Fated by Carly Phillips Read Free Book Online

had gone all out to show her what she meant to him.
    And Kate had thrown it back in his face. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt. She dried her hair quickly but before she had a chance to put on a light coating of makeup, her doorbell rang.
    No doubt Faith decided she’d better make sure Kate didn’t chicken out on her plans. “You could have just trusted me,” Kate said at the same time she swung open her door.
    “Not until you give me a reason to trust you,” Nick muttered back.
    “You!”
    “Who else were you expecting?” he asked with an unhappy scowl on his handsome face. “Unless you don’t think you owe me an explanation for why I woke up alone.” His voice rose and he didn’t bother to contain his anger . . . Or his hurt.
    She blinked at him, still stunned he’d shown up here. “Come inside,” she said, reaching for his hand. She didn’t want her neighbors overhearing her personal drama.
    He let her pull him into her place and shut the door behind him. He’d come right from a shower, his hair still slightly damp, razor stubble giving him a rougher than usual appearance.
    But the hurt in his eyes was unmistakable and guilt rode her hard. “Of course I owe you an explanation. In fact, I was about to finish getting ready and come over.”
    His gaze ran from her bare feet and legs to the short robe she’d hastily tied on. Male appreciation flared in his dark eyes before he pulled his attention off her body.
    Wariness settled in his gaze as he clearly refocused on the present. “I’m listening.”
    Her mouth grew dry. Thinking about telling him her feelings and actually doing it were two different things. He’d yet to lay it on the line in words, but he’d certainly begun with actions. Now it was her turn.
    She still held his hand and tugged him towards the couch. He sat down and she chose to sit right next to him, curling one leg beneath her.
    “When I woke up, I was disoriented at first. The only thing that registered was how warm and happy I was. How peaceful. I thought, wow, I could get used to waking up feeling like this.”
    His expression softened and she continued.
    “Then I opened my eyes and saw you there. Asleep. And I panicked.” She glanced down, embarrassed by her actions.
    Nick watched her closely. She seemed fragile and tense, every word drawn from the deepest places inside her. Which meant he was getting the truth. At last.
    “I realized I was in your bed and I’d just been linking you to all these intensely deep feelings that maybe you didn’t really want. So I did what I thought most men would want after a one-night stand.” She didn’t meet his gaze. “I left.”
    “One night stand my ass,” he muttered, squeezing her hand. “As soon as I realized you were gone, I thought about how I should have laid my feelings out for you before I took you to bed.”
    She shook her head. “I’m not sure words would have done it,” she admitted. “I don’t think I was ready to hear it. I sure wouldn’t have let myself believe.”
    “Why not?” he asked, more gently than she thought she deserved.
    “Because I thought you liked the idea of a challenge. I mean, you haven’t been serious with anyone outside of Faith. You went through women like they were interchangeable. And I’d been hurt by someone who’d used me. So I couldn’t let myself believe you’d want me the way I wanted you.”
    Her open vulnerability struck him like an arrow in the heart. He’d never wanted her to doubt his intentions but he realized now the problem was more about her than him.
    “I can’t change my past, but do you want to know why I didn’t stick with any of those women?” he asked, tipping her chin up so he could look into her forest-green eyes.
    She moistened her lips and it was all he could do to stifle a groan. “Why?”
    “Because they weren’t you.” He touched his forehead to hers. “It’s not about Faith. It’s never been about Faith. It’s been about me