Loving True (20 page)

 
He jumped back as if he had been slapped. “Please don’t say that.” Icy fear gripped .his heart He wouldn’t allow Samantha to rip
True
out of his life. A cold knot formed in the pit of his stomach. What if he was too late and her venom had already turned
True
against him. No, he would fight with everything he had to get her love back.
  

“Could you please leave me alone? I need some time to think.” True said; turning away from him.

 
Feeling lost and alone,
Hayward
went into the kitchen to cool off. He wasn’t about to leave her alone and give her another chance to slip away from him. Not five minutes ago she had told him she was in love with him. She couldn’t say that in one breath and take it back the next. Could she?
 
Didn’t she realize this is the first time he had ever been in love? He had never been a man who was at a lost for words. But right at this moment, his mind was empty and his heart was so dejected that he was on the verge of tears.

* * * *

Standing in the kitchen’s entranceway, True watched
Hayward
struggle with his emotions; he looked so beaten and heartbroken. Did she want to lose the man she loved over a painful secret he kept from her? It wasn’t as bad as she first thought, but still, he had lied to her. She wanted to forgive him, but she needed find out if he was hiding anymore secrets.

 
“What else are you keeping from me?” She asked, moving further into the room.
 
“If we are going to try to build a loving relationship, we need to be honest with each other. Is there something I should know that you aren’t telling me?”

Hayward
glanced up at the sound of her voice. “No, I’m not hiding anything else you should know about, Kitten. I’ve told you everything.” Getting up from the table, he slowly made his way across the kitchen toward her. “Honey, I love you and want to be with you.”

Tilting her head back she stared up at him, she didn’t want to risk her heart again with him. “I don’t know if I should even give you another chance?” She said softly, her eyes narrowing. You lied to me for months.”

“Please give me another chance.”
Hayward
begged.

“I don’t know.” True whispered placing her hand in the middle of
Hayward
’s chest. “I’ve been hurt before by a lying man and I won’t stand for it again.”
 

“Follow your heart. Take a leap of faith.”
Hayward
suggested tenderly.

Chapter Eleven

Hayward
realized that True was going to need a little incentive to let him back into her life. He knew about her fear of commitment. She needed help to shove what
Dalton
did to her into the past, and he was just the man to help her.
Bending over her smaller frame, he touched his lips to her mouth.
 
They were as he remembered, sinfully delicious. Their softness worked magic on him. It felt so good to kiss her again after two full weeks of missing her drug filled kisses. A low moan escaped her mouth.

His mind was shutting down, from the slow and tender kiss. He wanted to deepen it, make it hotter, but he stayed still and allowed True to be the aggressor. The caress of her lips on his was hotter than any French kiss he could ever imagine. He slowly moved his mouth over hers and devoured the sweet taste. The phone ringing in the background didn’t break his concentration. Whoever who it was could call back later.

Finally, on the fourth ring he pulled his mouth away and pressed his forehead against
True’s
. “Why do we always get interrupted at the best part?”
Hayward
shoved his body away from True and went over to answer the phone.

“Yes.” He hissed.

“Did I interrupt something?”
Clinton
asked.

“You’ve the worst timing of anyone I know.””
Hayward
snapped. When he got a free chance, he was going to kill his brother. As he considered different ways to eradicate his sibling, a wandering thought crossed his mind. “Wait a minute. How did you get
True’s
phone number?”

Clinton
’s laughter only enhanced his curiosity. “When you didn’t come straight back home I got worried. So, I went upstairs and looked for her number in the black address book, by your bed. I noticed it the last time I was in your bedroom. Are you planning to bring
True
over here, so I can see her?”
 

Hayward
didn’t like the idea that his brother searched
for
 
his
girlfriend’s number, so he could see her, but he kept his opinion to himself. He didn’t want to read more into the situation than there was.

“Give us a few minutes and we’ll be right over,” he replied then hung up the phone.

 
He walked over to True and ran his fingers down the side of her arm. He loved how smooth her skin was. He marveled in her softness.
 
He kissed the top of her head enjoying the light scent of coconut oil that lingered there. “
Clinton
wants me to bring you over to the house. I guess he needs to see if I have any battle wounds.”

 
“Battle wounds?”

“Yeah, he thought I would have to fight hard to get you back. He told me months ago to tell you the truth and I didn’t listen to him.

“Well next time I would listen to him if I were you,” True replied, hitting him on the shoulder. Linking their fingers together, she pulled him toward the front door. “Come on I want to see your brother,” she stated.

Hayward
wasn’t happy that
True
was so fond of
Clinton
. He felt the sting of jealousy, creeping into his body, but he shook off the feeling as he followed True out the front door. Neither one of them would never do anything to hurt him.

* * * *

Opening the front door to his house,
Hayward
spotted Ms. Pinson in the living room, dusting the front room table and groaned under his breath. He hoped she would only say hello and let him take
True
straight to the den. He loved his housekeeper, but sometimes she was a little too outspoken. Squaring his shoulders, he closed the door behind them, “Ms. Pinson, we’re here I know
Clinton
wanted to see True.”

Ms. Pinson looked up at him and tossed the dust rag on the table “It’s about time the two of you finally made it over here. True, how are you doing?” She asked, walking over to them.

 
“I’m doing wonderful since
Hayward
and I talked things out.” True confessed and then glanced over at him.

“I’m so pleased he took my advice,” Ms. Pinson sighed. “I told him being honest was the best thing to do. Sometimes men don’t understand how one little lie can ruin a relationship.”

Standing to the side
Hayward
wished something would happen to shut up his housekeeper. Once Ms. Pinson got started talking, it took a lot to make her be quiet, especially when she started dishing out unwanted advice. He opened his mouth to interrupt when the oven timer went off in the kitchen. He sent up a silent prayer of t
hank
s for the intrusion.

 
Taking
True
by the hand, he quickly led her away from Ms. Pinson. “Ms. Pinson, I think we should find
Clinton
and let you get back to your baking.” He practically carried True from the living room toward the den.

Trudging into the den,
Hayward
brought
True
in behind him, he still didn’t like the thought that
Clinton
wanted to see her. His brother was a charismatic individual.
 
Most women fell over themselves to get closer to him and he didn’t want
True
falling for his brother’s charm.
 
“Clint, here we are.” he muttered from the middle of the room.

* * * *

Clinton
glanced up from the newspaper and his eyes were instantly drawn to True. Once again he was blown away by her natural beauty. He tossed the newspaper down on the table; then made his away across the room. “It’s wonderful to see you again.” He said, kissing her on the cheek; the fresh scent of wildflowers tickled his nose.

“Good to see you too,
Clinton
,” she smiled looking up at him.

He could get lost in her hazel eyes and long lashes. Even behind her glasses they shone with a glow that was lacking in his ex-girlfriends. He would give anything if he was first to make her acquaintance instead of
Hayward
.
Don’t go there!
 
He had to get a grip of his emotions or
Hayward
might sense his feelings and kill him.

 
Returning her smile, he laid his hand on
True’s
elbow. “Do you mind if I talk to
Hayward
alone for a second about business?” He saw
Hayward
eyes shoot down to his hand, then back up to his face. He quickly dropped his hand back down to his side.

 
“I don’t mind at all.” True moved away to the other side of the room, so he could talk with
Hayward
.

Turning to his brother, he positioned
Hayward
further away from True, so she wouldn’t hear him. “Chad Hartman called about an hour ago. He wanted to know when the revisions will be ready and when you are going to send the contract.”

“Shit, The Shaw & Hartman account completely slipped my mind.”
Hayward
groaned.
 

“
Hayward
, I think Daniel is a little fed up waiting for those designs and the revisions on the contacts,”
Clinton
said. “If we lose this account it won’t be good for the company. You know how hard we had to work to make this company a success.”

 
“I don’t mind working on the designs, but I don’t have time to add the additional clauses to the contract,”
Hayward
groaned, “Why don’t you type them?”

He shook his head. “I hate typing more than you do and before you ask, I’ve already called Rebecca back at the office. She can’t do it because she’s training the new employees for the computer designs program. I forget all about it.
 
I asked her to take my place, so what are we going to do now?”

“Maybe I can help,” True volunteered.

Clinton
didn’t realize True could still hear them. He glanced at
Hayward
, then back at True. He sensed
Hayward
’s apprehension, without him saying a word. He didn’t want True finding about by who really owned the company, which meant he hadn’t been completely honest with her yet.

 
“How can you help?” He asked turning around to look at her.

“Didn’t you say revisions needed to be added to some contract?” True asked. “I can type over to a hundred words a minute. If you want me to type them I can have them finished by this afternoon.”
 

“Are you sure you don’t mind doing this for me?”
 

“You’re
Hayward
’s brother and I want to help out anyway I can. Besides, I really miss doing things like this,” True confessed.

Looking back at
Hayward
, he asked. “Do you mind if I steal her for a few hours?” “Hey, I don’t need his permission to work with you.” True interjected.

“No, I don’t mind at all.”
 
Hayward
muttered, sending him a look.

“T
hank
s,”
Clinton
replied. He hurried across the room and pulled out a chair for True. “Please seat down so I can show you what I need done.”

* * * *

“My brother is so in love with you,”
Clinton
commented, watching
Hayward
leave the room. He was amazed that
Hayward
actually left him alone with True, after the way he glared at him, following
True’s
offer to help.
 

 
“I love him too,” True replied looking up at him. “He’s the best thing that has happened to me in along time.”

 
Clinton
tossed his ink pen on the cherry oak table and rested his elbow on the top of it. He was enjoying the sweet sound of
True’s
voice. He saw now why his brother was so captivated by her. “
Hayward
told me what he thought of you the first time he saw you, but what did you think about him?”

True looked away from him and then lowered her eyes down to the red ink pen in her hands. He immediately felt bad for putting her on the spot.
 
After a couple of seconds, she finally laid her pen down on the table and laughed. “Well, the first day when I moved in next door and saw him standing in his front yard, I thought he looked very standoffish.

“Later on that night, my cart slammed into his at the grocery store and when I looked up to apologize, I couldn’t. He was the most gorgeous looking man I had ever laid eyes on. I don’t know how he did it but he slowly pulled me toward him at our next meeting. After that I wanted to see more and more of him.”

“It must be wonderful to have someone like that in your life,” he said with a hint of jealousy.

“Hey, you’ll find someone too. She’ll come to you when you least expect,” True said touching the back of his hand.
 

Clinton
turned
True’s
hand over and grasped it between his; her hand felt slightly colder than his. “T
hank
you.” He whispered and for the second time that night he wished True was his, instead of his brother’s.

“Now, should I be jealous, when I find my brother holding my girlfriend’s hand?”
 
Hayward
cut in.

 
Clinton
jumped at the sound of his brother’s voice. God, he didn’t even hear him come back into the room, He had been so mesmerized by True. He quickly dropped
True’s
hand and glanced over his shoulder. He didn’t miss the barely concealed anger in his brother’s eyes.
 

“You don’t have anything to worry about Hayward Campbell,” True laughed across from him.
 
“There is only one sexy man in my heart.”

He watched his brother’s mouth kick up into a smile. “Kitten, I think it’s time I took you home.”
 

“Okay, let’s go.” True stood up to leave.

Clinton
waited until True went past him then he touched her on the arm. Captivating dark brown eyes glanced down at him;
Clinton
felt his body stir when True didn’t break eye contact. Damn, he was going to have to get his crush on her under control or he’ll lose his brother.

“T
hank
s again for helping me out.” He whispered under his breath; then dropped his hand.

“You’re welcome,” True replied. She moved around him and went out the door with
Hayward

* * * *

The night wind had a slight chill to it now. “It’s getting colder out there,” True whispered, slipping her cold hand into
Hayward
’s warmer one. He tightened his fingers around hers and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, giving her some of his warmth.