LITMIR.BIZ

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strands that the light breeze had shifted against her cheek. “And I don’t want you to wait for me.”

      Pain knifed through her. “Grant?”

      He leaned over her. His head bent, and his lips brushed against hers. She loved Grant’s kiss. Loved the way he tasted. The way he made her feel.

      Desired. Special.

      A low moan built in her throat as he kissed her.

      “You deserve to be happy,” he whispered against her mouth. “I can’t...I can’t make you happy. I can’t be who you want me to be.”

      What did that even mean? “I love you just as you are.” She didn’t want him to be anyone else.

      But he shook his head. “Baby, you don’t even know who I really am.”

      There had always been secrets in his eyes. A darkness that shadowed him. He’d been in the military for the past three years...and every time he’d come home, there had been a new hardness to him. A sharpening edge of danger.

      “I can’t tell you where I’m going, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. I won’t ask you to wait for me.” His forehead leaned against hers. “I can’t.”

      Tears stung her eyes. She’d been dreaming of a new life—so many plans and dreams for the two of them. She wanted a new life with Grant, but...

      “You have your scholarship,” he continued, his voice sounding ragged, as emotion finally seemed to break through for him. “Take it. Take the life that’s waiting for you.”

      Her hands lifted and curled around his shoulders. She knew a good-bye when she heard one. After all, she’d heard plenty of them in her life.

      He kissed her again. There was desire and need in that kiss. She rose onto her toes, trying to get even closer to him. Scarlett wanted to be as close to him as she could get—

      “I won’t forget you,” Grant told her.

      He’d pulled away.

      He always did.

      She wrapped her arms around her stomach and blinked away the tears that wanted to fall.

      “If you...if you ever need me...” His voice was gruff, shaking. Strange. He never sounded uncertain, but he did in that moment. “I’ll be there for you, Scarlett.”

      She almost called him a liar. Because he was leaving. There was no way he could be there for her when he’d be gone.

      But it hurt too much to talk anymore. She’d finally realized a painful truth.

      I love him...but he doesn’t love me.

      Story of her life.

      Scarlett stiffened her spine. She wouldn’t reach out to him again. “Goodbye,” she whispered, because there was no more to say. He hadn’t invited her out here, to their spot by the lake, because he wanted to make plans about their future. He’d brought her out here to break up with her.

      To leave her behind.

      She turned away so he wouldn’t see her crying. She took one step. Another.

      Scarlett wouldn’t let herself glance back. Grant McGuire was done with her. And she...she would be fine without him.

      If you ever need me...

      She straightened her shoulders and kept walking.

      I need you now.

      But needing did no good.

      * * *

      GRANT’S HANDS CLENCHED into fists as he watched Scarlett Stone walk away. I love you. She’d never told him that before, but he’d known...he’d known how she felt. With Scarlett, there were never any games. No pretending. Her emotions shone in her deep, warm chocolate eyes.

      So he’d known exactly how much he was hurting her as he’d told her that he was leaving.

      Grant took a step forward, almost called out to her.

      But...

      He couldn’t tell her where he was going. What he was doing. The next mission was black ops. The mission he’d been fighting to take. He loved the adrenaline. He loved the rush. He loved protecting his country and doing his damn best to make the world a better place.

      He also...

      “I love you, Scarlett,” he whispered. But she didn’t hear him.

      Scarlett was already gone.

      Funny...he hadn’t realized how cold the summer night felt. Not until that moment.

       Chapter One

      Ten years later...

      His building should have been empty. It was after 7:00 p.m. and McGuire Securities should have been shut down for the night.

      Grant McGuire was heading out of the place, more than ready to go meet his brothers at a local bar in Austin, Texas. It had been one hell of a week, and he needed to let off some steam.

      So when he opened his office door and stepped into the lobby, he thought the place would be deserted.

      It wasn’t.

      A woman was there. She stood just two feet away, as if she’d just entered the lobby and had been making her way directly to see him. Her blond hair was pulled away from her face, secured in a little twist at her nape. Her eyes—dark, wide, deep—flared when she saw him.

      And the world seemed to stop for Grant.

      Scarlett? Scarlett Stone?

      Without speaking, he drank her in. His gaze swept over her face. The soft curve of her cheeks, the delicate jaw, the light sprinkling of freckles across her nose. Scarlett had always hated those freckles, but he’d loved them. Had wanted to kiss every single—

      “Grant? Um, do you...do you remember me?” Her voice was halting.

      As if he could ever forget her. The woman starred in pretty much every fantasy he’d ever had.

      She’d changed over the years. She wasn’t wearing dusty jeans and a loose T-shirt like she’d favored back in her high school days. She was dressed in black—expensively cut pants and a close-fitting turtleneck. Her feet were encased in high heels—red heels that made him think of sex.

      Sex with Scarlett.

      “Uh...” Pink flashed across her cheeks as she seemed to decide that no, he didn’t remember her. “I’m Scarlett...Scarlett Stone.”

      A growl built in his throat. “I damn well know who you are.” Had he really just been staring at her like a lovesick fool? But...Scarlett shouldn’t be here. She should be far away from him. Safely away.

      He’d made the sacrifice before. Done the right thing by her. So why was she back? In his office?

      He glanced over her shoulder, his focus shifting to the McGuire Securities entrance. “How did you get in here?” He’d thought the place was locked up.

      “Your assistant met me. She was leaving when I was arriving. She told me that you were still here.” Scarlett’s hands clenched around the small black bag that she carried. “Can we...can we go inside your office to talk?”

      The tremble in her voice pierced right through him. Scarlett’s voice had shaken like that before. When she was scared, it was a dead giveaway to her emotions. Grant backed into his office, holding the door open for her. When she passed by him, he caught her scent—vanilla.

      Did she know that he couldn’t smell vanilla without thinking of her?

      No. Don’t let her see...

      He pulled in a deep breath, took in more of her delectable scent, and made sure his mask was in place. The mask he’d always

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