Free A Piece of Me by Yvette Hines

years, but I refused
to see it. Why would I? I was happily married. As you know, Kevin
and I met in college and became inseparable, started dating and
married soon after graduation. I never questioned my feelings for
him, because there’d never been anyone else who I felt close to. I
knew he was my best friend and I loved him.”
    The intensity of Neal’s gaze made her
tremble inside. Turning away, she went to stand by her balcony
window, still holding the test. “Then I met you and I felt things
I’d never felt before, but I didn’t give into those feelings.” She
glanced over her shoulder and looked at him. He followed her across
the room, but he still kept his distance. “Truthfully, they scared
me. They were too raw and too intense.” Turning, she watched
passengers gathering at the station waiting for the light-rail.
“Kevin was the one that noticed. A month before he died he told
me.” She shut her eyes feeling tears welling up, Kevin had still
been her best friend and it grieved her to have lost him so young.
“I denied it. I wanted to deny it. I wanted to believe that my
husband was the only man I could love.” Opening her eyes, again she
inhaled a shaky breath gaining a semblance of control. “I told him
I loved him and he told me he knew I did. So, when I asked him how
he could believe I had feelings for you, he said that I never
looked at him the way I looked at you.”
    She turned and stared at the strong
man, the father of her baby, and waited for the questions or
accusations. His features were unreadable and she wasn’t sure what
to expect from him.
    “ The day my plane crashed,
Patricia and I got into an argument.” Neal took a step towards her,
leaving two feet of space.
    Amana was unsure where the
conversation was leading so she remained silent, allowing him the
time to talk as he’d given her.
    “ It was about you.” He took
another step. “She wanted to get engaged. Hell, she had every right
to want me to propose to her after so many years. When I told her I
wasn’t ready, she said it was because I wanted my
assistant.”
    A single step remained between them
and she felt as if she were captivated by his light green
eyes.
    “ She screamed that I was
waiting for the opportunity to fuck you now that you were free.”
His gaze traveled down the length of her body and then back to her
face. Now his eyes were intense, his pupils dilated only leaving a
small ring of green. “I denied wanting to… I told her that she was
jealous and crazy. I lied and I knew in my heart that I was lying.
She took off angry in one direction and I in the other trying to
run from my feelings.”
    Amana couldn’t believe what she was
hearing. Her chest became tight and she was struggling to draw in a
breath.
    He lifted a hand and caressed her
cheek. “I drove to that airport like the hounds of hell were after
me, because if I stopped for one moment too long, I was turning my
car around and going to you.” His hand slid around the back of her
neck and pulled her towards him. “There you were barely out of the
all-consuming grief from your husband’s death and I wanted to take
you in my arms and hold you.”
    Neal’s other hand caressed her waist.
She was trapped against his body. However, she didn’t have the urge
to move away.
    “ You see, Amana, Patricia
was only partially correct.”
    “ How?” she squeaked, her
throat constricted with emotions.
    He gave her one of his devastating
smiles. “It was true I wanted to fuck you, as you’re more than
aware, now. Let’s not forget how it came about that you are
carrying my baby inside of you.”
    The muscles in her stomach
fluttered.
    “ The part she didn’t know
was that I didn’t just want between your luscious thighs…I wanted
in your heart.”
    She whimpered. Fresh tears flooded her
eyes, but this time they were of happiness and she didn’t try to
fight them, just allowed them to roll down her cheeks. “You’re
there. I love you, Neal.”
    “ I