Free Betrayed by Alexia Stark Page B

mean, I’d like
the chance to catch up. You’ve been so busy.” He jerked a shoulder
up, and hurt crashed through her. The wedding had occupied all her
time and energy, and he’d suffered for it.
    “No
tears.” His quiet intensity increased as his hot chocolate eyes met
hers.
    She nodded, hardly
trusting her words. “I’d like that.”
    He shifted, the subtle
motion making her cling harder. She pressed her cheek to his chest
as he chuckled. “I won’t let you fall, hun. Hold on.”
    The horses turned about
and his arm tightened around her ribs. Drawing a deep breath, she
inhaled his scent, mouthwatering cologne, hay, horses and musky
male warmth. Home. He smelled like home. A glitter peeking from
under his white collar caught her eye, and she reached up to snag
the looped chain. He didn’t move as she pulled it from around his
chest. It popped free and she gasped.
    “Do you…
have you been wearing this all along?” she asked in her most
demanding voice.
    “Yes.”
She studied his onyx ring, the one her mother had slipped on his
finger all those years ago.
    Part of her wanted to tell
him it was okay to move on, but part of her understood. She gasped.
“Did you get mom’s ring for me?” She glanced down at her hand where
the large ice blue sapphire engagement band rested. The day Robert
had asked daddy for her hand, he’d given him her mother’s
set. Dominic had
excellent taste in jewelry.
    He reached into his breast
pocket and she caught sight of the wedding band, pale sapphires and
diamonds alternating on the pretty white gold setting. He didn’t
seem to think before taking her hand in his warm fingers. She froze
as he slid the band on her ring finger. Her breath caught in her
throat as he brought her hand to his lips, glancing down at her
while the stallion slowed to a stop where he’d been tethered
originally.
    Shock and some odd
sensation tangled in her belly while she gazed up into his suddenly
molten eyes.
    “It’s
his loss,” he whispered over her hand. He pulled free of her grasp
and dismounted. When he reached his arms up, she put her hands on
his shoulders. Powerful fingers gripped her ribs, the ripple of
muscle under her hands brought a warm rush to her head, leaving her
lightheaded as he let her slide down slowly, her body pinned
between him and the stallion’s solid shoulder.
    Glad to have her feet on
solid ground, she entwined her fingers with his. He led her across
the lawn toward the parking lot before stopping short. “Damn it,”
he said, startling her. He spun to face her. “I brought the crotch
rocket, not my car.”
    She grinned at his words.
“Bring it on.” She walked past him toward the bike. Robert entered
her field of vision and she struggled to pull in a deep breath
around the tight bodice of her dress. Aware of the emphasis it put
on her breasts, she still couldn’t help the surge of fury filling
her when he stared at her tits.
    He stopped before her, the
apology already spilling from him in a jumble she didn’t want to
hear. “Just leave me alone. If I ever see you again, it’s too
soon.” She tried to walk around him, but he back peddled, still
talking.
    “Look,
just hear me out. It wasn’t what it looked like. I love you.” His
face echoed his genuine tone, but her lips twisted in a
sneer.
    “So you
weren’t fucking my friend at our wedding? Leave me alone.” Her
steps sped up, but his hand caught her wrist. She turned in time to
see her father land a mean hook to Robert’s jaw. The sickening
crunch of bone on bone turned her stomach even as satisfaction rose
up in her.
    “When a
lady asks you to leave her alone twice and you grab her, expect to
get the shit kicked out of you.” Her father looked up and nodded at
officer Brady, who nodded and waved him off.
    She put an arm around her
father’s shoulders and they made their way to his motorcycle. He
handed her the backup helmet, then pulled his own over her head.
She giggled. “You look like a Mass