Enticed by His Forgotten Lover (14 page)

Twenty-Two

R
afael dragged himself into the shower, washed the remnants of his alcohol binge from his fuzzy brain and proceeded to punish himself with fifteen minutes of ice-cold water. He’d been trying to call Ryan to find out where the hell Bryony was, but Ryan wasn’t answering. He had to get his act together and prepare to plead his case to her. This was the most important deal of his life. Not the resort. Not the potential merger with Copeland Hotels. Not his partnership with his friends.

Bryony and their child were more important than any of that. He was furious that he could have been such a cold, calculating bastard with her before. But if she’d listen to him, if she’d just give him another chance, he’d prove to her that nothing in this world was more important to him than her.

By the time he got out, his mind was clear, he was freezing his ass off and he had only one clear purpose. Get Bryony back.

He dressed and strode into the living room, surprised to see Devon and Cam both sprawled in the armchairs.

“You two look like hell,” he commented on his way to the kitchen.

Cam snorted. “You’re one to talk, alcohol boy. When was the last time you went on a bender like that? Weren’t we in college? Hasn’t anyone told you we’re too old for stuff like that now? It’s a good way to poison yourself.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Rafael muttered.

“So what’s the plan?” Devon drawled.

“I’ve got to get her back,” Rafael said. “Screw the deal. Screw the resort. This is my life. The woman I love. My child. I can’t give them up over some ridiculous development deal.”

“You’re serious,” Cam said.

“Of course I’m serious,” Rafael snarled. “I’m not the same bastard who would do anything at all to close a deal. I don’t
want
to be that man any longer. I don’t know how you stood him for as long as you did.”

Cam grinned. “Well, okay then. Don’t get pissy about it.”

“Have either of you heard from Ryan? I sent him after her, but the son of a bitch won’t answer his phone.”

Devon shook his head. “I’ll try him. Maybe he’s just not answering
your
calls.”

Like that was supposed to make Rafael feel any better. But at this point, he didn’t care how he had to get to Bryony. Just as long as he did.

Just as Devon put the phone to his ear, the elevator doors chimed and Rafael jerked around, holding his breath that by some miracle Bryony had come back. He let it all out when he saw Ryan stride in.

Rafael strode forward to meet him. “Where the hell is Bryony? I’ve been calling you for the last couple of hours. Where have you been?”

Ryan glared back. There was condemnation in his eyes. And anger. “I just spent the past couple of hours listening to Bryony cry because you broke her heart. I hope to hell you’re happy now that you’ve destroyed the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”

“Whoa, back off,” Devon said as he stood. “This isn’t any of our business, Ryan. He’s already beaten himself up enough without you piling on.”

“Yeah, well, you didn’t have to listen to her cry.”

“Where is she?” Rafael demanded when he found his voice. The image of Bryony crying sent staggering pain through his chest. “I need to see her, Ryan. Where did you take her?”

“To the airport.”

Rafael’s heart dropped. “The airport? Has she already left? Do I have time to catch her?”

Ryan shook his head. “She’s probably already in the air.”

Rafael cursed. Then he turned and slammed his fist into the wall. He leaned his forehead against the cabinet and fought the rage that billowed inside him.

When he looked up, an odd sort of peace settled over him. He looked at his friends—his business partners—and knew that this could very well be the end of their relationship.

“I have to go after her,” he said.

Devon nodded. “Yeah, you do.”

“I’m canceling the deal. I’m pulling the plug. I don’t give a damn how much it costs me or if it costs me
everything.
It already has. I’m going to give back that damn land. Bryony will never believe that I love her as long as it stands between us. I have to get rid of it and make it a nonissue.”

Slowly Cam nodded. “I agree. It’s the only way you’re going to get her to believe that you love her now.”

To his surprise, all three of his friends nodded their agreement.

“You’re not pissed? We had a lot riding on this.”

“How about you let us deal with the resort plans,” Devon said. “You go after your woman. Settle down. Have babies. Be nauseatingly happy. I’m going to see what I can do to salvage the resort proposal. Maybe we can find another location.”

“I’m not even going to ask,” Rafael said. “Tell me about it later. I owe you. I owe you big.”

“Yeah, well, don’t think I won’t collect. Later. After you’ve kissed and made up with Bryony,” Devon said with a grin.

“Need a ride to the airport?” Ryan asked. “My driver’s still outside. I told him I wouldn’t be long.”

“Yeah. Just let me get my wallet.”

“Not going to pack a bag?” Cam asked.

“Hell, no. Bryony can buy me more jeans and flip-flops when I get down there.”

“After she kicks your ass you mean?” Devon asked.

“I’ll let her do whatever she wants just as long as she takes me back,” Rafael said.

“Good God,” Cam said in disgust. “Could you sound any more pathetic?”

Devon laughed and slapped Cam on the back. “Apparently that’s what falling in love does to a guy. Take my advice. Marry for money and connections, like I am.”

“I think the best idea is to never marry,” Cam pointed out. “Less expensive that way. No costly divorces.”

Rafael shook his head. “And you all called me the bastard. Come on, Ryan. I’ve got a plane to catch.”

“Bryony!”

Bryony turned to see her grandmother waving to her from her deck. Silas stood beside her, watching as Bryony stood close to the water’s edge.

She’d been there for a couple of hours, just watching the water, alone with her thoughts. She knew her grandmother and Silas were both worried. She’d given them an abbreviated version of everything that had happened. No sense in them knowing the extent of Bryony’s stupidity.

They knew enough that Rafael had made a fool of her and would develop the land, but then Bryony had been prepared to give up that fight. So the outcome would be the same, only Bryony wouldn’t have the man she loved.

Bryony waved but turned back to the water, not ready to deal with them yet. Mamaw and Silas had both fussed over her ever since she’d gotten back home. She was exhausted and what she really wanted was to go to sleep for about twenty-four hours, but every time she closed her eyes, she heard Rafael’s words. They wouldn’t go away, she couldn’t make herself stop hearing them no matter how hard she tried.

And she was damn tired of crying. Her head ached so badly from all the tears she’d shed that it was ready to explode.

Her cell phone rang in her pocket and she picked it up, just as she’d done the other twenty times that Rafael had tried to call her. She hit the ignore button and a few seconds later, heard the ding signaling that she had a voice mail. One of the many he’d left her.

What else was there left for him to say? He was sorry? He hadn’t meant to deceive her? Was she supposed to forgive him just because he forgot what a jerk he had been? How could she be sure he hadn’t made it all up just to get her to shut up and not make noises that would scare off his precious investors?

If he kept her quiet enough for long enough then the deal would be sealed.

She didn’t like how cynical she’d grown. It would never occur to her before that anyone would be so devious, but Rafael had taught her a lot about the world of business and the lengths that some people would go for money.

She hoped he made a ton off his precious resort and she hoped it kept him warm at night. She hoped it made up for all the sweet baby kisses he’d miss.

The thought depressed her. Money was just paper. But a child was something so very precious. Love was precious. And she’d offered it to Rafael freely and without reservation.

She felt like the worst sort of naive fool.

Finally her feet got cold enough from the surf that she could no longer feel her toes, so she turned to trudge back up to her grandmother’s deck. She’d say her goodbyes, assure Mamaw that she’d be just fine and then she’d go home and hopefully sleep for the next day.

As she got close, she saw Rafael standing on the deck and Mamaw and Silas were nowhere to be found. How the hell had he gotten down here so fast? Why would he even bother? She didn’t react to his presence. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

She walked up the steps, past him to collect her sweater and then she started down the walkway that led to her own cottage.

“Bryony,” he called after her. “Wait, please. We have to talk.”

She picked up her pace. She knew he followed her because she could hear his footsteps behind her, but she blindly went on. When she reached to open her door, his hand closed around her wrist and gently pulled her away.

“Please listen to me,” he begged softly. “I know I don’t deserve anything from you. But please listen. I love you.”

She went rigid and closed her eyes as pain crashed over her all over again. When she reopened them she was grateful that no tears spilled over her cheeks. Maybe she’d finally cried herself out.

“You don’t know how to love,” she said in a low voice. “You have to possess a heart and a soul, and you have neither.”

He winced but didn’t let go of her wrist. “I’m not going to lie to you, Bryony. Neither am I going to sugarcoat what I did.”

“Well, good for you,” she said bitterly. “Does that ease your conscience? Just leave me alone, Rafael. You got what you wanted. You don’t have to deal with me anymore. Just make this easier on both of us. If you’re wanting absolution, see a priest. I can’t offer you any. You should be happy. You got the land. You’ll build your resort. Everyone gets what they want.”

“Not you,” he said painfully. “And not me.”

“Please, Rafael,” she begged. “I’m tired. I’m worn completely out. I just want to sleep before I fall over. Please, just go. I can’t do this with you right now.”

He looked so much like he wanted to argue, but concern darkened his eyes and slowly he eased his fingers from her wrist.

“I love you, Bryony. That’s not going to change. I don’t want it to change. Go get some sleep. Take care of yourself. But this isn’t finished. I’m not letting you go. You think I’m ruthless? You haven’t seen anything yet.”

He touched her cheek and then let it slide down her face before falling away. Then he turned and walked back down the path to her grandmother’s house.

She closed her eyes as pain swelled in her chest and splintered in a thousand different directions. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. But all she could do was stand there numbly while the man she’d given everything to walked away.

Twenty-Three

“I
t’s been a week,” Rafael said in frustration. “A week and she still won’t acknowledge me, much less talk to me. As much as I loathe the man I used to be, at least he would have no qualms about forcing the issue.”

Rafael stood on Laura’s back deck having a beer with Silas and brooded over the fact that Bryony still refused to see him. He was about to go crazy.

Silas chuckled. “You’ve got stamina, son. I have to give that to you. Most men would have tucked tail and left by now. I’m still amazed that you managed to talk Laura down from killing you and actually got her to side with you. I can’t figure out if you’re the dumbest man alive or just the luckiest.”

Bryony had holed up in her cottage and while Laura went over daily to check in on her, Bryony hadn’t ventured out except to walk on the beach. The one time Rafael had confronted her on the sand, she’d retreated inside. He hadn’t bothered her since because he wanted her to have that time outside without worrying that she’d encounter him.

“I’m not leaving,” Rafael said. “I don’t care how long it takes. I love her. I believe she still loves me, but she’s hurting. I can’t even blame her for that. I was a complete and utter bastard. I don’t deserve her but she’s the one who kept telling me I didn’t have to be the same man. Well, damn it, I’m choosing to be different. I want her to see that.”

Silas put his hand on Rafael’s shoulder. “Around here we have a saying. Go big or go home. I’m thinking you need to go big. Really big.”

Rafael frowned and turned to the other man. “What did you have in mind?”

“It’s not what I have in mind. It’s what you ought to be thinking about. You’ve already promised me and Laura that you have no intention of developing that land, but does she know that? Does the rest of the island know that? Seems to me you’re missing an opportunity to make a grand gesture and prove once and for all you’re a changed man.”

“Okay, I’m with you,” Rafael said slowly.

“No, I don’t think you are. Call a town meeting. I’ll let it leak out that you have a big announcement about the resort. Folks will show up because they’ll want to launch their objections and nothing gets people out to a town meeting more than getting to air their grievances. Trust me, after twenty years of being the sheriff here, I know what I’m talking about.”

“That doesn’t help me when Bryony refuses to leave her cottage,” Rafael pointed out.

“Oh, Laura and I will make sure she’s there. You just worry about how you’re going to humble yourself before everyone,” Silas said with a grin.

Rafael sighed. He had the feeling this wasn’t going to be one of his better moments. He might have no desire to be the unfeeling bastard he’d been before but it didn’t mean he wanted to air his personal life in front of a few hundred witnesses.

But if it would get him in front of Bryony so she’d be forced to listen, he’d swallow his pride and do it.

“Are you crazy?” Bryony sputtered out. “Why would I want to go listen to his spiel about his plans for the resort?”

“Now, Bry, I didn’t imagine you for a coward,” Silas said in exasperation. “By now everyone knows what happened. They don’t blame you.”

“I don’t care what they think,” Bryony said in a low voice. “I was prepared to be the brunt of their censure when I went to New York to tell Rafael to go ahead with the plans, that I wouldn’t fight him.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Mamaw asked.

“I don’t want to see him. Why can’t either of you understand that? Do you have any idea how much it hurts to even look at him?”

“The best thing you can do is show up with your head held high. The sooner you get it over with, the sooner you can start coming out of that cottage of yours. It’s just like a bandage. Better to rip it off and have it done with than to delay the inevitable.”

Bryony sighed. “Okay, I’ll go. If I do, then will you please leave me alone and let me deal with this my own way? I know you’re worried but this isn’t easy for me.”

Mamaw squeezed her into a big hug. “I think things will be a lot better after today. You’ll see.”

Bryony wasn’t as convinced but she allowed Silas and Mamaw to drag her to the municipal building where the meeting would be held. It took everything she had not to run back out the door when Silas led her to a front-row seat.

Talk about being a masochist. She’d have a front-row seat in which to listen to the man she loved announce his plans for a resort made possible by her stupidity.

She sighed and sank into one of the folding chairs. Mamaw and Silas took the spots on either side of her. Several people stopped by to talk to Silas. Some even shot sympathetic looks in her direction.

Yep, it was clear everyone knew what a naive fool she’d been.

At least no one was yelling at her for allowing the outsider to come in and develop the island. Yet.

Rupert strode in a minute later, an uncharacteristic smile plastered on his face. It wasn’t his politician smile. It was a genuine one filled with delight. He looked, for lack of a better word, giddy.

He held up his hands for quiet and then frowned when the din didn’t diminish. He cleared his throat and scowled harder. He was forever complaining to Bryony that he wasn’t given enough respect by his constituents.

Finally Silas stood, held up his hands and hollered, “Quiet, people. The mayor wants your attention.”

Rupert sent Silas a disgruntled look when everyone hushed. Then he looked over the audience and smiled. “Today we have Rafael de Luca of Tricorp Investment Opportunities, who is going to talk about the piece of property he recently acquired here on the island. Give him your undivided attention, please.”

It took all of Bryony’s self-restraint not to swivel in her seat to see if he was here. Many of the assembled people began to murmur, and then Bryony heard footsteps coming up the aisle.

Rafael stepped to the podium and Bryony was shocked by his appearance. First, he was wearing jeans. And a T-shirt. He looked tired and haggard. His hair was unkempt and it didn’t look like he’d shaved that morning.

There were hollows under his eyes and a gray pallor to his skin that hadn’t been present before.

He cleared his throat and glanced over the audience before his gaze finally came to rest on her.

He looked…nervous. It didn’t seem possible that this ultraconfident businessman was nervous. But he seemed uneasy and on edge.

She watched in astonishment as he fiddled with something on the podium and when he looked up again, there was a rawness to his eyes that made her chest tighten.

“I came to this island for one thing and one thing only. I wanted to buy property that Bryony Morgan had put up for sale.”

Several muttered insults filtered around the room, but Rafael continued on, undaunted.

“When it became clear that she would attach stipulations to the sale of the land, I conspired to seduce my way into her heart. Basically I was willing to do whatever necessary to convince her I’d do as she asked without having to commit her conditions onto paper.”

Bryony would have bolted to her feet, but Mamaw gripped her arm with surprising strength.

“Sit. You need to listen to this, Bryony. Let him finish.”

Rafael held up his hands to quiet the angry murmurs of the crowd. Then his gaze found Bryony’s again. She slowly slid back into her seat, caught by the intensity in his stare.

“I’m not proud of what I did. But it was part and parcel of the kind of man I was. I left here, never intending to return until it was time for groundbreaking. But my plane crashed. It took weeks to recover and I lost all memory of the time I was here. I’m so grateful for that accident. It changed my life.”

The room went completely silent on the heels of his last statement. Everyone seemed to lean forward in anticipation of what he’d say next.

“I came back here with Bryony to try to regain my memory. What I did was fall in love with this island and with Bryony. For real this time. She’s told me on multiple occasions that I don’t have to always stay the person I was, that I can change and be whoever I want to be. She’s right. I don’t want to be the person I was any longer. I want to be someone I can be proud of, someone
she
can be proud of. I want to be the man Bryony Morgan loves.”

Tears crowded Bryony’s eyes and her fingers curled into tight little fists in her lap. Mamaw reached over to take one of her hands and rubbed it reassuringly.

“I’m giving Bryony back the land I bought from her. It’s hers to do as she likes. If she wishes, she can make it a gift and deed it to the town. Turn it into a park. Make it a private sanctuary. I don’t care. Because all I want is her. And our child.”

He stopped speaking and seemed to be battling to keep his composure. His fingers curled around the edges of the podium, but she could see that they still shook.

Then he walked around the podium, down the single step that elevated the stage. He came to a stop in front of her and then dropped to one knee. He reached for her hand and gently pried her fingers open and then he laced them with his, something he’d done a hundred times before.

“I love you, Bryony. Forgive me. Marry me. Say you’ll make me a better man than I was. I’ll spend the rest of my life
being
that man for you and our children.”

A sob exploded from her throat at the same moment she launched herself from her seat and threw her arms around him. She buried her face in his neck and sobbed huge, noisy sobs.

He gripped her tight, holding one hand to the back of her head. He shook against her, almost as if he were dangerously close to breaking down himself.

He kissed her ear, her temple, her forehead, the top of her head. Then he pulled back, framing her face in his hands before peppering the rest of it with kisses.

Around them there were sighs and exclamations, even a smattering of applause, but Bryony tuned them all out as she held on to the one thing she needed most in this world.

Rafael.

“Give me your answer, please, baby,” he murmured in her ear. “Don’t torture me any longer. Tell me I haven’t lost you for good. I can be the man you want, Bryony. Just give me the chance.”

She kissed him and stroked her hands over his face, feeling the stubble on his jaw and drinking in the haggardness of his appearance. He looked as bad as she’d felt over the past week.

“You already are the man I want, Rafael. I love you. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

He shot to his feet and lifted her up, twirling her round and round with a whoop. “She said yes!”

The crowd burst into cheers. Mamaw sniffed indelicately and when Silas handed her a handkerchief, she blew her nose loudly and then sniffed some more.

Slowly he allowed her to slide down his body until her feet touched the floor, but he kept his arms tight around her as if he didn’t want to let her go even for a moment.

“I’m sorry, Bryony,” he said sincerely. “I’m sorry I lied to you, that I hurt you. If I could go back and change it all I would.”

“I’m glad you can’t,” she said. “As I sat here and listened to everything you said, I realized that if things hadn’t happened exactly as they had, you wouldn’t be here now. What’s important is that you love me now. Today. And tomorrow.”

“I’ll love you through lots of tomorrows,” he vowed.

Bryony glanced around as the townspeople began filtering out of the building. Mamaw and Silas had discreetly made their exit, leaving Bryony and Rafael alone at the front of the room.

“What are we going to do, Rafe? What are you going to do? I came to New York because I was going to tell you that you should go ahead with the resort deal. But if you don’t go through with it, what will it mean for your business?”

Rafael sighed. “Ryan, Devon and Cam support me. You support me. That’s all I need. When I left, they were trying to work out a way to salvage the deal. I’m guessing they’ll look for an alternative location. I really don’t care. I told them I wasn’t going to lose you and my child over money. You and our baby mean more to me than anything else in the world. I mean that.”

“After the spectacle you just made of yourself, I believe you,” she teased.

“I’m tired,” he admitted. “And so are you. Why don’t we go back to your cottage, climb into bed and get some rest. I can’t think of anything better than having you back in my arms.”

She leaned into his embrace, wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes as the sweetness of the moment floated gently through her veins.

Then she tilted her head back and smiled up at him, feeling the weight and grief wash away. For the first time in days, the thick blanket of sadness lifted, leaving her feeling light and gloriously happy.

She took his hand and tugged him down the aisle to the doorway leading to the outside. As they stepped out, sunlight poured over them, washing the darkness away.

For a brief moment, she paused and tipped her face into the sun, allowing the warmth to brush over her cheeks.

She looked up at Rafael, who was staring intently at her. His love was there for the entire world to see, shining in his eyes with brightness that rivaled the sun.

It was a look she’d never grow tired of in a hundred years and beyond.

“Let’s go home,” she said.

Rafael smiled, took her hand and pulled her toward the waiting car.