It was hard to enjoy her morning shower when her head continued to throb relentlessly. Sam quickly soaped up and rinsed, then went into the bedroom and dressed quickly. She grabbed a bottle of aspirin from her purse and popped two pills, hoping the headache would subside before she went to the bank. When she stepped into the empty living room, Riley was just walking through the door with two Styrofoam cups in his hands.
She accepted the cup he handed her and gulped down the coffee. A glance at her watch told her it was almost nine o’clock. She was due at the bank at nine-thirty.
“You okay? You look a little green,” Riley remarked, flipping open the lid of his cup and raising it to his sensual mouth.
“I’m fine.” She polished off the coffee and tossed the cup in the plastic bag on the floor, which she’d been using as a wastebasket. “I’ve got to be at the bank in a half hour.” She gave a tiny smile. “Think I’ll throw up if we indulge in a quickie?”
He made a face. “That you even have to ask tells me there’s no way I’m having a quickie with you.”
She pouted. “Hey, I promise not to throw up on you.”
“I refuse to take the chance.”
“Fine.” She gave a mock scowl then laughed.
A short silence stretched between them, until Riley finally cleared his throat and said, “When do you need to catch the train to New York?”
“It leaves at five.”
Her playful mood swiftly died at the reminder. She stared at Riley’s handsome face, swept her gaze over that sexy mouth, the stubble dotting his defined jaw, the little scar over his left eyebrow. A wave of sadness collided into her. She didn’t want to say goodbye to him. Not now. They’d been friends for two years and lovers for only two days, but when she looked at him, she couldn’t remember a time she hadn’t made love to him, or kissed him, or fallen asleep in his arms.
“I could…always take a later train,” she found herself saying, shocked by the words.
His eyes clouded over, and a pang of hurt sliced through her insides like a dull blade.
God, she was an idiot. Of course he wouldn’t want her to stick around. He’d probably only gone to bed with her because he’d figured she wouldn’t be around to pressure him into a relationship afterwards. He probably couldn’t wait for her to leave town so he could continue his life of casual flings and meaningless encounters.
She swallowed and forced her gaze to her feet. “Or I could leave at five. No difference.”
He stepped closer and a second later his warm hands cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Big difference,” he corrected. “Sam…”
His voice cracked and she almost laughed. She’d never seen Riley Scott look this…awkward.
“I want nothing more than for you to take a later train,” he continued in a rough voice. He paused again. “Actually, scratch that. I want nothing more than for you to not get on that train and stay here with me.”
Her heart did a couple of jumping jacks. She stared at him, wondering if she’d misheard him, if her own conflicting emotions had somehow conjured up the words. He wanted her to stay? To stay with him? No, she was obviously hallucinating.
“I mean it,” he said firmly, as if reading her mind. “I want you to stay.”
“You do?”
“Yes.” And then pain creased his rugged features. “But I can’t let you make that decision until I tell you the truth.”
That warm and fuzzy feeling coursing through her veins slowly dissolved. His blue eyes were dead serious, glimmering with what looked like guilt.
“The truth?” she echoed, swallowing hard to keep her wariness at bay.
He took a step back. Raked his fingers through his unruly hair. He didn’t speak for a long time, and she could see a battle raging in his eyes. Her wariness deepened, turning into suspicion, confusion, alarm. The expression on his face reminded her of the one she’d always donned whenever she’d lied to her parents as a kid, like he’d done something wrong.
“Riley, what’s going on?” she finally asked, locking her gaze with his.
“I’m the one who’s buying the Diamond.”
The confusion etched on Sam’s gorgeous face made Riley’s chest ache. He watched as she blinked a couple times, as if trying to make sense of what he’d just said.
“What do you mean you’re buying the Diamond?” she finally asked.
“Exactly what it sounds like.” He averted his eyes. “I’m the one who convinced the bank not to extend your loan. I wanted the place for myself.”
The confusion in her eyes dimmed, replaced with a flicker of suspicion. “You…went behind my back and talked to Jim Thompson?”
His voice came out pained as he said, “Jim and I go way back. I told him I was interested in the Diamond and…”
“You decided to screw me over?” she filled in, her tone clipped.
“Yes.”