Thank you, Lord, for bring Hunter back into my life. My heart has come roaring back to life, and no matter what happens, I’m grateful.
When the kiss ended she wanted to cry out with frustration. She needed him. Now. Tonight. Always. If this was going to end in a few days when he left Savannah to return to his normal life, she wanted to love him until the very end.
New York. Tokyo. London. His life was so very different from the world she lived in. Soon they would be worlds apart. But right now, for this one moment in time, she was going to relish the time spent with him and hope that her heart didn’t shatter again when they said their goodbyes.
**
As orange and yellow streaks of dawn poured through this bedroom window, Hunter gazed out at the beautiful Georgia sunrise. He hadn’t been able to sleep well last night after he’d arrived at home. His thoughts were so jumbled up. He was still worried about Joshua and the issues that were plaguing him. And his thoughts continued to veer toward Olivia. Sweet, sensitive Olivia. Just thinking about his current predicament made his heart ache.
Being by Olivia’s side was something he could imagine doing for the rest of his days. The thought came out of nowhere, sending shock waves coursing through his entire body. No woman had ever made him feel the way Olivia did. No other woman had ever inspired him to think of slowing down the frantic pace of his life and making room for the normal, everyday things. Like archery. Or jamming out to a rhythm and blues band. Or taking a ride in the country on his motorcycle with Olivia's arms wrapped tightly around his waist. He closed his eyes, trying to rid himself of the images that kept playing through his head. Olivia was in his heart and soul now, embedded like a permanent tattoo. Somehow over the past few days she'd wedged her way into his heart so that he could no longer imagine a life without her.
He'd been awake for a while now, going over several scenarios in which he'd come clean with Olivia and tell her the unvarnished truth about his acquisition of Renault. He knew he owed her the truth, but how could he tell her on the morning of Jax and Callie’s wedding? The admission would cause chaos, potentially ruining Olivia’s role in the nuptials.
If there was a way he could turn back the clock and make different choices, he wouldn't hesitate to do it. What had once seemed so important to him a few days ago didn't matter at all to him. His business meant absolutely nothing if he lost Olivia.
There had only ever been one Olivia Renault. One gorgeous, soul-stirring woman who had made him rethink the things that truly mattered in his life. He sucked in a deep, fortifying breath and prayed for strength of purpose.
“All we need is love.” Olivia Renault
Chapter Fourteen
The Historical Society's grand mansion was lit up as brightly as a Christmas tree as guests arrived for Savannah's wedding of the year. Olivia surveyed the ballroom, marveling at the beautiful floral arrangements and pumpkin spice candles that graced every table. The wedding ceremony had been beautiful down to every last detail. Callie was a beautiful bride in her vintage ivory gown while Jax looked dashing in his ivory suit. Their vows had brought her to tears, and when she'd glanced over at Hunter, his face had been filled with emotion.
At the moment the happy couple was slow dancing to Etta James’ classic ballad “At Last.” Callie’s brother, Mac Donahue, had come to the wedding from Cape Cod with his fiancée, Delilah and a bunch of his brothers. Olivia couldn’t keep them all straight, but they were all equally good looking with beautiful wives. The one named Wyatt was a famous baseball player. And Hunter knew one of them—Brandon—from the business world.
Her eyes teared up as she watched Jax hold Callie in his arms and glide her across the dance floor. They made such a beautiful couple. Love, and all its infinite possibilities, she thought. Being a part of such joy made her feel hopeful about her own love life. If Callie and Jax, then Mae and Daddy, had found love together after all these years, was it possible that she and Hunter could experience the same kind of kismet?
Deep down in her heart she believed it was possible.
“You look beautiful in that dress,” Hunter whispered in her ear as he came up behind her. “What color is that, anyway?”
She whirled around to greet him. “It's green. Sage green,” she said with a smile. So he does like sage green crepe de chine! Score!
He placed his hand in hers and pulled her towards the dance floor. “They're playing our song,” he said as the band began playing a rhythm and blues song.
“We don't have a song,” she said with a giggle.
“We do now,” he said as he held her against his chest and began to sing in a low voice along with the music.
Olivia had never considered herself much of a dancer, but in Hunter's arms she felt as if she was floating on a cloud. She closed her eyes and pressed her head against his chest, experiencing a type of contentment she'd never felt in her life. Hunter's arms were sure and steady; He made her feel safe with his strong arms wrapped around her, crooning in her ear.
Her eyes fluttered open and she locked gazes with Hunter, practically melting as she recognized the romantic glint in his eyes. She looked away for a moment, not wanting to embarrass herself by making a spectacle on the dance floor. She wondered if everyone in the room could see what was shimmering inside her. She loved this man!
Olivia spotted Marcus standing at the edge of the dance floor with a brooding expression on his face, his eyes glimmering with resentment. He was staring straight at her and Hunter with a look of contempt that he didn't bother to mask. What was going on with him? He'd skipped the wedding ceremony and had only shown up at the reception a few minutes ago. Was he still steaming over last night's scuffle with Joshua? Did Marcus hate Hunter so much that he resented the thought of them being together?
Olivia watched Marcus walk over to her father and Mae, his steps full of purpose as he made a bee-line for the dais. She saw him pull a piece of paper from his breast pocket and hold it up for her father's perusal. The seconds felt as if they were going by in slow motion as she watched her father's face drop and a stricken expression come over him. Mae clamped her hand over her mouth and she began to weep.
Olivia pulled away from Hunter, feeling frantic as she raced to her father's side. She heard Hunter calling her name, but she didn't stop until she'd reached the dais. Her father's complexion looked ashen while Mae was trembling and wiping tears away as they trickled down her face.
“What's wrong, Daddy?” she asked, tugging on his arm.
Marcus shot her a smug look, his handsome face gleaming with excitement as he said, “I shared some information with your father that came as an unpleasant surprise. He’s going to need a few minutes to wrap his head around it.”
Olivia didn’t like the sound of it. Marcus was practically gloating. “What information? What's going on?”
“Here. Read it for yourself,” Marcus said as he held up an official looking document, then thrust it at her. “It's right here in black and white.”
Olivia snatched the paper from Marcus, her eyes greedily reading the paperwork that had sent everyone into such a tailspin. The words on the page jumped out at her, shocking her so badly that her fingers began to violently tremble as the meaning of the words began to sink in.
HUNTER RAWLINGS, NEW MAJORITY STOCKHOLDER OF RENAULT ENTERPRISES.
Immediately, her mind rejected the words on the document. This was some sort of prank, a cruel hoax perpetrated by an embittered Marcus.
“Is this some sort of bad joke?” she asked.
Marcus laughed cruelly. “Why don't you ask your new boyfriend?”
She could feel Hunter's presence behind her before he'd even said a word. Every nerve ending in her body crackled with intensity as she whirled around to confront him. The moment she saw his face and took in his shattered expression, she knew every word Marcus uttered had been the truth. Hunter had betrayed them!
“Tell me you didn’t do this?” she asked in a strangled
voice.
He stared back at her with wounded eyes. “I can’t, Olivia. I wanted to tell you earlier. I’m the new majority stockholder of Renault Industries.” His voice came out sounding strangled, as if each word had been pulled from the very depths of his soul.
He reached out to touch her hand. She drew back, recoiling at the very idea of him putting his hands on her. She felt her legs wobble beneath her and she slapped away Hunter's arm as he reached out to steady her. Wasn't it just last night that his touch had sent her soaring into orbit? At the moment it seemed as if it had been a lifetime ago.
“How could you do this?” The words were wrenched from somewhere deep
inside her. She wasn’t sure how she was still standing, let alone speaking.
He took a step toward her. “Let's just talk about this. You need to listen to me. Please, Liv, hear me out.”
His voice sounded calm, she realized. Way too calm, considering the extent of his betrayal. Listen to him? She scoffed. What in the world could he possibly say to explain his actions? He'd come riding back into town like a conquering hero, full of charm and sincerity. And she'd bought his act hook, line and sinker. Fool, she chastised herself. Sentimental, love-sick fool. He'd used her, pure and simple. His only true goal had to been to get his greedy hands on her father's corporation. It had never been about her.
Bile rose up in her throat, choking her with its bitter taste. A dozen thoughts rattled through her brain. “Why? Why would you do that? You have everything in the world. Success. Money. Fame. Why would you want to own a failing corporation located in a hometown you deserted?”
“It's not that simple to explain. Give me a moment in private so we can talk,” Hunter said in a pleading voice.
Olivia glanced over at her father who still hadn't said a word, seemingly in a state of shock. Mae was comforting him and glaring at her son as if she wanted to put him across her knee and beat him with a switch.
“I'll give you five minutes. I have no intention of making a scene and spoiling this perfect day for Callie and Jax,” she said tersely as she walked towards the ballroom exit with Hunter trailing a few steps behind her. Her stride was filled with coiled anger and a righteous fury. Although a part of her wanted to break down and cry, she knew there would be plenty of time for that later on. For now, she wanted to give in to her anger, this all-consuming black, bottomless pit that threatened to consume her. She wanted to lash out at him, to rip his heart out of his chest and make him feel a small portion of what she was going through. Not to mention the pain he had caused her father.
How dare he waltz back into her life under false pretenses and then stab her father in the back. How dare he make her fall in love with him all over again. Had he been laughing at her this whole time? Had romancing her been part of his master plan?
Once they reached the foyer Hunter pulled her into a dimly lit, private room adjacent to the ball room. She shrugged off his hand, moving away from him and crossing her arms over her chest, her body posture rigid and defensive. She glared at him, wanting to reach out and hurt him in the same brutal way he'd inflicted damage on her and her father. She wished that she could will her heart not to feel anything for this man who now felt like a stranger. But, like it or not, her love for him was still there, mingling with the rage.
He took a few steps toward her until he was standing beside her, gazing at her sorrowfully. “I know this looks bad, but I wasn't trying to hurt anyone,” he said in a humble voice. “I've known the company was in trouble for a while. Things were in motion months before I came back to town, well before I even knew about the wedding. Or about mama and Jack’s relationship.”
“Before? Before we started seeing each other? Before you filled my head with all kinds of romantic nonsense? Before you made me love you?”
“Everything between us has been real. If you believe nothing else about me, please believe that.” He placed his palms on either side of her face and gazed intensely into her eyes as he gently caressed her cheeks with his thumbs.
“You're the reason I came back. In the deepest part of my heart, it was always about you. Seeing you again, reconnecting with you, remembering all the moments from our past...you have no idea what it means to me.”
The expression on his face was remorseful and sweet. She felt a strong pull on her heartstrings as he spoke. She wanted so desperately to believe him, to throw herself into his arms and forgive his heartless betrayal. Just as she felt herself softening towards him, the full impact of what he'd done hit her like a ton of bricks. He'd stripped her father of his life's work and made a fool out of her in the process. He'd used her to achieve his own selfish ends, plain and simple. He'd ruined this day that should have been sacred for Callie and Jax. There was no way in the world she could forgive all that!
She let out a harsh laugh. “Really? You came back for me? Because the way I see it you came back to town to lay claim to everything that it's taken my father a lifetime to build. You must've plotted and planned this for months, all the while knowing that our parents were involved. Yet you didn't hesitate to do this! Are you really trying to tell me that using his daughter wasn't on your agenda?”
He cringed as the harsh words tumbled out of her mouth. “You know it wasn't like that between us, Liv. Whatever you may think of me, and Lord knows I don't blame you for it, you have to know that I -.” The words were caught in his throat and he stumbled badly to finish his sentence.
“You can't even say the words, can you?” she said with a bitter laugh. “Well done, Hunter. That's about the only honest thing you've done since you've been back.”
She pulled away from him, shrinking from his touch as if he'd burned her skin. She shook her head. “Congratulations. You won. Take a bow. You should feel so proud of yourself.”
With one last withering look in Hunter's direction, Olivia marched back into the grand ballroom, her eyes searching the room for her father and Mae. Although her heart was breaking on the inside, she was determined to put on a brave front so no one would know she was dying on the inside. There was no way in creation she was going to allow this to ruin her best friend’s happiness.
For one brief moment in time she'd believed that she had a future with Hunter. Ever since he'd come back to town, everything between them had seemed so effortless, so meant to be. Although he hadn't said the words, she had been under the belief that he loved her. God, she was such an idiot! She'd been foolish to believe that a man like him would settle down with a regular, small town girl like her. Once again, Hunter Rawlings had left her in the dust with her heart smashed in a million pieces.
**
Shouldn't he feel a surge of triumph? This was a victory wasn't it? He'd won. He couldn't count the number of times he'd celebrated after a hostile takeover or a major business coup. Since he was a kid he'd dreamed of this moment, ached for it, imagined it a million times in his head. And he'd plotted his every move like a master chess player orchestrating a championship match. So why then did he feel so empty? Why did he feel so utterly lost?
The look on Olivia's face had gutted him. He'd seen the surprise, the disbelief, then the shock and utter devastation in her eyes. She'd looked like a wounded bird – fragile and broken. Defeated. She'd trusted him and he'd betrayed that trust by undermining her family’s legacy. He'd made a fool of her father – a man who was now his mother's fiance. His future stepfather. How could he have done such a thing? Why hadn't he changed course once he came back to town and fell back in love with Olivia and his hometown? Why hadn’t he confessed all after Simon’s phone call?
Although he had been on the verge of calling off the stock acquisition, it had been too late. He had been defeated by his own plan.
And now he’d lost the woman he loved.
Love. The very idea of it terrified him. It always had. For him love had always been tied up with unimaginable loss, and he'd never been brave enough to take a chance on loving anyone other than his family members. But n
ow things were different. He was different. He was so tired of running. Coming back home had shown him that there were many things in life his millions couldn't buy. Love. Family. Roots. A soft place to fall.
Olivia.
“Give me one good reason I shouldn't punch you into next week!”
Hunter turned around and saw Braxon barreling towards him, his hands fisted at his sides, his face as dark as storm clouds.
Hunter squared his shoulders and let out a harsh laugh. “You couldn't do it when we were kids. What makes you think anything has changed?”
Braxon took a step toward him, his movements full of power, his face a mask of unbridled rage. “While you've been sitting in an office ruling your kingdom, I've been living in the real world. I have a feeling it's been a while since anyone has challenged you.”
“Give me your best shot, little brother,” Hunter snarled as he met his brother mid-stride and stood chest to chest with him, so close that they could feel each other's hot breath on their faces. As if out of nowhere, Joshua stepped between them, pushing them away from each other with a rough shove of his palms.
“Enough!” Joshua screamed, his voice exploding in anger.
“What kind of stunt was that?” Sadie exploded as she crashed through the door, waving her hands wildly as she made her way toward her brothers. “Is it true what Marcus said?”
“Give him a chance to explain,” Joshua said tersely, his eyes searching Hunter's for an explanation. “You can explain this, can't you?”
“Yes, son. Explain.” His mother's voice cut through the noise, demanding all of his attention. “Explain why you would do this. Why would a man who has everything in the world need to kick another man when he's down?” Mae's face had a stricken appearance, as if she'd been traumatized. The eyes that usually greeted him with warmth and compassion now glittered with resentment and cold, hard anger.
A Moment in the Moonlight (Secrets of Savannah Book 2) Page 14
