Free Too Charming by Kathryn Freeman Page B

I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but he really was breathtaking. Not just his looks, but his charisma, the way he could talk to you and make you feel so incredibly special. Like you were the only person he was interested in.’ A humourless laugh shot out of her. ‘Of course the truth was something else. When I surprised him by turning up to his university campus one evening, I quickly found out I wasn’t the only one he was interested in.’
    ‘Ouch.’
    Even now, Megan could feel the utter desolation she’d experienced that evening. Not just because she’d knocked on his door to find him half dressed with a stunning, scantily clad woman hovering behind him – though that had sliced through her heart like a knife – but because all those dreams she’d been nurturing had suddenly blown up in her face.
    ‘Yet you stood by him?’
    Megan fought to control the emotions that even now were never far from the surface when she thought about that fateful night. ‘Yes. I’d turned up to the campus scared but thrilled by the knowledge that I was pregnant. Of course it wasn’t planned, but I knew I wanted the baby, the product of our love. God, I’d only known she existed inside me for three days, but already I loved her.’ She bit her lip, her hands unconsciously playing with the drinks mat on the table. ‘I decided I owed it to her to give him another chance.’
    Ann reached across the table and briefly clasped her hand. ‘I hate knowing this doesn’t have a happy ending.’
    Megan gave her a wobbly smile as she recalled the naive twenty-two year old she’d been, filled with foolish notions of marrying the man she loved. ‘Luke promised me the other woman was a mistake, one he wouldn’t make again. He went on to finish his studies and we lived together for a few years, but the relationship had lost its sparkle. I loved him, but deep inside I couldn’t trust him again.’ Diving into her handbag, she pulled out a pack of tissues and wiped at the stupid tears that were creeping down her cheeks. Hadn’t she cried enough over that man, for goodness’ sake?
    ‘How did it end?’
    ‘Turns out I was right not to trust him. I didn’t need to be a detective to realise he was having another affair.’
    Ann winced in sympathy. ‘So you threw him out?’
    ‘I didn’t have to. He positively ran out the door. He was young and ambitious. Being tied down by a family wasn’t how he saw his life panning out.’ She took a sip of her drink to ease the catch in her throat. ‘He was also wildly good looking, so being tied to one woman didn’t feature, either.’
    ‘From the sounds of things, he was also irresponsible, selfish and immature. Don’t make excuses for him, Megan.’
    Had she been? Megan guessed she probably had. Even when she’d hated Luke, a part of her had still been in love with him, prepared to rationalise his behaviour rather than see him for what he’d been: weak and self-centred. ‘You’re right. There are no excuses. If I ever give away my heart again, it’ll be to someone who’s strong and steady. Not flashy and charming.’ She would tell herself that over and over again, until she forgot what it felt like to have Scott’s lips slide over hers. Forgot all about the way she’d melted against him.
     
    Sat in his home office, bent over his computer, Scott felt nothing like the flashy charmer Megan believed him to be. What he felt like was a tired, overworked shell of a man who was starting to become disillusioned with his life. Sure, he still loved his job, but the hours of reading and preparation that went behind each case were taking their toll. He was a victim of his own success. The harder he worked, the better he was, the more in demand he became.
    Giving his watch a cursory glance he sighed and stretched out his shoulders. Ten o’clock. He had maybe two more hours left in him, at most. First though, he needed more caffeine. As he padded downstairs to make himself another coffee, Scott