The CEO's Dilemma ; Undeniable Passion

by Lindsay Evans

  Keith had been down this road before, with Maya. She’d said that she loved him, wanted to spend her life with him, but how long had it been before she’d changed her tune and left town? Barely after she had left Keith brokenhearted, he’d read of her marriage to a movie producer, the man she’d been seeing before getting involved with Keith.

  Keith would be an absolute fool to not run from Rita as fast as he could.

  But apparently his brain was at odds with his heart, because suddenly he was getting to his feet. And then he was heading out of the room in search of Rita. He looked left, then right, but saw her nowhere.

  Seconds later, it was the sound of a male voice that directed him where to go. “How could you do that to me?” Keith overheard. “Humiliate me in front of everyone?”

  Keith quickly ran to the left. As he rounded the corner to where the sitting area was, he saw Rita standing near the wall. She met his gaze, looking terrified.

  Keith stepped forward. Following Rita’s line of sight, Rashad whirled around. He glowered at Keith.

  “This is not your concern,” Rashad said. “Leave us alone.”

  “Rita, do you want me to leave?” Keith asked.

  Keith looked at her, and could see in that moment that she was relieved. Even though she still looked horrified, she was glad that he was there. And for that reason, Keith was going nowhere.

  Her lips parted, but she didn’t get to speak before Rashad took a step toward Keith. “I’m not sure what your problem is, buddy. Do you make it a habit to intrude on people’s privacy?”

  “Do you make it a habit to cheat on women?”

  An expression of understanding came over Rashad’s face. “So my feeling was right about you. You’ve got a thing for my girl. I guess I can’t blame you. She’s beautiful. But whatever you’re thinking, forget it. Rita and I are going to work things out.”

  “Last I checked, a woman needs to have a say in working things out. And I haven’t heard Rita say that’s what she wants.”

  “So you think you’re some kind of knight in shining armor?” Rashad chuckled. He took a few steps forward. “You need to back off.”

  “Rashad, stop it,” Rita told him.

  Keith stepped toward Rashad. Now they were practically toe-to-toe. “I’m not going anywhere,” Keith said. His voice was cool. He wasn’t sure why he was doing this. Maybe he was getting himself involved where he shouldn’t, but he didn’t want to leave Rita alone with this man. No matter what history they had.

  “You’re the one who let her go. You were stupid enough to not appreciate her.”

  Before Keith knew what was happening, he heard Rita’s scream. Then he saw Rashad swinging his arm. Keith deflected the blow, then threw a right hook that connected with Rashad’s nose. The shorter, thinner man quickly doubled over, whimpering.

  When Rashad looked up, Keith saw blood streaming from his nose. “Damn you, I’m bleeding!”

  “Keith!” Rita yelled. “What did you do?” And what she did next annoyed him. She ran to Rashad. “Rashad, are you okay?”

  “Are you serious?” Keith asked.

  “I think my nose is broken,” Rashad whined.

  “You’re not a fighter, Rashad!” Rita said. “What were you thinking?”

  Watching the two of them, Keith’s stomach sank. “So he was right,” he said. “There’s still something between you two, isn’t there?”

  Rashad began coughing. So much so that he sounded as if he was going to die. Keith caught on quickly. Rashad was hamming it up for more attention from Rita.

  Pathetic.

  He was gripping Rita’s arm, and working this moment for as much leverage as he could.

  “You know I would do anything for you, Rita. Even take blows from some guy to prove that I love you.”

  “Rashad.” Rita sounded pained. She shot a glance at Keith, looking as though she were about to say something. Rashad spoke first.

  “Please, I need some water,” the man pleaded. “And... I’m seeing stars.”

  Keith glanced around, noting with horror that a crowd had formed around them. Their eyes were volleying from Keith to Rashad, their concern for Rashad clear.

  Surely everyone in this town had to know that he wasn’t a violent man. That if he’d hit Rashad, there had to be a good reason.

  “Please, can someone get him some water?” Rita called out.

  Keith looked at her, and all he could do was shake his head. This was Maya Part Two, and he wanted nothing to do with it.

  He turned and started to walk away.

  “Keith!” Rita called.

  Keith kept walking.

  * * *

  Rita watched Keith leave, feeling a sense of helplessness. Everything had gone horribly, horribly wrong. She wanted nothing more than to run after Keith, explain to him that there was absolutely nothing between her and Rashad. But Rashad was bleeding and clutching her arm. How could she leave him when he was hurt like this?

  She may not love him anymore, but she wanted to make sure he was physically okay.

  “Rita,” Rashad said, gripping her arm harder and pulling her down toward him. “I meant it when I said I still love you. That I’m done being a jerk. I just took a punch in the face to prove to you that I’ll do anything to fight for you. From this moment on, I’m yours forever.”

  “Stop talking,” Rita told him. She saw Brandon standing a few feet away. “Can you call an ambulance?”

  Brandon gave Rashad a distasteful look. “I’m sure he’ll live. Probably his ego is bruised more than anything.” He paused. “Where did Keith go?”

  Rita shook her head. “He left... I...”

  Rashad placed his hand on Rita’s face, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Please, don’t leave me. Ever again.”

  Rita wasn’t sure why, but as she looked at Rashad, she got the slightest feeling that he was enjoying this.... Was he not as injured as he was appearing to be?

  “Is your nose broken?” she demanded.

  “I... Maybe... I think so,” Rashad croaked.

  Rita knew for sure then. As Brandon had said, Rashad’s ego was more hurt than anything else. He was probably glad that he was bleeding, because the fact that he’d seemed so hurt was what had her sitting by his side.

  Like a fool.

  Rita looked down at her dress, now splattered with blood. She glanced through the crowd, hoping to see Keith somewhere. But she didn’t.

  Rita pulled her hand free from Rashad’s grip and quickly got her feet. “Brandon, can you see that Rashad gets what he needs?”

  Rashad’s eyes widened. “What? Where are you going?”

  “I need to find Keith.”

  * * *

  But Keith was nowhere to be found. Feeling a sense of resignation, Rita moved through the hotel corridors back to the ballroom. Someone other than Brandon had offered to take Rashad to the hospital. Oh, he had begged her to go with him. But she hadn’t. He didn’t need her there.

  Rita wanted to apologize to the crowd for the spectacle that had disrupted this special occasion. But the DJ was playing music, and people were dancing, and interrupting the happy flow now made no sense.

  Spotting her mother across the room, Rita walked straight toward her. She needed answers.

  Lynn was standing at a table, talking to some guests. Rita touched her mother’s arm, then guided her to the side of the room where they could have some privacy.

  “Is Rashad okay?” Lynn asked without preamble.

  “He’s gone to the hospital, but I’m sure he’s okay.” Rita frowned. “Mom...you told him he should come here and do this?”

  “Well, not exactly this.” She paused. “You weren’t happy to see him? At all?”

  “No, I wasn’t happy. I was mortified. Why would you think that him proposing to me, putting me on the spot like that, w
ould be a good idea?”

  “I didn’t know he was going to do that... He asked if he could come to the wedding, surprise you.”

  “And you thought surprising me was a good idea?”

  “He said you weren’t listening to him when he’d called you. He told me that he very much wanted to apologize to you, make you understand that he’d changed. And I more than anyone understand that people can change. I saw no harm in him coming here and talking to you.”

  Rita shook her head. “What about the fact that I didn’t want that?”

  “I figured you might have a change of heart. You’ve come around to forgiving your father...”

  “My situation with Rashad isn’t the same thing. You should have told me. Better yet, you should have told him to stay away.”

  “Were you really not swayed by anything he had to say?”

  Rita squeezed her forehead. How could her mother not understand? Why did she believe that every guy was worth another chance, even when he betrayed you?

  “I never told you, Mom, but I’ve been involved with someone else.” Perhaps she should have mentioned this to her mother before, but she’d had no idea she would invite Rashad here.

  Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “What? Who?”

  Her father appeared at that moment, placing an arm around Lynn’s waist. He must have heard what Rita had said, because he responded. “Keith Burke, right?”

  Rita looked at her father, her heart beating a little faster. “Yes.”

  “Keith? That young man who punched Rashad? Oh...”

  “I thought I saw something between the two of you,” Lance said. “Didn’t I tell you that, sweetheart?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t think it could be anything serious. Rita, you’ve just met him. Rashad, on the other hand, you have history—”

  “Enough about Rashad!” Rita whipped her head around when she realized she’d raised her voice more than she’d wanted to. Thankfully no one other than her parents had heard her above the music.

  “Mom, I know you like Rashad. I know you thought he was a great guy. And I’m sure in many ways he is a great guy. He just wasn’t a faithful guy. What you and my father have is completely different from what Rashad and I had. There isn’t going to be a reconciliation. So please...forget about Rashad. If he ever talks to you about me again, tell him I’ve moved on.”

  Understanding registered in her mother’s beautiful eyes. “Okay, sweetheart. I’m sorry. I only want you to be happy.”

  “I know that.” She squeezed her mother’s hands. “I’m leaving, okay? I need to find Keith.”

  “So it’s serious with him,” her mother surmised.

  “It is,” Rita said.

  And she was going to search the streets until she found him, make him understand how deeply she felt for him.

  * * *

  The only problem was, she couldn’t find Keith anywhere. Not at his house, not at the office. She’d called him a few times, but his phone was going straight to voice mail.

  Rita texted him, hoping that he would respond.

  He didn’t.

  His family had been at the wedding, but it wasn’t impossible that he’d gone to one of their homes to be alone.

  And then it hit her. The boat.

  Rita drove to the area of the lake where she’d boarded the boat. Her heart filled with hope as she parked. His car was in the lot.

  Rita quickly made her way down to the dock. People regarded her with concern in her bridesmaid dress smeared with blood. “I’m okay,” she announced to the spectators before anyone could ask.

  She’d been hoping against hope that Keith was simply on his boat, but it wasn’t there. She looked out in the distance, saw a couple of boats out in the middle of the lake. It was dusk, so it wasn’t easy to make out either of the boats in particular.

  Keith was out there, she knew it.

  But it wasn’t like she could swim to him.

  No. All she could do now was wait for Keith to reach out to her. To respond to her messages. She would keep texting and calling him until he responded.

  * * *

  Keith saw the latest let’s-get-together-so-we-can-talk text and quickly tossed his phone onto the bed. He’d done the only thing he could to escape, which was to head out on his boat. Out on the water, he could disappear from the world.

  He cracked open a beer and sat, mulling over his life. He wished he didn’t care, but he did.

  Because he loved Rita.

  And he’d never felt so scared by that emotion in his life. Because he could see the exact thing happening with Rita that had happened with Maya. And God help him, he didn’t want to go through that again.

  “It’s too late for that, you fool,” he chastised himself. Something about Rita had had him diving into a relationship with her with both feet.

  He took a swig of his beer. He needed to harden his heart, forget she ever existed. She didn’t know what she wanted. That was as clear as day. And heck, hadn’t she tried to let him know that in the beginning? Every time she had run from him, she’d been making it clear that she wasn’t ready for a relationship. But no, Keith hadn’t paid attention to the glaring red flags. Instead, he’d chased her, feeling a sense of closeness as she’d let down her walls. As she’d started to trust him. And every time they’d made love, Keith had felt as though he were getting more and more of her heart.

  Foolishly Keith had allowed himself to believe that because they’d been as intimate as two people could be, she had moved on from her past.

  Even if she wasn’t confused about her ex and had feelings for Keith, was she really going to give up the big city for small town Sheridan Falls?

  It was unlikely.

  So why bother investing any more time in her?

  “It’s over,” he said aloud. But then he remembered how she kissed him, touched him and the sweet sounds she’d uttered every time they made love. And his heart didn’t want to believe that what they had was over.

  Keith’s chest tightened. Maya leaving had crushed him. But what he felt for Rita was stronger, their connection deeper. From the feisty girl carrying so much pain on her shoulders to the happy woman whose laugh made his heart soar, she fit into his world effortlessly. The time she’d spent here this summer had seemed like forever, and he wasn’t ready for her to be out of his life.

  But what if the connection had been one-sided? Maybe for Rita, she’d simply needed someone to help her forget about her ex.

  Keith downed his beer. Then he went to the fridge and got another.

  He had to stop thinking about Rita immediately. He would be a fool to believe that he could have a future with a woman who was most likely going to run back into the arms of the very man who’d hurt her.

  Didn’t they all?

  Chapter 22

  The next morning when Rita drove back to Keith’s place and saw that his car was finally there, waves of relief washed over her.

  He was home.

  Rita rushed from her car and to his door. She rang the doorbell. She barely waited a beat before she began to knock.

  Moments later, her hand was raised to knock the door again when it suddenly opened. And there he was, looking haggard, as though he had hardly slept. He was wearing boxers and the shirt he’d had on last night at the wedding, minus the tie. The shirt was crumpled now. His face was drawn. He was upset. It was clear. And it was because of her.

  Rita expelled a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “Have you eaten?” she asked.

  Keith frowned. “What?”

  “I’ve been worried sick,” she went on.

  “Why?”

  “Why?” she countered. “Because you left the reception, and you haven’t responded to me.”

  “I got out of the way.”

  “What do you mean, you got out of the way?”


  “So that I wouldn’t be a distraction.”

  What was he going on about? “Can I come in?”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “We need to talk about what happened.”

  “Do we?” Keith gave her a pointed look. “It seems pretty self-explanatory to me.”

  This was just as she’d feared. Keith was thinking the worst. “It isn’t. Nothing about this is self-explanatory. Rashad... I don’t know why he got it in his head to come here to the wedding. To humiliate me like that. But obviously he thought it was going to score him some points.”

  “And did it?” Keith asked.

  “Of course it didn’t!”

  “The moment I hit him, you jumped right to his side. You chose him.”

  “That’s because he was bleeding.” And then his words registered. “I didn’t choose him. I just... I thought he was seriously hurt. Rashad isn’t a fighter.”

  “You did see him raise his hand to me?”

  “I saw. I’m not blaming you for hitting him. It’s just... I didn’t want him to be hurt. It’s okay that I still care about him, isn’t it?”

  “Hey, whatever you feel for him is completely your business.”

  Rita’s heart began to pound. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Only that it’s not up to me to tell you whom to care about or not care about. I can’t make anyone do anything.”

  Keith was speaking in a monotone voice, as though he was catatonic. Rita blew out a frazzled breath. “Can we at least sit down in your living room? I don’t want to be talking about this on your doorstep.”

  Keith hesitated, and Rita’s heart sank. Had his feelings for her changed so radically over night? Just a few days ago, they’d been making sweet love here. Now he didn’t want her around?

  But finally Keith stepped backward, then started for his living room. Rita entered his house and closed the door behind her.