Blue Moon (6 page)

“Please, baby. Don’t do this to us.”

“You hurt me.” She couldn’t mask the trembling in her voice. Then the truth tumbled out. “I don’t know if I could ever trust you again.”

“But—”

Sam held up a hand, silencing him. “Don’t.” Couldn’t he see her heart was breaking? The weight inside her chest was suffocating. What happened last night only made things worse. This had been her fault. She had no one to blame but herself. “I can’t go through this again.”

Kyle reached for her. Before she could dodge his grasp, he jerked her to him. She slammed into his chest, knocking the pillow out of her hands. It dropped between them. Skin to skin, Sam stood on rubbery legs. He lowered his head. His lips were a breath away from hers and she almost melted. Almost.

“Please don’t kiss me.” It was a plea. Blinking back tears, she knew she wasn’t strong enough to resist him.

“Is that all it would take for you to be mine again?” The ruthlessness in his tone sent another shiver down her spine. He held her a little tighter, a little closer.

“Yes.” Even as she made the confession, something inside her died. Pride. What little she had left oozed out of her. There was no need to deny it. She still loved and hated him.

“I want you, Sam.” His abrupt release left her staggering. “But not at the price of your dignity.” Jaws clenching, he made a see-saw motion, before he spoke again. “When you come back to me it will be because you want to. I can’t apologize any longer for something I can’t remember. And I won’t live here anymore pretending like my life is okay.”

Backbone rigid, he stepped away from her and began to gather his clothes. The bed moaned beneath his weight as he sat, pushing one leg and then another into his pants before he fastened them. Not bothering with donning a shirt, he marched to the door and jerked it open. He took one more long look at her before slamming the door behind him.

Sam startled. Her pulse raced even faster.

The change in his demeanor left her speechless and cold, a chill that went bone deep. Before she had a chance to fall apart, a knock sounded on the door. For a brief moment she prayed it was Kyle but instinctively knew it wasn’t. As the door squeaked open, she grabbed the pillow from the floor and clutched the softness before her.

“Sammy, are you ready?” Jennifer peeked around the door. Her eyes gaped at the sight that met her. “We have a nine o’clock appointment with the nail salon and the hairdresser at ten thirty.”

Yikes!
Sam had forgotten all about today’s activities. It was Jennifer and Brad’s wedding day.

“What happened here?” Jennifer glanced around at the disheveled bed, last night’s clothes tossed about, and Sam’s apparent nudity.

“Nothing.” Nothing she wanted to admit to. “Give me ten minutes. I’ll hurry. I promise.”

Her sister hesitated, concern flittering across her face. “You okay?”

“Fine. Ten minutes.”

When the door shut with a thud, leaving Sam alone, she sucked in a breath. How would she make it through the day and another night?

Kyle’s mood was sour at best.

Unloading lawn furniture from the back of a dusty truck wasn’t exactly on his plans today, but the delivery company had been shorthanded so Brad and he had offered to assist. Next they had to carry the tables and chairs around the house to the Dawson’s backyard and arrange them just as Mary had designated. What he really wanted to do was find Sam and shake her until she came to her senses.

Last night had been spectacular. Images popping into his head that kept his randy cock in a perpetually aroused state were never far from his mind, but neither was her rejection.

Dammit.
When would Sam admit that they belonged together?

Standing on the back end of a truck, Brad handed Kyle another chair. “You’ve been quiet this morning.”

Kyle grunted in response as he set the chair on a dolly before returning for another.

“So the night didn’t end up how you envisioned it? She pass out on you or toss you out on your ass?”

Kyle raised his arms. “Chair?” The demand was laced with animosity.

Brad picked up another white lawn chair and eased it into Kyle’s waiting hands. “What did you expect?”

Glaring at his friend, Kyle lowered the chair. “For your information, the night happened exactly as I wanted.” It was this morning that sucked. But he was through apologizing for something he had no control over. Sam would have to make the next move. His gut had been twisted in knots since they parted. He couldn’t live like this any longer.

Brad pushed his glasses up his nose. “Sooo… If things are good why do you act as if you slept in the dog house last night?”

Kyle resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “
Things
apparently look different in the light of day.”

“Morning regrets.” Brad nodded as if he understood, then he added, “You mean things look different after you’re sober.”

“Yeah. That too.”

Brad jumped down from the back of the truck, brushing his hands on his jeans. “Want to talk about it?”

“No!”

Hands raised in defense, Brad took a step backward. “Whoa, buddy. Don’t bite my head off.”

Briefly Kyle closed his eyes and released a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. I just don’t know how to get through to her. She still loves me, I know she does.” No one could make love like she did without strong feelings. Hell, the woman nearly melted beneath his kisses. And although it was an admission made as she fell asleep, she had said, “Love too.” That had to count for something. Of course, he had to take into consideration that she was drunk. People said and did things they normally wouldn’t under the influence. He should know.

Brad threw a playful arm around Kyle’s shoulders as he guided him toward the house. “You want a beer?”

“It’s ten in the morning.” Kyle glanced at his friend, a slow, knowing grin appearing. “Cold feet?” That was one thing he hadn’t expected from Brad. His friend did nothing unless he was sure about the outcome. It was the engineer in him. Both Sam and Brad analyzed things to death.

“No.” As if Brad thought of his bride-to-be, softness lit his face, and then quickly went south. “Just a case of the nerves, I guess. I want Jennifer to be happy. Everything to be perfect for her.”

“It will be.” Because Kyle intended on giving Sam the space she needed. Earlier he would have done anything to get her back, but not after he had seen her anguished expression this morning. It had torn his heart out. He could have possessed her body, but not her heart, her respect, or above all, her trust. If he couldn’t have all of her, then he would have to live with nothing. Hence, his continuing bad mood. Odds were he would be walking away tonight, alone, and he knew it. “Let’s get that beer.”

Three beers later they were sitting in the Dawson’s backyard watching everyone else work. An extra crew had been called in and their assistance was no longer required. All the tables and chairs were arranged and several people were now draping tablecloths. An arbor was being decorated with twinkle lights and flowers. Clear lights hung from the trees and shrubs. Outdoor tapered walk lights lined the sidewalks and paths to and from the pool. Six lamp posts with four carriage lights each were scattered throughout the yard. At night it would look like a fairyland.

Both envy and jealousy peeked through to make Kyle uncomfortable. Legs propped on a lounge chair across from where he sat, Kyle upended his bottle, chugging the last of the amber. “Want another?”

“Nah.” Brad set his beer on the table. “I need to keep my wits about me.”

“You mean if Jennifer doesn’t kill you, Mary will, you showing up shit-faced at the wedding.”

Brad smirked. “Yeah. There is that.”

For a moment, silence lingered between them.

“You’re a lucky man, my friend.” Even if Brad was wrapped around his soon-to-be-wife’s finger, he was lucky. Hell. Kyle would give anything to be in his position with Sam by his side.

“I know.” Slapping his palms against his thighs, Brad rose. “Well, I guess it’s time for a haircut, and then I’ll let you take me to lunch.”

Kyle eased to his feet. “Your last supper as a single man.” He chuckled, even though the union left him as the third wheel in the party. The thought was like a sore festering inside him.

If only Sam would come around.

Chapter Six

Run. Run. Run.

It had been one appointment after another. Sam, her mother and sisters had barely had time for lunch or to speak with Cathy. She had attempted to hold back her animosity, but each time she looked at Cathy her blood boiled. Now Sam sat before a cosmetician who promised to give her a fresh new look. Clothed in dress slacks and a polo shirt versus her jeans and a T-shirt, the flamboyant man, whose name was Francois, had Sam worrying exactly what the finished product might look like.

But Jennifer had sworn, “He’s the best.” And he had made her sister shine even brighter than she had earlier.

Rubbing her sweaty hands down her thighs, Sam prayed she didn’t walk away looking like a cheap dime-store whore. Last night’s behavior had been bad enough. Try as she might to recall, visions of her brazenness still waffled in her head.

No way had she wanted to hurt Kyle or mislead him. Damn the alcohol. No, damn her weakness, because in all honesty, subconsciously she had wanted one more night with Kyle—dreamed of making love to him, his body against hers, driving her—

Crap. She couldn’t think like this. They would never be able to get back what they’d had. The reminder sat beside her while another makeup artist worked her magic on Cathy.

Sam listened to her mother and Jennifer behind her chatting about the flowers.

“I can’t wait to get home and see the arrangements,” Jennifer gushed with excitement.

“Honey, we won’t have time for you to go gallivanting around the backyard. We’ll be lucky if we get you dressed by the time the wedding begins.” Their mother was always the killjoy. “Tracy phoned and said the backyard looks beautiful. If we keep the schedule tight and start the wedding at five o’clock, we should get some fantastic sunset pictures.”

Pictures? Was that all her mother thought about? Couldn’t she remember her own wedding? Or had it been as unemotional as her life with their father?

Well, this train of thought sucked. Sam focused on what the man before her was doing to her.

A neatly groomed hand reached for eyeliner and moved to waver before Sam’s eyes. “Close them and hold still, lovey.” A light pressure outlined her left eye, and then moved to the next one.

Please let it be a thin line.

“It was my fault. I undressed Kyle. Climbed into bed with him that night,” Cathy breathed, her voice almost inaudible. “I know you talked to Troy.”

Those
words Sam heard perfectly well. They came through loud and clear. She jerked her head around so fast, the eyeliner dragged across her face to her temple.

“Oh no,” Francois groaned at the same time their mother yelled, “Cathy!”

He attempted to wipe away the mess Sam had made of her makeup. She flailed her arms, hands swatting at his, as she leaned forward. She couldn’t believe what she’d heard.

“What did you say?” Sam demanded.

Like a car crash, everyone within hearing distance, including their mother and Jennifer, grew quiet and stepped closer. You could hear a pin drop, except for the rapid beat of Sam’s heart threatening to jump out of her chest.

Her gaze clashed with Cathy’s.

Moisture pooled in her sister’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” she squeaked. Streams of tears made sooty tracks through her freshly applied powder. “I didn’t know what to do.”

Sam’s teeth were clenched so tightly they ached. Her fingers curled into fists to keep from reaching out and strangling her sister.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Cathy repeated in a mere whisper.

“Cathy, what are you talking about?” Their mother grew nearer.

“Stay out of this, Mom,” Sam barked, startling her mother to a halt. Then she turned her venomous glare back upon her sister. “Why?” The urge to shake the answer from Cathy was so strong, Sam eased out of her chair, every muscle tensed, ready to spring.

“I got cold feet. I didn’t want to marry George. For days I’d known the truth, wanted to back out of the wedding. But M-mom had spent so much money. E-everyone expected me to— We were all wrong for each other. Not perfect like you and Kyle.” Jealousy stretched between them.

The tall brunette who had been applying Cathy’s makeup handed her several tissues. She dabbed at her eyes, but it did no good. The tears gushed like a river unleashed.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she sobbed. “I panicked.”

“Panicked?” Sam’s voice pitched. “You
ruined
my life.” A life that she now lived sequestered in another state, alone, apart from her family and friends, and the one man she loved more than life itself. “Why Kyle?”

Cathy closed her eyes as if she couldn’t bear to look at Sam. When she opened them a shadow crept over them. “I hated what you had.” Bitterness seeped into her words. “It was wrong, but if I couldn’t be happy, why should you be?” She nervously bit her bottom lip. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Sam took another step toward the sister—
no
—woman she now hated with a vengeance. Her mother caught her arm but Sam shook her off. “Sorry?” she repeated, trembling.

The knowledge that Cathy had instigated this problem, knowing full well what the outcome would be, was too much for Sam. She drew back her hand and released. The loud slap echoed throughout the store.

Cathy’s eyelids shot open. Her tears instantly dried. She held her palm over her now red cheek, staring at Sam in what appeared like disbelief.

Several people gasped and someone yelled Sam’s name, but she couldn’t comprehend through the red haze her mind had become. “Did you fuck him while he was passed out?” she growled.

“No!” Cathy quickly added, “Sam, I wouldn’t do that to you. He couldn’t have performed in his condition. Besides, even inebriated he knew I wasn’t you. He pushed me away before he passed out. I stayed because I wanted to make it look real.”