Unravelled (Revealed #2) (25 page)

Meeting his gaze, I saw his flushed face and sighed heavily. ‘That’s got to have been five minutes Sean and you’ve barely said a word.’ And still he remained silent, causing my frustration and agitation to reach its peak.

His eyes were fixed on me expectantly, so I let out a deflated sigh and waved my hands before letting my tongue get the better of me and blab out my feelings. ‘What do you want me to say?’ I gushed, my irritation making me speak without thinking through my words first. ‘Is the connection between us incredible and earthmoving?’ I paused with another wild arm sweep. ‘Of course it is.’ I screwed my eyes shut to avoid his gaze and tilted my head down. ‘Do I love you?’ I paused again briefly and a small dry sob croaked up my throat. ‘Yes, I do. But you already knew that.’ Finally, I opened my eyes and looked at him defiantly. ‘But that doesn't mean I'm prepared to share you, and even if this engagement is fake, like you claim, I won’t hide like some cheap tart. I deserve more than that, Sean, and from what you’ve said that is our only choice. Well, I’m afraid it’s not an option for me.’

Watching his handsome face, I saw Sean’s eyes light up at my admissions as he leant forward keenly and licked his lips. ‘That’s all I needed to hear, Allie. You were trying to run away from us without giving me a proper chance to explain. I just wanted you to admit that what we have together is special, because it is. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before,’ he said in a low whisper. Practically the first words he had uttered since entering the library and they were knockouts. Typical.

Passionate confessions from Sean didn’t mean anything if we couldn’t actually be together, did they? Letting out a long, slow breath I let my head fall back on the cushion and stared at the ceiling in despair. This was hopeless. We were going round in endless circles and making the wounds in my heart deeper and harder to heal.

‘This isn't getting us anywhere, Sean. I don’t see how expressing our feelings for each other will help if we can’t actually have a relationship. If we were talking about another month, then I could do it, but what do you want me to do? Wait around for six months while you live with that woman, put your hands all over her in public and pretend to be engaged to her?’ The very thought made me feel sick to my stomach.

Under different circumstances where Savannah wasn’t involved, I could wait for Sean. Of course I could. If it were merely a job pulling us apart, I would find the separation difficult, but I could visit him and would deal with it, but the jealousy boiling inside me would eat me alive if I tried to do that in this situation. He would be going home to her every night, and from the images I’d seen in the press I had a suspicion that Savannah wanted Sean. He said they’d dated briefly, and from the way she was always clinging to him I firmly believed she was hoping to get him back.

‘I’m sorry, but I’m not strong enough for that,’ I said, shaking my head and hating that it was my jealousy driving us apart in the end. Standing up, I wrapped my arms around myself defensively. ‘I hate this.’ Closing my eyes, I felt my throat thickening as tears began to threaten. ‘I think you should go.’ Pulling open the door I stood back, desperately hoping that he would give in and leave me alone – or perhaps pull me into his arms and convince me to change my mind. My thoughts were so muddled that I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to happen any more. I waited for Sean to leave, drawing my lips into a tight line, partly to stop myself saying anything I might regret, and partly in an attempt to hold back the tears that were now steadily building.

As I felt a stinging sensation hit the backs of my eyes, I knew I had just seconds to get him out of here before my tears would fall, and I suspected there would be no stopping them once I let the first few escape. I bit into my lip in an attempt to hold them back, feeling so utterly wretched and pathetic that I was seriously tempted to run from the room.

No. I was no coward. He had hurt me, that much was obvious, but I would survive and I would do it with courage and pride.

Standing up slowly, Sean walked towards the door, but instead of leaving he paused next to me, his tall frame seeming to emanate some kind of magical force that made me want to step toward him. Holding my ground, I steeled myself for one last glance at him and then caught his eye with as much of a defiant look as I could.

A heavy sigh escaped my chest – here in front of me was the man I loved, the first man I’d ever loved, and I couldn’t quite believe that I was making him leave. But I was, because I would never allow myself to be someone’s other woman. Against all my desperate attempts, a droopy, pathetic tear escaped from one of my eyes and I watched Sean’s features practically melt as he took in my woefully sad expression.

Sean’s eyes crinkled into a frown as he reached up to gently wipe away the solitary tear with the pad of his thumb, my head tilting automatically into his touch as my eyes briefly flickered shut before opening again so I could watch him for one final time. He opened his mouth to speak, but I turned my face away, shook my head, and looked at the floor, still resolute in my decision that he should leave.

‘Oh, Allie, please don't cry,’ he whispered. ‘We’re going to get through this. I’m going to sort it out, I’ve already started the process. I just need you to be patient with me for a short while. Can you do that? Can you give me, I don’t know, four weeks?’

What did he mean he had already started the process of sorting it out? Blinking back hot tears, I dared to risk a glance up at his handsome face as a seed of hope tingled in my stomach. Four weeks? That sounded far more doable than six months, but I still needed some facts to be clarified because I had some serious issues where Savannah Hilton was concerned.

‘Our relationship is too important to give up on, Allie,’ he said, cupping my face gently. ‘At least I think it is.’ It wasn’t said as an accusation, but the tinge of panic in Sean’s voice was enough to tell me just how desperate he was for us to work through these issues, and caused my heart to spiral with hope.

‘And look at this. I need you to know I wasn’t lying about the phone calls yesterday,’ Sean murmured, holing out his phone to me. Taking it, I glanced at the screen and saw he had opened up his list of recent calls. Scrolling through yesterday’s list I saw at least forty to ‘Allie Mobile’, except the last one, from this morning which was listed as ‘Allie USA’. He’d been telling the truth about dialling the wrong number. He really had been calling me endlessly.

I knew our problems weren’t over yet, but just seeing his determination to correct things gave me the confidence that we might somehow turn things around, and my desperation to be with him suddenly overtook me. It was as if a tonne had slid from my shoulders, and in the blink on an eye I was collapsing forward into Sean’s arms, gripping at his T-shirt with my trembling hands and burying my head in his solid chest as all my pent-up emotions escaped in a huge rush. God, how embarrassing. Rather annoyingly, I found myself sobbing almost uncontrollably, and within just a few seconds I could feel his shirt becoming soaked beneath my cheek as I wheezed and blubbed like an inconsolable child.

Basically, I was a complete and utter wreck.

‘Hey, hey, it’s all right, my gorgeous girl, I’m here.’ Sean cradled me against him, his strong arms sliding around me with an aching familiarity that made me melt with longing. Before I could really think it through, I was rolling up onto tiptoes and desperately seeking his mouth with mine. My fingers slid to the fine hair at the back of his neck to pull him closer, although it was an unnecessary gesture because he seemed more than keen to return my sudden advances.

Our lips met almost violently, mine open and needy and his warm and inviting as a rushed breath quivered across my lips when they connected. My tongue slid against his, eliciting a low groan from the back of his throat as his arms tightened around me and supported my weight. His fresh minty taste was mixing with a hint of the salt from my tears, but I barely noticed, my tongue continuing to twist and explore with his as my arousal soared.

Chapter Twenty-three

Cait

Chewing on the skin beside my thumbnail, I winced at the small painful pinch and then looked down at the roughened skin with a frown. Damn it. I knew why I was reverting to this old habit – I was anxious about Allie. She’d disappeared with Sean over twenty minutes ago and I hadn’t seen her since.

Even knowing that Allie was more than capable of taking care of herself, it didn’t stop me worrying. She’d been in such a state yesterday, and the dazed look on her face this morning when she’d come into the hostel with Sean in tow had really tugged at my heart strings.

Was she OK? That was the question going round and round my mind like a hurricane. What if they’d had a big row and she was sitting somewhere crying and needing my support? I hadn’t seen Sean leave, but then again I’d been so busy helping Julie that I hadn’t really been keeping a good eye on the door.

Finishing off the final batch of chocolate crispy cakes, I popped the tray in the fridge to set, rinsed my fingers of the sticky mixture, and made the decision to go looking for her.

First I checked the common room, washing room, smoking terrace, and the areas downstairs that might offer them relative privacy to talk in, but my search was fruitless. Perhaps they’d gone for a walk to talk things through? Deciding to do a quick check upstairs just in case, I took my hunt to the large communal bathrooms and coffee area before arriving at the door to the library. It was closed, as it always was, but as I pushed it open expecting to find it empty, I was instead confronted by the sight of Allie and Sean in a heated embrace.

A very heated embrace.

Holy cow. This scene would definitely need an over eighteen rating, because jeez, their hands were everywhere and their tongues were tangling so enthusiastically I could hear the noise from across the room.

So apparently my fears were unwarranted. Allie’s continued absence hadn’t been because she was upset, but rather because she and Sean were making up so energetically. Blimey. I knew I should turn and leave, but I was frozen to the spot like an ogling idiot. There was something quite fascinating about the passion in their kiss, not to mention the possessive way Sean was gripping Allie against him.

Oh God, as he shifted slightly my eyes suddenly caught sight of why Sean was gripping her against him so enthusiastically – a large bulge was tenting the front of his shorts, leaving me in absolutely no doubt about how excited he was.

That image finally prompted me to shake myself from my gawking. Staggering backwards out of the room I closed the door as quietly as I could before collapsing backwards against the opposite wall.

My cheeks were burning, my breathing raised, and my mind full of images of passionate kisses, with wandering lips and clutching fingers … only this time they didn’t feature Allie and Sean, but rather Jack and me.

Is that how Jack would have kissed me if I’d let him? Laying claim to me with his mouth and grip? Or would he have been soft and coaxing, cradling me against him and exploring my mouth with gentle probing flicks of his tongue? Would I have made him as excited as Sean had so obviously been with Allie?

Swallowing hard – so hard that I heard the strangled noise echo in the corridor – I pulled in a deep breath through my nose and ran a trembling hand across my hair as I tried to recover my composure. My hand came away damp and I realised that my brow and neck were sweating.

I was well and truly hot under the collar and all just from some vivid thought. If this potent response to a mere fantasy was anything to go by, then it was probably just as well that I hadn’t let Jack kiss me, because I would no doubt have made a complete idiot of myself and done something ridiculous like faint on him.

Pushing away from the wall I began to stumble my way back towards the stairs intent on forgetting any visions that might involve Jack and me caught up in a lip lock. That type of thing was clearly best left to professionals like Allie and Sean.

Chapter Twenty-four

Allie

Suddenly Sean placed his hands on my shoulders and pushed back from me, breaking our kiss. Sucking in a huge breath he rubbed the end of his nose against mine and gave an embarrassed chuckle. ‘Seeing as you’re finally willingly back in my arms, I’m seriously tempted to ravish you, but my honourable side is insisting that I sit you down and answer any questions you might have.’

Sniffling the last of my tears away, I used the back of my hand to wipe at my cheeks and smiled up at him sheepishly. ‘Sorry … this has been a really stressful few days. I think my emotions finally got the better of me,’ I said with a small laugh. Seeing his flushed cheeks and dilated pupils, it was obvious that the kiss had affected Sean just as much as me, but then he shifted slightly and I felt an even more obvious show of his arousal press against my stomach.

‘Hmmm. I know exactly what you mean,’ he agreed with a subtle thrust of his hips that made me bite my lower lip as I clung to his arms.

‘Let’s sit,’ I said, jerking my chin towards the sofa as I dug up the last remnant of my self-control.

‘Good idea. I might just about manage to restrain myself if I’m not pressed against you.’ He adjusted his shorts to ease the pressure on what looked to be a rather uncomfortably tight situation, and I couldn’t help but grin at his predicament.

Reaching into a back pocket of his shorts, Sean removed a folded white envelope before joining me on the couch. ‘I want to share this with you. I’m not supposed to, but I don’t care any more. Besides, I’ve already broken the terms of the contract by telling you most of the details.’ Reaching up, he ran a hand through his hair. ‘I don’t want you to think I’m keeping anything from you ever again, Allie. I was wrong to try and do that, and I’m so sorry. I thought I could protect you from it all, but clearly it backfired big time.’

Looking down at the envelope with narrowed eyes, I glanced back at him before taking it, a frown furrowing my brow as I hesitated and looked at him questioningly. A sigh slipped from his lips as his face formed a similarly grim expression. ‘This explains everything, so it might help to make it all clear for you.’