A Reason To Stay by Julieann Dove Read Free Book Online

who rubbed her the wrong way. After the trial pack of fifty was used, they went back to using steel gray. Janine never liked to stray far from the normal too often.
    “Yes, ma’am. Everything’s fine.”
    Elise scrunched her eyes, wary of trying to figure out Janine. She opened her office door and gasped when she saw Darren standing at the window. He turned around, holding a single Calla Lilly. Dark edging circled his puppy dog eyes and torment sat deep inside his pupils. Elise set her bags down and shut the door, using the few seconds to come up with a defensive plan. Could she withstand a face-to-face this early in the breakup? Didn’t they break up?
    “Darren, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” She kept her distance. She didn’t want to fall back from the two steps she had already conquered of their great divide.
    He didn’t hold back. He rushed to her and pressed her close, letting out a breath that may have been pent up since the night he left her house. She rubbed his back, closing her eyes tightly. The silence was too loud. The air too heavy to breathe, brought on by the extra torment he brought with him.
    She backed up, trying her best to avoid oppressive eye contact. “What are you doing here?” Her tone was sugary yet direct. She forced herself to straighten, hoping to camouflage her need to be held. What had he been doing for the last two days?
    “I haven’t slept. I haven’t been able to focus on my patients. I miss you, Elise.” His words rushed out like one long, multi-syllabled word. He handed her the flower of peace.
    She smelled it and placed it on her desk. “I’ve missed you.” Honesty had accidently leaked out. Be careful not to say anything to incriminate yourself. Two days’ stride of breakup is hard to do over. “I’m sorry you haven’t slept.”
    “Have you?” His eyes shown on her like two spotlights, similar to the kind detectives used to squeeze out answers from their suspects.
    Don’t admit weakness. Move on, Elise. This has to end sometime. You’ve made progress. Don’t trip. The bottle of booze is waiting for you tonight. One more day and it’s over.
    “I’ve missed you,” she said, almost too quietly to be heard.
    Didn’t she just say that? What in the hell did she pay Janine for, anyway? Couldn’t she have slipped her a note, told her in sign language or something that Darren waited in her office? She could’ve run in the other direction. Now she was caught. What was the probability a S.W.A.T. team would break down the door by accident and give her just enough time to maneuver out of this moment?
    “It’s enough for me, Elise. A single toothbrush at my house, and that’s all.” He stepped closer, taking her hand into his. “It’s enough to have you in any capacity of my life. I just can’t live without you.” True love dripped from his lips as he declared his unconditional devotion to her.
    This was one response she was not equipped to handle. Would it be too much to ask to go to the restroom at that moment? Just enough time to regroup, scream into the toilet paper roll, then splash some water on her face? She had nothing. No one had ever given in to her terms before.
    Who was this man? This tall, dark, and handsome man who was willing to put her needs before his? Could he be the one she could see herself spending the rest of her life with? The thought snuck into her brain like a stealth-guided missile. Quiet and undetected, until she heard it in her mind. Her deflector shield had been penetrated. She needed to hold on to her independence. Torn and tattered, it had to support her.
    “Darren, you deserve more than that.” The response came out of her body from somewhere she couldn’t explain. But it sounded good.
    “I want you , Elise.” He squeezed her hands as he professed it. “In any which way you come. Who knows, I might just get lucky and you give in to the notion you could settle down with me somewhere in the