***
As soon as she entered the office, Charlie saw Declan sitting on the edge of the couch, his head buried in his hands. Concerned filled her, and she started to go to him, but Aaron had arrived and was pulling her back.
“We’re leaving, Charlie. You’re in no shape to be here yet,” Aaron bit out.
Charlie yanked her hand away. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Declan looked up then. His stare was distant and vacant. He stared at her blankly.
She hurried to Declan and knelt in front of the couch where he sat. She reached up, tentatively touching his arm but he flinched and shrugged away her hand.
“What’s wrong?” she asked softly, dread pooling in her chest, suffocating her.
“Nothing, Ms. Flynn.” He spoke in a stiff, formal voice. Declan rose and put distance between himself and Charlie. She pushed to her feet, confused by his mood and demeanor. Charlie didn’t like the way Declan was looking at her. The stony resignation on his face. What had Emerson said to him? What happened that he hadn’t been to see her in a week?
And then when Declan spoke, her blood turned cold, cracking and freezing in her veins. She stood still, too stunned to do more than drop her mouth open in shock.
“You should go,” Declan said in a curt voice. “It’s better this way. You became too emotionally invested. I don’t want you to hurt any more than you’ve had to. It will only be harder if we put off the inevitable. A clean break will be easier … on all of us.”
“What in the name of God is going on?” Charlie demanded, her voice exploding the strained silence.
“Ms. Flynn, we’ve boxed your personal belongings. I will need your badge and key back,” his new assistant spoke in a gentle voice.
Charlie could hear the pity in her tone. She knew Natalie felt sorry for her and all that she’d been through, and thought she was being a silly fool. Declan wanted to push her away, but it felt more like a shove.
To hell with that. She wasn’t leaving without an explanation. Not without trying to reach the man behind that imposing mask. She knew the real Declan. She knew he loved her no matter the chaos going on in the office right now.
Charlie shook her head. “I’m not leaving this building until Declan tells me what the hell he means.”
Declan looked right through her, as though she were a piece of office furniture that needed to be removed. He was cold, remote. His look spoke volumes. It shouted “I don’t want you anymore. You’re damaged goods.”
“Declan?” she whispered, her voice strained as the knot in her throat grew larger. She hated the pleading, weak note to her voice. She was precariously close to begging.
“It’s over Charlotte. I release you from your obligations to Pearse Publishing and from all obligations to me. Forget you ever knew me. You deserve more than I can give.”
“Bullshit,” Charlotte spat, startling the small audience with the anger in her rebuke. “You’re a fucking coward.”
“Charlie,” Aaron said quietly.
She ignored him, focusing her anger on Declan. “I risked everything for you. I put my job, my heart, everything on the line for you. It seems like a waste now, knowing you aren’t willing to do the same thing for me when things get difficult. Someday you’ll regret letting me go. By then, it will be too late. I won’t be around.”
Aaron’s arm circled around her, holding her steady as he urged her toward the door. She could barely see through her tears. Charlie was so angry that she was shaking. Aaron murmured something in her ear as he guided her toward the elevator.
Halfway there, she turned to see Declan staring at her with that vacant, distant expression still painted on his face and it fueled her anger. She wiped at the tears trailing down her cheeks and then lifted her chin determined not to shed another tear over him.
When the elevator doors opened, Emerson was there to meet them. He and Aaron hovered closely, escorting her to the waiting car.
“How long has this been going on?” Emerson demanded.
“Since a week or two before I came to visit you,” Charlie offered.
“Charlie, I wish you would have told me you were involved with Pearse.” Emerson’s expression grew stormy.
“Why? It was really none of your business at the time.”
“The hell it wasn’t. If I had known it was Declan I would have never allowed it. He took advantage of you.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake. He did not. It was consensual. You of all people know that. Stop spouting your holier-than-though sermon for a minute. Declan didn’t do a damned thing without my consent. I knew exactly what I agreed to when we started this relationship. I’m not some child, Emerson. I’m an adult who knew exactly what she wanted and I wanted Declan.”
“Still. He’s not what I would consider good at being a Dominant.”
“You’re such a hypocrite.” She rolled her eyes, irritation gripping her. “You’re the one that told me that no two Dominants are alike.”
“Jesus Christ, Charlie. Stop using my words against me,” Emerson demanded.
“The hell I will,” she said stonily.
“Enough,” Emerson growled. “He’s too old for you. He’s too experienced for you. He’s been in some questionable relationships. Katherine for instance. Is that what you want? Don’t you think you deserve more?”
“You’re right. I deserve better,” she spoke, the hurt and pain crowding in so tightly that she could barely answer. She had felt pain at the hands of Griffin, but the pain she felt from Declan was much worse. It shattered her, breaking her into a million tiny shards.
She clutched her coat even tighter, and her lips quivered as she stared at her brother and Aaron.
“I deserve a man who will always have my back. A man who will keep me safe. Declan promised those things, yet provided none of them.”
Aaron looked disquieted, and Emerson just looked pissed.
Charlie laughed bitterly. “I guess I’ll be looking for another job. Too bad because I really loved my work.”
“You can work for me,” Aaron offered. “It’s still in publishing.”
“Oh, there’s no way in holy hell. I’m not setting foot in that building ever again. I’m done. I am not going to torture myself on a daily basis by having to see Declan.” I’m not masochistic.
“What will you do?” Emerson asked.
Bitterness burrowed into her heart. “I have no clue. I guess I need to figure that out.”
To Be Continued…
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to my editors and the entire team at Swoon Romance, especially Georgia McBride for fostering a publishing company that feels like family where authors are encouraged to learn and grow.
Thank you to my family for being incredibly patient with me when I have to spend time on things and say no to other things because I am writing.
Thank you to the bloggers who promote the group of authors at Swoon Romance and put our stories into the hands of your readers. At the end of the day, I am a reader first and a writer second. I appreciate your love of storytelling and romance and your eagerness to share your favorites more than I can express.
Thank you to some of my favorite authors, whose words inspire me: Jennifer Hayward, Susan Arden, Jane Hunt, Natalie Taylor, Mia Villano, Jennifer Probst, Jasinda Wilder, and all of the other incredible romance authors who make readers swoon with tales of love lost and won.
Olivia
XOXO
OLIVIA R. KEANE
When Olivia R. Keane is not busy pursuing her Master’s in English and Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University, she writes novels-- sweet or steamy, or a combination of both, about intelligent, feisty women and the real, quirky men who fall for them.
Living in Western New York with her husband and children, she refers to herself as a word nerd, web geek, single malt appreciator, music addict, and hopeless romantic. When she isn’t living in the fantasy world of her characters, Olivia can be found on Not So Vanilla where s
he blogs about overcoming her irrational fear of escalators, lust for custom Kitchen Aid mixers, and her search for the perfect cup of coffee. You can learn more about her upcoming projects at http://www.oliviarkeane.com or follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/oliviarkeane
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Acknowledgements
About the Author
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Push (Bound #1) Page 23
