Heart's Secret

  Sniffing, Sylvia pulled back and wiped at her eyes. “What are you doing here? How did you know we would be here?”

  “I didn’t,” he admitted and then swung his gaze toward Melanie. “Are you Ms. Harte? I went to Zora’s apartment and I was told that she had moved. I guess I was sort of hoping that you could help me find my perfect match. I was hoping that you might know where I could find her.”

  Melanie’s gaze shot over to Vincent, but now she was the one with the I-told-you-so smile before returning her attention to Jaxon. “You’re in luck, Mr. Landon. Finding your perfect match is my business.”

  Chapter 25

  Zora had always heard that the Cayman Islands were a great place to just get away. More now than ever, that was exactly what she needed. Her superwoman routine had finally caught up with her and she realized that she was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. When she had started crying in the shower that one morning, she found it damn near impossible to stop.

  The plain and simple truth was that she missed Jaxon—terribly. Now that she had been able to admit that she did play a part in destroying a hard-earned trust that he’d given her. But where did she go with that knowledge? What was the next step since every part of her wanted him back and he wanted nothing to do with her?

  But why is it so easy for him to walk away when it was just tearing her apart?

  Evening after evening, Zora walked along the beach, ignoring the beauty that surrounded her. All she could do was think, wish and dream.

  But she couldn’t hide forever. It was time to return stateside. This time she was heading to California. Maybe being on the West Coast she could avoid so many memories that haunted her in New York. When she walked back into her bungalow, mentally preparing herself to start packing, she looked up and saw that she wasn’t alone.

  “Jaxon.”

  Standing in the room in white slacks and a sheer, gauzy white shirt, Jaxon gave her a nervous smile. “Hello, beautiful.”

  Zora didn’t move for several heartbeats. She didn’t know whether she could trust her vision or her hearing. But when the mirage didn’t disappear, she reminded herself to start breathing. “What—?”

  “Before you say something, can I speak?” he asked.

  Zora pressed a hand against her chest as if that would stop her heart from trying to burst out of her chest. “Okay,” she croaked, hearing that damn frog in her voice again.

  “I love you,” he announced.

  Zora’s knees nearly went out from under her.

  “I’ve never stopped loving you,” he added. “When I look back on what happened that day at my grandparents, I know I overreacted. I think the whole thing just caught me off guard and it…brought up so many old feelings that…I just lashed out.” He started moving toward her. “But these past months living without you has damn near driven me insane. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re in my head, in my dreams and in my heart.” He stopped in front of her, reached out and caressed her face. “I know that I don’t deserve it. But will you please consider—” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a Cartier box “—giving us a second chance?”

  Zora stared up into Jaxon’s black eyes that were glossed with tears. She could easily lash out and vent all the frustrations that she’d felt during the last few months, but suddenly those feelings had disappeared. All she felt at this moment in time was love. And she was not so foolish to risk throwing that away.

  Tears leaked from her own eyes as she glanced back down at the ring.

  “Please say something,” Jaxon said, his usual deep baritone trembled.

  She smiled and said the only thing she could say. “Absolutely.”

  HEART’S SECRET

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-5617-4

  © 2010 by Adrianne Byrd

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