Total pages in book: 21
Estimated words: 20030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 100(@200wpm)___ 80(@250wpm)___ 67(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 100(@200wpm)___ 80(@250wpm)___ 67(@300wpm)
All he could think about was the woman Brenda had mentioned, and the thought had Wynd feeling increasingly desperate.
What if it was Star?
What if his actions had made her desperate herself—perhaps even desperate enough to jump into a relationship with another man, and all to improve her chances of adopting Samuel?
He of all people knew how damn easy it would be for any man to fall for someone like Star.
And it would be just as easy for her to find a man who was better than him. Kinder. And with a lot less baggage.
He closed his eyes for a moment, and the first thing he found himself imagining was Star seated in Brenda's office, and next to him was another man...
Another man who would soon earn the right to claim her as his wife—and Samuel, their son.
No, dammit. No.
If only he could turn back time and make himself forget all the things he knew about the poisonous side of love.
If only.
But because the past had him chained, there was nothing else to do but let go.
A single parent—even if it were to be a billionaire like Wynd—was still no match for a complete family with two people who could love Samuel the way he deserved to be loved.
And as much as it killed him to admit this—
If he wanted what was best for Samuel and Star—
He had to stay away.
For good.
Chapter Thirteen
A WEEK HAS PASSED SINCE Wynd walked away from me in that boardroom, and I'm a heartbroken bundle of nerves as I approach the entrance of one of San Antonio's most exclusive restaurants.
He texted me out of the blue this morning, asking to meet.
Can we meet tonight?
A man of few words, he still is, as always.
The restaurant's interior is warm and luxurious. It's the kind of place where conversations are conducted in hushed tones, and so I immediately stand out in my dandelion-yellow dress.
Wynd rises to his feet the moment he sees me, and my heart aches just looking at him.
He's still devastatingly beautiful, still the kind of man who commands attention without trying. He's dazzling, to put it simply, and wherever he goes, everyone is appropriately...dazzled, myself included, unfortunately.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me," he says quietly as I take my seat across from him.
I can only manage a nod. I thought I could handle seeing him again. But I was wrong. Just being this near to him has memories flooding my mind, and all of them make me want to either cry...or beg for him to give us another chance.
But since I can't do either if I want what's best for Samuel—
"Why do you want to meet?" I ask jerkily.
His jaw clenches at the question. "Isn't it proper etiquette to indulge in small talk before getting down to business?"
"Not between us."
"And why is that?" he demands in a rough undertone. "Is simply being apart enough to turn me into an enemy in your eyes?"
No, I think painfully. Never.
Because he's so much worse, being the man who's stolen my heart without any intention to keep it, and I am still far from over him.
"Could you...could you just tell me what you want?"
One of his fists clenches over the table. "I'd like to talk about Samuel."
My eyes start stinging as soon as I hear his name, and I have to bite my lip hard to keep it from trembling. "W-What about him?"
"May I...may I speak with him?"
His words have me jerking in shock. "Why would you—" I look at him in a mixture of shock and confusion. "I thought you adopted him."
It's Wynd's turn to jerk in his seat, an expression of disbelief on his handsome face. "I had a chance to speak with Brenda last week..."
Is he talking about the orphanage's manager?
"She had to leave the fundraiser to meet with a woman. A prospective parent who was at the top of her list, and someone she was hoping would no longer be single..."
Oh, Wynd.
I slowly shake my head. "It wasn't me. And I won't...I've decided not to fight you over the right to adopt Samuel."
"Why? Don't you want him anymore?"
My nails dig into my palms as I force myself to say the truth. "I love him, Wynd. I'll always love him. But it's because I love him that I...I want him to be with you. He'll have a better future with you."
"Are you sure of that?" he asks tonelessly. "I can only provide for him. But if you...if you fall in love with someone else—"
"I'm sorry. I have to go." I'm already on my feet while speaking, and I'm walking away without any intention to hear the rest of what he has to say.
For him to talk about me with another man so, so easily...doesn't that mean he's already moved on?
So why can't it be the same for me, too?