulls away, and I pull out my cell.

“Hello?”

“You knew, didn’t you?”

“Dayton.”

“Don’t use that fucking tone with me, Monique. You knew he was married didn’t you?” Nothing. “
Didn’t you
?”

“He stipulated I not tell you. Client confidentiality.”

“Ha! Client confidentiality? Fuck that! What about the well-being of one of your girls, huh? Did it not cross your mind that it might be in my best interest to know my client, my ex-boyfriend, the man I’ve loved my whole goddamn life, the very same one whisking me off around the world, might be married?”

“You said you wouldn’t fall in love, Dayton.”

“I never stopped loving him. You should have told me. I should have known!”

I hear her exhale. A long, regretful sigh. “You’re right. I should have told you.”

“I’m on my way to the airport. Get my number changed.”

“I’m sorry, Dayton.”

“Fuck you, Monique. Fuck you.”

I hang up and drop my phone into my purse. And I give in.

I let the dam break, let the wall collapse, let the strength dissolve, and I cry. I let the pain run through my body without a second thought. Because I need to feel it. I need to feel it and remember why this never should have happened.

I bring my knees to my chest and stare out the window. Through my blurry eyes and chest-heaving sobs, I make out the Eiffel Tower. I screw my eyes shut and turn away, a fresh hit of pain filling my chest.

It doesn’t comfort me at all. Where it was once a reminder of a beautiful time, now it’s a mark of heartbreak.

Our journey has ended in the very city where it all began, and once again, I’m leaving Paris with tears streaming down my cheeks.

And without the man I love.

FINAL CALL, book two of the Call series and the conclusion to Aaron and Dayton’s story, will release June 2014, exact date TBA.

As always my first acknowledgement goes to my partner, Darryl. This time for dealing with a snotty, teething, screaming baby and a demanding toddler while I wrote like a mad person, then forcing me to relax for an hour. Also for not complaining when I didn’t crawl into bed until stupid o-clock because my characters kept me up. And for his encouragement for stepping into the adult erotic romance world. He’s a bit of a gem.

My agent, Dan Mandel, for encouraging me to self-publish this and take a new step in my career.

My critique partners, Heidi Tretheway and Katie Ernst, for reading this book and tearing it apart so it could be put back together in a better way. And a huge thank you to Heidi for all her knowledge of Seattle, meaning I could get the setting straight. You guys are the best, and I love you hard.

My betas, Holly and Zoe, for loving Aaron first. Your comments are amazing, and you were my first ego strokers for this novel. I like your strokes. Please do it more often.

Some of the best indies I know. Laurelin Paige, Kyla Linde, Kendall Ryan, S.K. Hartley, Lexi Ryan, Tamsyn Bester, Melody Grace, Lauren Blakely, Rachel Harris, Melanie Harlow. Thank you for all your support during and up to the release of this book. At some point you made me smile, and it’s something I needed.

Kendall Ryan, again, for being the first person to read an ARC and for the 4am (for me) conversations that followed. Not much can make me smile at 4am, but somehow you managed it. Thank you for loving Aaron and Dayton as much as you do.

My editor, Mickey Reed. Firstly for squeezing me into your full schedule. You’re a star, lady, and I’m so pleased I got the chance to work with you. Now you’re stuck with me. Yay you! ;)

Cait Greer, thank you for formatting this book and making it gorgeous. Now technically I’m writing this in the original manuscript and it hasn’t been formatted yet, but I’ve seen your work and I know you’ll do this book justice, so extra thanks in advance. ;)

To all the bloggers who have helped spread the word for LATE CALL. There are so, so many of you, and I can’t begin to list you. But if you’ve retweeted, shared, liked, commented on, posted, squeed, anything for anything to do with LATE CALL, know that it’s so very appreciated, and you are too. <3

My street team, my Hartbreakers. I love these ladies seriously hard. Your enthusiasm knows no bounds and I’m so lucky to have you by my side promoting my work. You met these guys before it was even announced to the world, and you loved him way back then. You all rock my socks.

By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to two beautiful little monsters. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of whatever she fancies—usually wine—and writes books.

Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to forget to wear a shirt, a sprinkling (or several) of hold-onto-your-panties hot scenes, and a whole lotta love.

She likes to be busy - unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to be when all the ideas come to life. She has since invested in a dishwasher, meaning the ideas come at the same time as her son’s dirty nappies. She is in the market for a bum-changer due to this.

Emma’s works include new adult series THE GAME and MEMORIES series. The CALL series is her first adult erotic romance series, but it’s been so fun to write, she doubts it will be the last.

Find Emma online at:

Blog:
http://www.emmahart.org

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/EmmaHartBooks

Twitter:
@EmmaHartAuthor

Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6451162.Emma_Hart