The Better Man (3 page)

She hated doing
this, taking Brian’s way out of this situation, but the last thing she could
handle was facing Will and dissecting the previous night’s encounter.

What had
happened was tremendous, unexpected, and incredible, but a dangerous game to play
with her heart and Will’s. She’d told him she wasn’t going to regret making
love with him, but surely, he’d regret it.

She needed time
to think. Away from her friends and family and their opinions and advice. Away
from the possibility of having to deal with Brian.

And most of
all, away from Will. Maybe separation would put this whole thing behind them.

She wrote the
letter quickly, feeling worse by the moment. It didn’t help that the little
details from their night crept into her mind as she tried to explain why she
needed to go away, at least for now.

Will was an
incredible and attentive lover. Better than Brian had ever been. Hot, but
concerned for her pleasure before his own. She’d remember their night for a
very long time.

He still hadn’t
stirred when she folded up the note and placed it on the dresser, propped up
against the lamp. Quietly, she gathered her bags and crept out of the suite,
whispering a goodbye to Will.

It was a good
thing Brian had thought ahead enough to leave her car at the inn so they could
drive it to the airport the day following the wedding. So smart and thoughtful
of him.

Lori swallowed
back the tears that blurred her vision and leaned against the car. Crying
wouldn’t do her any good. Now she had to get to the airport, head north, and
take advantage of the two week honeymoon that awaited her.

Twenty-four
hours ago, she’d been a happy, clueless bride, ready to walk down the aisle
with the man she’d lived with for years, had sacrificed so much for, had
dedicated herself to. She’d had no reason to doubt him, not until she’d been
handed the note that announced his unhappiness with her, his love for another
woman, and his unwillingness to make both their lives miserable by going
through with a hypocritical marriage.

Lori put her
hand on the door handle.

“Lorelei!”

Her gaze
snapped up, mouth dropping open. She swore to herself but kept her gaze fixed
on Will. He was dressed, somewhat, in the formal clothes he’d worn yesterday.
His shirt was unbuttoned, giving her ample view of his bare chest, his nicely
tanned skin contrasting against the white fabric. He was barefoot, but that
didn’t seem to slow him as he jogged across the parking lot. Grim determination
etched his face, his lips turned down, and his brows furrowed. Just the
expression she’d hoped to avoid. She didn’t think she could face his
disappointment.

He held the
note she’d written crumpled in his fist.

“Why are you
leaving like this?”

Lori sunk back,
not because he scared her, but because she was afraid of everything that had
happened in the past twenty-four hours.

“Because I need
time to think. Figure out where I’m going to go now.”

Will nodded,
but still frowned. “You could’ve woken me up.” He held up the note. “You didn’t
need to leave me this way.”

Lori squeezed
her eyes shut. A tear escaped. He must think she was no better than Brian. “I’m
sorry, Will. I’m mixed up and I’ve pulled you into this mess.”

She opened her
eyes again and made herself meet his gaze Some of the disappointment had
vanished, but he looked as unhappy as she felt.

“You didn’t
drag me into anything, Lori.” His voice was quiet, tight, as if he were reining
in his emotions. “I could’ve stopped things before they even got started…had I
really wanted to.”

Those words
struck her hard and made her examine the expression on his face with a mixture
of pent-up desire and sadness.

“You’re my best
friend, Will. I crossed that line last night and I’m afraid we’ll lose what
we’ve always had.”

Will shook his
head. “Uh-uh. You promised me last night that you wouldn’t regret what
happened.”

“I don’t regret
it.” That wasn’t a lie. Remembering how his hands and mouth had touched her and
set her on fire burned her. Those weren’t memories she’d ever forget. Or
regret. “I’m just regretting that we may not be able to go back to being
friends.”

More than
passion glowed in his gray eyes, and more than friendship.

That scared
her.

“We’ll always
be friends.” He lifted her hand in his. His touch sent a fluttering thrill like
a jagged current through her body.

“Then let me go
so I can work things out, let things cool down.” She didn’t think they’d ever
cool down as far as he was concerned, but if it was really love staring back at
her through his intense gaze, then she couldn’t deal with it. He didn’t try to
hold onto her when she pulled her hand from his and opened the car door. “I
can’t turn to you, Will. I can’t turn to anyone. Not yet.”

Before getting
into the car, Lori leaned forward and brushed her lips against his, despite the
fact it brought back hotter memories of the kisses they’d shared hours before.

He didn’t say
anything else, didn’t try to stop her, just stepped back as she shut the door.

Somehow leaving
him made her sadder than the thought of losing Brian. If only she hadn’t
recognized the love in his eyes, leaving would be much easier. If she’d known
before last night, she never would’ve seduced Will. Her own, egotistical needs
weren’t worth his pain.

She made it to
the airport and parked her car, leaving a note of thanks to Connie who’d pick
up the vehicle later, and headed for the terminal where she’d leave for Boston
on what was supposed to be a fun-filled, romantic, two-week getaway to New
England.

Brian hadn’t
understood her desire to see New England. He had suggested a trip to Hawaii or
Mexico, but she’d argued that since they lived in the Sunshine State, sun and
tropical weather didn’t entice her as much as the vibrant fall foliage and
history of the northeast. He’d reluctantly agreed to the driving trip from
Boston, up the coast of Maine then down through New Hampshire. Even without
Brian, the trip sounded inviting, if a bit lonely.

On the plane,
she rested her forehead against the window. The seat next to her was empty.
She’d at least escaped idle chitchat with some friendly stranger.

Still, she
closed her eyes and feigned sleep just in case.

Instead of
dwelling on Brian during the flight, she wanted to think of Will. She didn’t
have the energy to be angry, and that was the only emotion she could summon
when her ex- fiancé’s face popped into her mind. Wrath at being duped. Anger
that she’d wasted so many years of her life with him. It wasn’t any easier to
think about Will—she missed him more. And as crazy as it seemed, her heart was
breaking over him, not Brian. What in the world had possessed her to seduce
him? Would she have tried to get him into bed if she’d been aware of his deeper
feelings?

Such trouble.

* * *

The snag of
traffic leaving Logan Airport in Boston held Lori’s attention and pushed off
confusing thoughts of both Will and Brian, but they returned as she headed
north and crossed over the New Hampshire-Maine border. Brian definitely would’ve
hated this trip, a vacation he tried to talk her out of in favor of somewhere
more exotic. He would’ve been bored with the drive and probably would have
grumbled the entire time. Just as well, he didn’t have to be saddled with her
any more. Lori sneered. Maybe he’d take his new girlfriend on the cruise she’d
refused to go on.

After driving
for a half hour in Maine, she left the turnpike and drove through the quaint
seaside town of York, looking for the inn that would be the first stop of her
“honeymoon.”

It didn’t take
long to find the oceanfront building and check in. Though she received a
curious glance from the front desk clerk when she told him she’d be alone, he
had the courtesy not to say a word. He just nodded and gave her the key.

As soon as she
reached the quiet room, she laid on her bed and let herself cry.

Somehow, his
house seemed emptier after Lori left him at the inn. The only sound came from
the antique grandfather clock that kept its tireless beat in the living room.
He couldn’t account for the emptiness.

It wasn’t as if
he’d suffered any loss. Lori had never been his to lose, except for her
friendship. After last night, though, he wondered if he could ever go back to
simple friendship with her.

Still, he
couldn’t bring himself to say he regretted spending the night with her.

Now he’d just
have to play the waiting game while she figured things out.

If he knew
where she was going, he’d try to contact her and assure her that no matter
what, he was there for her.

“Where the hell
have you been?”

Startled,
Will’s gaze shot to the kitchen door.

Brian stood
there, dressed casually in blue jeans and a navy blue polo shirt. He held a can
of soda and leaned against the door frame like he didn’t have a care in the
world.

Will wanted to
slug the smile off his face. Anger filled the void in his head and chest that
had momentarily been there, but he remained glued to his spot.

“Got lucky last
night? Was it Connie? She has a thing for you.” Brian winked slyly.

Will wondered
where he could dispose of the body. “You’ve got a hell of a nerve coming here.”

The ridiculous
grin slid from Brian’s face. He glanced at the floor and had the good grace to appear
embarrassed. It wasn’t enough.

“I did a bad
thing, I know that. I didn’t know what else to do.” Brian set the soda down
with a smack.

“You could’ve
told Lori as soon as you figured out you didn’t want to marry her instead of
leaving her to face everyone in the church. You’re a chicken-shit bastard.”

Brian nodded,
but Will didn’t buy the hangdog expression on his face. “How is she?”

Will grimaced.
“How do you think she is? Devastated, but she hid it well. She’s a lot braver
than you. We had the reception anyway, and I hear she left for her honeymoon
this morning.”

Will stalked
past Brian and into the kitchen. He needed coffee and something to eat, but
settled for coffee alone. Brian followed him into the room.

“Damn, I really
wanted to talk to her.”

Will chuckled
humorlessly. “You got a death wish?”

“No, but we
need to talk about things like the apartment and our stuff.”

Will glared at
his friend. “I wonder if you even listen to yourself. Did you actually think
that you were going to talk to her today about these things? Haven’t you done
enough damage? Give her time, Brian. She has a lot to deal with, thanks to you.
Give her some space.”

Brian nodded, his
eyes narrowing and mouth tightening into a thin line. Will didn’t believe Brian
was concerned for Lori’s welfare. Brian always put Brian’s needs first.

“Why did you do
it?” Will turned and leaned against the counter, arms crossed . Damn, he wanted
a shower but an explanation from Brian was more important.

“Leave her?”
Brian slid out a kitchen chair and sat down heavily.

“That and get
involved with someone else. What’s so special about this other woman that made
you throw away seven years with someone who loves you?”

Brian shrugged.
He didn’t look at Will. “Lori and I were old. Safe. Somewhere along the way,
she lost that spark she had when we were first together. There was nothing
special anymore and I was tired of being bored. Tired of the monotony of coming
home to her every night. You know, we’d go through days of not talking about
anything interesting, never
doing
anything interesting. And sex? Man,
predictable, unimaginative. I only asked her to marry me because it seemed like
the next logical step. She expected it. Everyone expected it.”

Will listened,
amazed at how Brian described her. The Lori he knew was bright, fun loving,
sweet and generous. Brian’s description certainly did not match the Lori Will
had discovered the night before. She was a fireball of passion, but he couldn’t
very well divulge that information. No, it was as if Brian was describing a
stranger.

“I needed to
get out but didn’t know how.” Brian pressed his face into the palms of his
hands and groaned.

Sick anger
simmered in Will’s head. A part of him wanted to throw the bastard out the
door, yet he needed answers. Brian obviously would talk freely, so he’d force
himself to listen. “You found a way. What about this other woman? Roxanne, is
it? What’s so special about her?”

At the mention
of the other woman, Brian looked up. His eyes brightened considerably. He sat
straighter in the chair and smiled. “She’s wonderful, fun, gorgeous, wild. She
makes me feel like I’m twenty again when I’m with her.”

The coffee
finished brewing, but Will craved something considerably stronger to cool the
irritation brewing in his mind. He turned to the counter, and grabbed a cup.
The heavy porcelain mug hit the counter with a clatter that nearly sent it to
the floor. He steadied it then filled it with coffee.

“What does she
do for a living?” He sipped the hot, strong liquid, burning his lips. Penance for
the previous night.

Brian paused
before answering. “She’s a dancer.”

Will shook his
head, picking up the reluctance in Brian’s voice. “What kind of dancer?
Ballet?” He didn’t really care, but wanted to know what kind of woman would
make Brian desert Lori.

“No, not
ballet.”

“Then what kind
By the red tinge creeping along the edges of Brian’s ears, Will knew exactly
what kind and it no doubt included poles and laps.

“It’s not like
that. She also teaches at a dance studio. She’s really good and wants to go
places.”

Will rolled his
eyes, but bit back on his reply. “Would she give it all up for you?”

Brian blinked.
“Why should she?”

“Because you
made Lori give up her future for you. I was just wondering if this new woman
would do the same.”

For a moment,
Brian just stared, and then it was as if a veil dropped over his face. He quickly
pushed away from the table and glared at Will.

“Fine, I’m a
bad guy. I thought you might understand, thought you’d like to meet her. I love
her and you’re not going to change that.”

The urge to
take a swing at Brian teetered on a knife’s edge of control. He gripped the mug
so hard he thought it would break. “Right now, Brian, I don’t understand and I
have no desire to meet her. Not when I witnessed what your newfound happiness
did to Lori.”

Without a word,
Brian walked out, ushering  back the empty feeling Will had come home to.

* * *

Five days
passed without a word from Lori. Not that he expected her to call and talk
about her thoughts and feelings, but not knowing how she was doing drove him
nuts. At last, he decided to call Connie, hoping she’d have some clue about
Lori’s whereabouts and state of mind.

“She called two
days ago, actually,” Connie told him.

Relief swept
through him.

“She’d just
left Maine and was heading to the White Mountains for a couple days.”

“How did she
sound?”

There was a
pause. “Lonely. Sad, I guess, but who can blame her? But she swore up and down
that she’s fine. She said if I talked to you to make sure to tell you not to
worry.”

Lot of good
that did. He’d worry every moment until she came home. “If you talk to her
again, please give her my love.” He didn’t think Connie would read too much
into that, though he was pretty sure Lori would.

“I’ll do that.
Oh, and guess who I saw the other day? Brian with some bimbette draped on his
arm. She looked like she was about sixteen. I wanted to kick him in the family
jewels, but when he saw me, he headed the other way. I can’t believe the way he
parades her around.”

“Well, don’t
give in to your instincts, Connie. I don’t think Lori would approve.”

“No, she’d want
the first shot.”

Will hung up,
and glanced at the calendar. Lori was nearing the halfway mark in her trip. As
soon as she got back, they were going to sit down and talk. He didn’t want the
night they spent together to scare her off. He wanted her in his life, no
matter what the terms.