Determined: To Love: (Part 2 of the Determined Trilogy) (20 page)

“You really love working with kids, don’t you?”

I leaned into David and glanced out the window at the sparkling skyline. “Yeah. Too bad they don’t buy art.” I chuckled.

The chef came out to check on us.

“And how are we doing? What did you think?”

David looked at me for an answer.

“It was amazing. You are so talented, Andre. It was delicious. Thank you.”

“I hope you have saved room for dessert.”

I glanced at David. Both of us knew that if we ate another bite, we might not make it home for the dessert we were really looking forward to.

“A reason to come back, Andre.”

This response seemed to please him. “Of course. I will see you two soon. David, a pleasure, as always. Samantha.” He gave us a little bow and slipped away.

~

Once at home, we took our time as we walked back to the bedroom, arm in arm. We both knew what was coming, and we wanted to savor it.

I walked over to my side of the bed, and started to remove my earrings. The gift from David had meant a lot to me, and I didn’t want them to get lost in what was to follow.

As I was unfastening the second one, I dropped it and had to climb down onto the floor to look for it. I pushed up the blanket, and there it was, under the bed. Right next to the shoebox that I had found days before. I picked up both and put the shoebox on the bed while I carefully put my earrings away in my nightstand drawer.

“What’s that?” David asked, nodding at the box.

I looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. “Uh, your box. Can you put it somewhere else?” I didn’t care for a constant reminder of my lovers’ ex-fiancé.

He pursed his lips and shook his head. “I don’t wear Allen Edmonds.”

My stomach tightened, and I felt time slow down.

“But it’s your box.”

“What do you mean?” he looked at me quizzically as he loosened his tie.

I pulled off the lid and pushed across the bed to him. He bent down and thumbed through the papers. Suddenly, his eyes darted up and met mine.

“Samantha, I didn’t put this here.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, it’s not my box.”

Author’s Note

Thank you, reader, for joining me again for more of Samantha and David’s story. If you enjoyed it, I hope that you will share a review and tell your friends.

Please join me again for Part Three, Determined: To Win, coming in February of 2015. Until then, you can join my mailing list and get more information by visiting:

www.elizabethbrownauthor.wordpress.com

-Elizabeth Brown