Page 48 of Temptation and Treachery
As much as he’d denied it when she disappeared, he wanted to be part of her life. To have another moment with her in his arms, sleepy, calling his name as he carried her to his bed. I’m in love with Celeste Patron… And he’d just let her walk out of his life. The pang in his chest exploded. He splintered inside, sending shards through every nerve ending with the intensity of a shotgun blast.
He shot up, sending the chair clattering to the floor. Lightheaded, he dragged in air, trying to get enough oxygen so he didn’t feel like he was drowning. The walls grew thick, closed in, forcing him out to the hall. He pushed through the doors and into the night, desperation’s vicious hand clawing at him. Celeste was gone. She might be halfway across the continent by now. Longing rushed through his veins. He wanted her. Wanted the light she brought to his life. Wanted to make her sigh and curl into his arms like she had just last night. Wanted to laugh with her like they didn’t have a care in the world. What the hell had he done?
Kris’s words returned to haunt him. If you don’t want to lose her, start thinking about how you can make things right. For the first time he’d made a move without a clue of what to do. He stood in the yard, alone, looking around at the solitary darkness. This is my life. Reality cleared his head, sending him straight to the infirmary. He pounded on the door until Kari yanked it away.
“What happened?” She looked around him, frowning when she found him alone.
“Be ready to go at sunup.” He turned on his heel, intent on getting back to his office. He had a lot of planning to do.
“Rio.” She reached out, pulling at his arm. “What happened? You don’t look so good.”
He stopped, finally hearing his breath rushing in and out of his body. Yeah, well that’s what happens when the world crashes down around you. No matter how much he’d pissed off Parker, she was concerned, so he must look like shit. “I fucked up, Kari.” He swallowed hard. “And if I’m going to try and fix things, I need to do this right.” His first hurdle came pretty quick. He was about to give another woman the chance to turn him down. The way he acted, he wouldn’t blame her if she did. “That means I need your help.”
She studied him, hard enough that she could have peeled back his skin. Then she nodded. “Of course, I’ll be ready.”
He wasn’t sure what he expected, but he damn well could have hugged her.
