Free Unfinished Business (Erotic Reunion) - a SEXY romance short by Lucia Jordan Page B

nightlife, the endless flow of booze, the
tumbling into bed with that new charmer whose name slipped her mind the next day?
    She
knew it was just a matter of time before she hit that downward spiral. She
wanted out, even for a little while. Time away from the city
lights, the perfect settings, the shiny, plastic people.
    There
was nothing wrong with them , Diane
told herself, as she took the flight out the following week. It was her . She wasn’t sure what she was missing or what she was
looking for, but she felt drawn to her native Hollows. She remembered how
peaceful the place was, how uncontrived and safe. Maybe a few days or even a
week from the grind of the city would give her perspective.
    Also,
she needed to try and finish that flipping book.
    It was
her most ambitious yet; not her usual fare yet something she’d always felt comfortable
with in her heart. She was bringing out her inner depth in this new work and
she wished she could do it right – and quickly. The last thing she needed
was to rock the boat with her very considerate, very well-paying publishers. She’d already been paid most of the advance which was no chicken
change, so it wasn’t a wonder the big guys were getting impatient.
    Diane
had been looking for some peace and quiet – total solitude. So she hadn’t
announced her arrival and certainly hadn’t expected anyone coming to her door
bearing gifts. Least of all Brent, the one person she’d always felt guilty
about hurting during those days of her shallow youth.
    *
    “It was
truly kind of you to bring me these, Brent,” she said now, with an awkward
smile as she raised the gifts of flowers and wine. “But you really shouldn’t
have bothered to come here.”
    He
shoved his hands into his pockets and didn’t speak for a moment. Then he looked
at her with a calm, steady gaze. “Why did you come back, Diane? That’s what I
really wanted to find out.”
    She let
out a deep breath, depositing the items on the nearby side table and then
turning to him. “I don’t have to explain myself to you. Our friendship never
extended to that point that you could ever boss me around.”
    “Our
friendship?” he scoffed, looking away with a shake of his head, before facing
her again. “I guess that’s what it ever really was, wasn’t it? I was just
Brent, Nathan’s stand-in. And even though we supposedly dated for more than two
months, I never actually got past the necking stage, did I?”
    “Oh for
goodness sakes,” she exclaimed, throwing up her hands. “Are we really going to
go over that? Are you serious right now?”
    “Yeah,”
he said coolly, though his grey eyes were flaring. “I guess I was always kind
of curious. Why choose me as the stopgap guy? Why let me into your life knowing
full well you never really cared?”
    “I did
care!” she gritted out, fists clenching at her sides. “It was just…I was
stupid, okay? I wasn’t much more than a kid and you could say I had my
priorities wrong. You can bet I regretted it for a long time that I ever made
you feel…exploited or something.”
    “Yes,
well, after a while I finally realized I was never the real victim anyway, was
I?” he said with an impassive shrug. “That was you, Diane. You were the one who
couldn’t figure out your own messed-up self.”
    “I
don’t fucking need this,” she snapped, turning sharply on her heels and making
for the door so she could order him out. What did he want, his pound of flesh?
She’d already told him she’d been dumb to hurt him. What more could she do?
    She
gasped in surprise when she felt his hand wrap around her wrist and pull her
back round. She thudded into his frame with a jolt, her eyes widening as they
stared up into the dark, purposeful pools of his eyes.
    “Let me
go!” she cried, straining against him with anger. Now he had both her wrists
pinned behind her back. Surprised and yet strangely thrilled by his strength,
she struggled in his unbreakable hold, snapping, “What do