LEAD ME ON by Julie Ortolon (find a book to read TXT) 📕

forward and sat on the end of the bed, her expression earnest. “I’ve been needing to talk to you all evening.”

“Oh?” Allison frowned.

“The whole reason Bobby and I came over is because”—she bit her lip—“Scott called me today.”

Alli’s stomach fell. To hear his name had been a shock, but to hear that he’d actually spoken with someone in her intimate circle had all the longing she’d tried to suppress welling up inside her. “What did he say?”

“He wanted to talk to me about Jackie Taylor, but he also asked if I’d deliver a message. He has the diaries you’re looking for and claims he didn’t even realize it until he talked to his agent yesterday.”

“And?” she said, anger and hope playing tug-of-war.

“He said you could come pick them up anytime.”

“Pick them up?” Allison gaped as anger won. “What—he thinks I’m going to drive to New Orleans to pick up property he stole from me?”

“Actually...” Paige’s eyes held sympathy. “He’s here in Galveston. At his family’s beach house.”

Scott was in Galveston? Her heart raced at the thought. She stared blindly into space as she realized that with a five-minute drive, she could see him, talk to him. Five minutes.

“Alli, he sounded so miserable. He asked how you were, and I could tell he’s hurting as much as you are. Maybe you should go see him.”

“No!” She jerked her attention back to Paige. “That would only make things worse.” If she saw him, she’d start wanting him again on so many levels, physically, emotionally. She shook her head. “Definitely not. The situation is hopeless.”

“Why? Because your families don’t like each other? Trust me, I know all about having your family disapprove of who you love. Although I think your family is more willing to accept him than you realize.”

“They were willing before—” She closed her eyes against temptation. “Paige, he lied to me. Lied!”

“People do that on occasion. Sometimes because they think they have to, other times because they’re lying to themselves as well. Look, I don’t know what all happened between you two, but I do know when I see two people who are crazy in love with each other. The two of you were good together. You made each other happy. Surely everything else is incidental.”

Oh God, how she wanted that to be true. How she wanted a chance to work things out; for the Scott she’d fallen in love with to be real. She squeezed her eyes shut to hold back, the tears. “I don’t know.”

“Go see him, Alli. Talk to him.”

The thought made her ache with yearning. Did she dare risk it? Could she handle seeing him again? “I’ll think about it.”

Chapter 25

Scott heard the doorbell and lifted his head in surprise. The movement sent the air mattress rocking beneath him. Squinting against the sunlight, he wondered if Allison had finally built up the courage to face him. Several days had passed since he’d spoken to Paige, but the prickly feeling on his neck told him it was Allison at the door.

Great, he thought. She would pick a day when he felt like hell from too much work and not enough sleep. Of course, that described all his days lately—which was why he’d been trying to relax in the pool.

To wash off the sheen of sweat, he dove underwater and glided to the edge. Water sloshed off his body as he hoisted himself up. He gave his skin a brisk rubdown with the towel and grabbed his shirt. If only he had five minutes to make himself presentable, he thought as he padded barefoot through the air-conditioned house. In the white marble foyer, he stopped, took a breath, and rolled his head to loosen his shoulders.

It didn’t help. The instant he opened the door and saw her standing there, his gut tightened with a shock of need. She wore a sleeveless sunshine-yellow dress and stood with her arms crossed as she stared at the ground. She looked up and his heart tumbled into her clear gray eyes framed in dark lashes.

“Allison,” he greeted her in a remarkably calm voice.

Her eyes widened a bit as she took in his open shirt and wet swim trunks. Then she frowned when she noticed that his hair had grown longer and he’d shaved off his beard a couple days ago. Of course, he hadn’t bothered shaving since, so he assumed he looked as ragged as he felt. “It’s good to see you.”

She looked away. “I came for the diaries.” Her utterly flat voice killed any hope that she’d come to work things out.

What had he expected, though? For her to throw herself into his arms and beg him to forgive her for kicking him out of her life without letting him explain?

“Of course. Come in.” He stepped back. She hesitated, and he gritted his teeth against a surge of anger. “You know, it won’t kill you to breathe the same air as me for a few minutes.”

Her chin went up as she stepped inside. Without a word, he led her to the great room at the back of the house with its soaring, two-story windows and all-white decor. The room reflected his mother’s taste, which ran toward the expensive, sleek, and utterly cold.

“Can I get you anything to drink?”

“No.” Her posture remained rigid.

He ground his teeth against the urge to curse and shake her, or beg her to talk to him. Instead, he let out a sigh. “Wait here. I’ll get them.”

Leaving her standing in the middle of the room, he went upstairs where he took a minute to slip on a pair of dry shorts, then grabbed the canvas bag. When he stepped back onto the open metal landing that overlooked the great room, he stopped for a moment, struck by the sight of her. She stood in her simple yellow dress with her back to him, gazing out the wall of glass at the swimming pool and beach beyond. She was the only spot