Love, Honor, and Betray by Roby, Lawson (ebook reader ink txt) 📕

“Why? You haven’t spoken to him since you left, have you?”

“Matt, your dad and I are having some problems.”

“Because of Curtina still?”

“Honey, let’s not talk about this, okay?”

“Mom, I really, really don’t get it.”

“Don’t get what?”

“You. And the way you hate Curtina. I don’t get how you could make a mistake with that Aaron dude and have Marissa by him,but now you’re mad at Dad for doing the same thing with Miss Tabitha.”

Charlotte’s heart sank. Just the other night, Matthew had questioned her about Curtina and compared her to Marissa, but she’dnever expected him to ever bring up Aaron to her. She heard about Aaron all the time from Curtis but never thought her ownson would even think on that level, and she was mortified. She was ashamed and humiliated.

“Mom, you there?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m here, but Matt, it’s like I told you. I really don’t want to talk about this. What your father and I are going throughis very complicated and not something you’re old enough to understand—”

“Mom, I’m seventeen, remember?” he said, interrupting her.

“Still, you’re much too young to understand these kinds of adult matters.”

Matthew sighed but digressed. “So, are you still coming home tomorrow?”

“Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow evening.”

“I miss you, Mom. And I love you.”

“I love you, too, sweetie. And you enjoy yourself, okay?”

“I will.”

Charlotte told him good-bye and set her phone on the nightstand.

Michael strutted back over to the bed and sat close to her again. “That can’t be easy on you.”

“It’s horrible.”

“It’s never easy when children think their parents are going to separate or that things just aren’t quite right between them.”

“No. And especially for a kid like Matthew who knows his parents have had trouble in the past. Then, add in the nationwideembarrassment we caused him just a couple of years back, and you end up with a child who is terrified that the same thingwill happen all over again. It was so bad last time, he wanted to change schools.”

“Wow. Not good at all.”

Charlotte rested her head against the shiny, cherrywood headboard.

“So, this might not be the best time to ask you this, but since we’re kind of on the subject of you and your husband, do youstill love him?”

“Yes,” Charlotte said.

“Man. So, it’s not like you even had to think about it. That hurts.”

“I’m sorry. I just want to be honest with you about everything. I don’t know how long I’ll be in love with him because rightnow, I certainly don’t like him very much, but I can’t deny that I do still love him. I always have.”

“I appreciate that. I guess I was just hoping you didn’t because ever since we were together on Wednesday, I haven’t beenable to take my mind off you. Then, now after being with you these last two days…Charlotte, I think I might actually be fallingin love with you.”

Charlotte hadn’t expected to hear anything like this so soon, but his words gave her a warm feeling. “I didn’t know you feltthat strongly. But I can’t deny that I have very strong feelings for you as well,” she said. She didn’t know if it was love,but her feelings for him were defi­nitely intense.

“Lie all the way down,” he told her. Then he moved on top of her and stared straight into her eyes. “Promise me that you won’tstop seeing me.”

“I don’t know if I can do that.”

Michael kissed her rough and then asked her again. “Promise me.” Then, he kissed her entire neck like a madman. “Promise me.”

Charlotte grew weaker by the second. She was under some forceful spell and was tired of fighting him. She was so tired, shetold him what he wanted to hear. “I promise, I promise, I promise.”

She lay there, enjoying the magnificent way Michael was pleasuring her, and she blocked out all that normally mattered toher. She let herself go completely just like he wanted her to. She lay there in absolute heaven.

Chapter 21

Matthew was at school, Curtina was in her room, sitting on the floor watching a video, and Agnes was downstairs washing a loadof clothes and cleaning up the kitchen. Curtis, against his better judgment, was on the phone with Sharon, the woman who’dclaimed she wanted prayer—and him at the same time.

“I knew you couldn’t wait to call me, and I’m so glad you did.”

“Oh yeah? So, how did you know?”

“Because you need me.”

Curtis relaxed his body on the chaise in his bedroom and crossed his legs. This woman didn’t beat around the bush, and hesort of liked that about her. “No, I called because I was simply looking for good conversation.”

“Okay,” she said, laughing, obviously not believing him.

“I’m serious.”

“Well, if that’s true, then why can’t you just get that from your wife? And why did you keep making eye contact with me duringservice yesterday?”

“It’s complicated. But let me be very clear on something. When we talk, my wife and my children are off-limits.”

“No problem. I’m fine with that.”

“Good.”

“So what do you want to talk about then?”

“You.”

“What do you wanna know?”

“Anything you wanna tell.”

“Well, let’s see. I’m past thirty but not quite forty. I’ve never been married, don’t have any children, and I plan to dowhatever it takes to make you fall in love with me.”

“Hmmm. Now, that’s funny.”

“Maybe to you.”

“So what do you do for a living?” he asked, dismissing her last statement.

“I’m an IT manager.”

“Is that what you’ve always done career-wise?”

“Pretty much. But I love it even more now that I can basically work from home if I choose to.”

“Is that where you are now?”

“I am. Why?”

“Just asking.”

“Maybe you’re asking because you want to come over.”

“No. That’s not it at all.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.”

“So what else do you wanna know?”

“Are you seeing anyone?”

“No. Just you.”

Curtis laughed. “Well, we both know that’s not true. But since we’re on the subject, why did you take it upon yourself toapproach me the way you did?”

“It’s like I told you in the letter. From the moment I saw you at that conference last year, I wanted you.”

“But why?”

Sharon paused. Then said,