Free Honest Love by CM Hutton Page B

in one night.  First, when she’d received a call from that Rob guy, who had no business contacting her from what I understood.  Then, she got what appeared to be a sappy, misleading text from her ex-husband, Jake.  We’d had a fantastic night.  Claire had let me come over, which I hadn’t planned for or expected.  We spent the evening watching movies and touching…that part had tested every damn bit of restraint I had in my body.  She felt good in my arms and had my cock hard as hell.  I was glad she was sleeping through most of the movie since I needed time to calm my body down before she saw my reaction.  The feelings she invoked scared the shit out of me. 
    Then, I fucked it up!  I saw part of the text from Jake and went mental.  I was jealous.  I was angry.  And I was confused.
    Truthfully, I didn’t know what the hell to do, so I left.  I needed space to clear my head and think.  I didn’t want to want a woman that was in love with someone else and I didn’t want a woman that could be so manipulated by her ex the way I had been.  It all hit me at once and I’d acted like a jackass, then left Claire standing there feeling God knows what.  I’d apologized, but she obviously didn’t want to hear it.  Even in her texts, I could tell she was still upset and I wanted her to understand.  I needed her to understand.  Of course, I was immediately remorseful for hurting her.  I knew I had by the look on Claire’s face the second I questioned her about the relationship she had with Jake.  When she wouldn’t talk to me, wouldn’t open her door for me to say I was sorry,  I rode my bike home, got in my truck and spent hours just driving around town.
    Around 2:30am, I finally went home and tried to sleep, but couldn’t.  I’d come to the conclusion that I wanted Claire in my life.  I needed her in my life.  She was truly the first person I’d felt could understand me…what I’d been through with Abbi and I wanted her friendship, maybe more than friendship, with her.  So, there was only one thing to do.  I needed to get her to talk to me.  I parked outside her house about 4 o’clock in the morning and watched.  It was Sunday and I had a feeling she’d leave just to break the deafening silence of an empty house.  I thought she might go to the office, but I wasn’t completely sure.  Then, I saw her leave and I followed.
    “Fuck!  Now, I’m a stalker.” 
    After following her toward the office then back home, at a high rate of speed I might add, I ended up at her door…ringing the doorbell and knocking.  Hell, I would’ve texted her to say it was me in the truck, but who had the time?  She was like a crazy woman zigzagging all over the road.  But yet again, I left her house pissed off and more determined than ever to get through, to break down her wall the way she had mine.  She didn’t know it yet, but I had plans and she was at the very core of them.  All.  Of.  Them.  She was My Claire.
     

Chapter 12
    Claire
    My alarm went off Monday morning and I winced at the thought of going into work.  It was Christmas Eve and other than a few patients I needed to see, including Derek, I had nothing to do.  I didn’t need to cook for anyone, shop for anyone or even put up a tree.  Pathetic.
    Allison was scheduled to come in for half the day to get me organized and I’d planned to stay until about two o’clock.  I surveyed the street around the front of my house as I opened the garage and backed out of the driveway.  I didn’t see Derek’s truck. 
    The drive into work was like a flash.  I didn’t even really register where I was or what I was doing.  I was beginning to feel foolish for not letting Derek explain his reaction to Jake’s text.  If I were honest with myself, I’d acknowledge that I felt a little something for Derek and I was being a total ‘girl’ about him storming out.  It was stupid. 
    By the time I pulled into my parking spot, I’d made the