One Heart to Give (Heart's Intent Book 1) by Dawn Brower Read Free Book Online Page B

me, you never would have pushed me away, and you sure as hell would never have had sex with my friend.”
    “Don’t be cruel.” Tears fell down her cheeks. “You know what I was going through. When I lost…” Sobs spilled loudly from her mouth.
    Ren cursed. She wouldn’t leave quietly. When had she ever? The only solution he had left was to comfort her or she’d never leave. It was all part of her plan to get him back. He knew it, she knew it, and yet they continued to play the game. He couldn’t see any way out. With a heavy sigh he stood up and pulled her into his arms.
    “Losing the baby was hard on us both, but that isn’t an excuse to blow up our marriage and the life we built together.” He rubbed her back attempting to soothe her. Mustering up feelings of sympathy was the problem. He had none for her any longer. “It’s time to let it go and move on. You burned those bridges.”
    She glanced up at him. Tears were no longer spilling down her cheeks. “I don’t believe that. Love doesn’t go away. It’s always there if you open yourself up to it.”
    Jessica wound her arms around his neck and pulled his head down. Her lips were on his before he had a chance to stop it. She ran her tongue across his lips to encourage him to open his mouth. He kept it firmly closed. Maybe she would get the hint. Who was he kidding? She didn’t take hints. The kiss didn’t inspire any passion in him. All he could see was her and Preston in bed. It was something he would never forget. One day Jessica would accept their marriage had imploded.
    The soft click of heels on the linoleum floor filled his ears. The noise stopped right outside his office. “Ren, do you…”
    He pushed Jessica aside and stared at Dani in the entrance to his office. She had stopped short of actually stepping inside. Her hand stood frozen in place as she’d been about to knock on the door frame. Her beautiful dark hair flowed around her shoulders and pain seemed to pour out of her eyes. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and comfort her. Her pain was real. Jessica’s, on the other hand, was as feigned as a shark’s disinterest in swallowing its dinner whole.
    “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have interrupted.” She turned to leave.
    Wonderful . He felt like a school boy caught with his pants down. This was the last thing he wanted her to witness.
    “Dani, wait,” Ren called out.
    Jessica grabbed his arm. “Let her go.”
    He glared down at her. How dare she prevent him from going after Dani. “Remove your hand from my arm before I force you to.”
    She gasped. “Why are you being so mean?”
    He was done. It was time to rip the Band-Aid off once and for all. He’d been as nice as possible with her up until this point. She wasn’t getting the message. Instead, she bulldozed through his life on a regular basis. It didn’t appear to sink in that the day she decided to betray him was the day their marriage ceased to mean anything to him. She didn’t mean anything to him. What little respect he gave her was to preserve his dignity, not hers. If he wanted a chance with Dani, provided she wanted one with him, he had to make it completely clear that there was no marriage to save. The divorce was final for a reason.
    “We’re divorced.” He ground the words out. “Do me a favor and remember that before you think you have the right to question anything I do. I don’t owe you a damn thing. Do not come to see me. Do not ever try to kiss me again. If you have a problem with that—too fucking bad. I don’t give a damn. Would you please leave now?”
    She stepped back as if he’d slapped her. Something he wished sometimes he could do. He knew better than to act on the impulse. Jessica pushed his buttons like no one could. Sometimes he wondered why he ever married her in the first place.
    “Is this because of her?” She motioned toward the door. “When did she pop back into your life? I was so thankful when she’d disappeared. You always went