Free Getting to Her: A Sapphire Falls BONUS Novella by Erin Nicholas Page A

too. Her life was in Sapphire Falls. She was the mayor, for God’s sake. His life was here. His training and career was going well, but it was a Silver medal hanging in his trophy case, not a gold. That meant he wasn’t done yet. So this wasn’t going anywhere any more than their time at the river had.
    So he was doing this his way.
    If she didn’t like it, all she had to do was say the word.
    But he’d be damned if he was going to be sweet and loving and romantic this time.

    Hailey pressed her lips together and worked on not shaking all over.
    It was quite a feat.
    She had adrenaline on top of adrenaline coursing right now.
    She’d been worked up coming to Ty’s house in the first place. She’d been prepared for their meeting—or as prepared as she could be to face Ty one-on-one for the first time since That Night, as she’d labeled it in her mind. But there was no amount of preparation that could make her relaxed and casual around Ty. She was very aware that they hadn’t been alone since then. She was very aware that it had been seven and a half years since then. She was also angry—and hurt— that he’d made her talk to his lawyer. As if they were strangers.
    And yes, okay, the bar and grill had been a dumb idea. He could have told her that. Hell, she wasn’t even sure he’d realized that. He had been so intent on saying no that he hadn’t even really given it a chance.
    That’s what pissed her off.
    Well, that was what should have pissed her off.
    Instead, she’d had her feelings hurt and, yes, she’d felt regret. She’d regretted that after all the times he’d made her feel good and noticed and appreciated, she had panicked and hurt him by running away that night at the river.
    But he’d overwhelmed her. He’d amazed her. He’d rocked her world. Because the sex had been amazing, but the feeling of being in his arms afterward had been…enough to make her want to spill all her secrets and fears.
    Secrets and fears she couldn’t tell him. She’d clung to his adoration for so long. There was no way she could be honest with him and risk losing that or ruining the way he looked at her. She needed to be able to conjure the memory of his smile, the way he teased her, the compliments, the way he looked at her as if she was beautiful and brilliant.
    As she’d left the river that night, she’d known that she was giving up collecting further memories. But at least she could keep the ones she had intact. And she knew that the next time she saw him, he would look at her with anger. But that was better than disillusionment.
    Hailey started unbuttoning her shirt.
    She’d wanted to see him. She’d told herself it was to make him finally answer her face-to-face about the project. Then she’d told herself it was for the satisfaction of seeing him feel bad when he realized they didn’t need him after all.
    But the minute she’d stepped into his office, she’d known it was because she missed him and that, pathetic as it was, talking to and arguing with his lawyer felt like a tiny connection and she knew he was at least thinking about her for a few minutes whenever his lawyer related his most recent conversation with her. Now that the project was up and going and they didn’t need Ty’s involvement anymore, those phone calls would stop and Ty might not think about her again until they ran into each other on the street in Sapphire Falls.
    She’d wanted to come and make one more impression.
    The last button gave and she shrugged out of her blouse, letting it fall to the floor behind her.
    She was still mostly covered, the white silk camisole as modest as many of the dresses she wore in the summer. But it was sheer and she knew Ty instantly noticed how her nipples had hardened.
    She was practically vibrating with adrenaline and desire.
    “Now the cami,” he commanded.
    God that voice. Shivers of heat went through her and goose bumps erupted on her skin from head to toe. She loved that deep, commanding