Running from Fate

by Connelly, Rose

  “What are not telling me?” Sarah asked suspiciously.

  “I don’t know what you mean.” Mira bit her lip and wished she had a phone cord to twirl around her finger.

  “Come on honey,” Sarah cajoled. “We’ve been friends for a long time. I know when you’re hiding something.”

  Sometimes it was a pain having such good friends. She might as well give in gracefully. At least Sarah wasn’t likely to yell at her. She was one of the sweetest, most empathetic people that Mira knew. “I’ve been really stupid,” she finally admitted.

  Half an hour later she was holding the phone away and sincerely wishing she had kept her mouth shut. Her ear was starting to throb and she felt somehow betrayed. With great care and a quick prayer, she lifted the phone from where she had laid it on the sofa. “Are you about finished yelling at me?” she asked.

  “I’m sorry that I lost my temper,” Sarah replied, “but somebody has to make you see the error of your ways. I’ve known you for years and you’ve never been the type of person who hid from the truth or someone who deliberately deluded themselves. I can almost understand why you originally concealed your identity, but how could you let it go on this long?”

  “I was scared,” she said defensively.

  “Of what? That you wouldn’t get the job or that he wouldn’t like you?”

  “No. I was scared that whatever caused me to lose him 15 years ago would happen again.”

  “First of all, you did nothing to lose him so get that through your thick head. He was the one who acted like a complete bastard.” She took a couple of deep breaths before continuing. “Secondly, I’ve never known you to be a coward. You’re going to have to tell him, soon. He may not have figured it out yet, but James was your friend for years. He will eventually realize who you are.”

  “I know and I will.” Mira sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

  “Good.” Sarah’s voice was much calmer. “Do it soon though.”

  “Absolutely,” Mira promised. She just had to figure out how.

  Chapter 21

  She had decided that the safest thing to do was invite James over to her house for dinner. Even though she had seen very few outward signs of temper in the new James people didn’t change that much and when she told him who she was, there was bound to be a lot of yelling and screaming. Coupled with the stress she was already feeling, a public scene was definitely not what see needed.

  With her eye on the clock, Mira sliced open a loaf of French bread and spread garlic butter on both halves. Despite the fact that she had been raised in a fairly privileged household, at least until she was 15, her mother had insisted that she learn to cook and she even enjoyed it on occasion. She had originally had the idea of making colcannon in the hopes that a dish from James’ homeland would soften him up, but considering some of what he had told her of his early life in Ireland, she had opted to prepare lasagna instead. It was both a neutral dish and one that she had made numerous times so preparing it took little thought. Of course, that gave her more time to think and worry so it might not be such a good thing.

  Deciding, for the moment, to concentrate her attention on the meal, she slid the garlic bread into the oven, where the lasagna was just finishing up, and glanced around the kitchen for something else to do. There was nothing. An etched glass bowl overflowing with a lovely green salad already sat by the sink and the nice bottle of Chianti that she bought for the occasion was already breathing on the counter.

  A quick glance at the clock over the stove told her that she had just enough time to run upstairs and freshen up before James arrived. As she was walking through the living room, however, she spotted something white lying on the floor.

  When she bent down to pick it up, she realized that it was the envelope she had received in the mail yesterday. It must have somehow been knocked off the end table. A little curious now she picked it up and looked at the front. Her address was typed in some swirly font, but there didn’t appear to be any return information.

  Curiosity tempted her to tear the envelope open, but some hidden instinct told her that she had to treat it carefully. As gently as possible, she opened the flap and extracted a single sheet of printer paper. In the middle of the page, composed with what seemed to be letters cut from a fashion magazine, was a message: STAY AWAY FROM JAMES KELLY IF YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOOD FOR YOU!

  Any normal person, Mira told herself, would probably feel some trepidation when confronted with such a blatant threat. Apparently, she wasn’t a normal person because far from fear, she was actually kind of amused by the attempt to intimidate her. Of course, the fact that she had a pretty good idea who the letter had come from helped things. This had all the hallmarks of something concocted by the lovely, but vacuous Kimberly Roberts. The fact that she had seen a red convertible with a tall blond woman in the driver’s seat cruising by her neighborhood recently further convinced her.

  She decided that she would save the letter, but more for amusement than anything else. It would make her feel kind of stupid to bring it to the police. Just as she was slipping the offending envelope into what was quickly becoming her junk drawer the doorbell rang. This was something between the other woman and herself so she saw no reason to tell James about the original threat or the letter. Besides, she could handle Kimberly Roberts. With a bump from her hip she shut the drawer.

  James stood on the stoop and tapped his foot, waiting impatiently for Mira to answer the door. He hadn’t been sure what to expect when she had called and asked him over for dinner and he actually found himself slightly anxious to find out. From what he had been able to tell their relationship was progressing well despite the fact that things were moving slower than he would have liked. Because of the slow pace, which was entirely Mira’s idea, the invite to her home was a little suspect.

  They had been officially dating for almost a month now and had been dancing around their attraction for each other since they had first met. Considering the intense physical pull between them, James had been sure that, by this time, they would have already ended up in bed. She, however, seemed to have other ideas. In fact, recently, she had seemed reticent to go anywhere beyond kissing and, during the past few days she had actually avoided physical contact with him altogether.

  He had a feeling that whatever happened tonight would change the course of their budding relationship. She would either break things off, which seemed likely, or she would finally decide to take things to the next level. It had been a long time since a woman had broken up with him, but he usually took the end of an affair very philosophically because there were always more women out there.

  This time, though, he didn’t think that he would come away unscathed if the relationship ended. Despite his original intentions, he had been unable to keep an emotional distance. The more time he spent with Mira, the more time he wanted to spend with her. He was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to replace her and the thought of being so vulnerable terrified him.

  Suddenly, the door opened and there she stood wearing a tiny black dress and three-inch heels that made her legs look miles long. Her unbound hair floated around her shoulders and one teasing strand tickled the top of her breasts. His mouth dropped open and his brain went fuzzy. All that he could think was a woman didn’t wear a dress that screamed sin when she was ready to break up with a man.

  As an overwhelming sense of relief poured through him, he reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into his arms.

  “Is something wrong?” Mira asked as she tightened her arms around him. It wasn’t like James to be so spontaneously affectionate and she found it a little worrying. “Are you feeling sick?” Concerned, she pulled back slightly and placed a hand on his forehead, checking for a fever.

  “No, I’m not sick.” James chuckled and gave her a quick squeeze before releasing her. He gently pushed her inside and shut the door behind them before heading unerringly for the delicious aroma coming from the kitchen. “Something smells really good. What are we havi
ng?”

  Mira didn’t answer and he turned around to see what the problem was. She was standing in front of the door staring at him with a puzzled look on her face. He grinned, happy at the thought that he had the ability to confuse her, and opened the oven to check its contents. It looked done so he grabbed a couple of towels and bent down to pull out the delicious looking lasagna.

  “What are you doing?” Mira demanded, coming out of her trance. She shook her head to clear it and rushed over to grab the dish out of James’ hands before he could sit it on her beautiful marble countertop. Very carefully, she sat it down on a wooden cutting board that she had brought out earlier and went back for the garlic bread.

  “Did I do something wrong?” he asked.

  “Don’t worry about it.” She sighed and ran her fingers through her unbound hair. Damn it, she thought in frustration, she had forgotten to put her hair up and she wasn’t even wearing any makeup. Nothing was going the way she had planned.

  “Is there something I can do to help?” He watched Mira glare at the lasagna as if it had personally insulted her and tried not to laugh.

  “You can pour the drinks.” She gestured vaguely toward the open bottle. “The wine glasses are in the cupboard above.” A door opened and she figured that she had a few minutes to serve the food and get it on the table. Opening the cupboard above her, she reached for the plates.

  James lifted the wineglass and turned, intending to take them to Mira. She was standing on her tiptoes stretching up to reach the top shelf. A hint of black lace peeked out from under her dress. He swallowed thickly and deliberately sat the glasses down.

  Mira jumped when James stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. The plates in her hands rattled together and she carefully sat them down before they fell and shattered on her lovely floor. She very badly wanted to lean back and snuggle in but, after weeks of resisting temptation, she wasn’t sure how strong her control was. If she gave in now, even a little bit, she might never say what she needed to.

  “What are you doing James? Can’t you see that I’m trying to work here?” she demanded in as firm a tone as possible. She desperately needed to sound annoyed rather than tempted, but the slight quiver in her voice betrayed her.

  Sensing her capitulation, James moved forward, trapping her against the counter with his body. “What do you think I’m doing?” he said in a husky voice. He removed an arm from around her waist and shifted her silky hair. With a practiced move, he bent his head and lightly nipped the nape of her neck.

  The exquisitely restrained caress made Mira’s entire body quiver and she fought to bite back a moan. Instead, the noise came out sounding more like a cat’s mewl. She had to get out of this situation before the thrill of desire coursing through her blood blinded her.

  In a last ditch effort to regain control of the situation, she pushed backward hard, hoping to unbalance him, but she had forgotten that her heels made them the same height. The thick ridge of his arousal pressed against the notch between her thighs and moisture spread, soaking her panties. She hung her head and fought not to move. She was not this person, she told herself desperately. The cool, composed Mira Anders did not rip the clothes off a man and have sweaty, mind-blowing sex with him on her kitchen floor. Unfortunately, that was exactly what she wanted to do, but he had to know who she was first or he might not forgive her deception. “Stop,” she ground out thickly. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

  “God, darlin,” James groaned as he pushed one of his muscled thighs between hers, easing them apart. “Please don’t stop me. I’m dying here.” He hadn’t felt this desperate since he was a teenager and, if he didn’t get into her soon he was going to explode. “Whatever it is, we can talk about it later. Just let me have you now.”

  With a rough sound he ran his hands up her torso and shaped her sensitive breasts in his hungry hands. He squeezed almost roughly, pulling an agonized moan from Mira. She instinctively arched back, rubbing her body against his in a dance as old as time.

  At the desperate sound James felt his control snap and spun her around, fitting his aching body to hers. “Shit,” he muttered darkly as he felt her soft breasts rub against his chest. It wasn’t enough.

  Mira felt James’ hands move up her bare thighs, but she was way past protesting. When his fingers locked in the waistband of her panties and pulled, she wiggled her hips, helping him dislodge the damp fabric. The piece of black lace pooled at her feet and she quickly stepped out of it, kicking it away with a heeled foot.

  She could hear James swearing softly as he struggled with his zipper and, finally, tugged his pants down. His naked length pressed upward against her stomach. She cried out and locked her arms around his neck, trying desperately to climb his body. Suddenly, his arms were supporting her, her legs were wrapped around his waist, and the thick head of his erection was pushing slowly into her. She moved slightly, trying to ease the throbbing pressure.

  Mira wasn’t aware that she was moaning and clawing at his back, but James was and it was driving him crazy. He adjusted his stance and, with a low growl of male triumph, plunged into her welcoming heat.

  Her body was moist and ready, but she felt full, stretched almost to the point of pain. She shifted uncomfortably and tried to pull back. “It will be better soon baby,” James promised her in a voice thick with desire. He pushed her against the counter, holding her still, and reached between her legs.

  At the touch of his fingers, scorching pleasure shot through Mira’s nerve endings. Her body tightened urgently.

  Unbearably aroused by the rhythmic clenching of her body, James lifted her, pulling his entire length out, and slammed into her so fast and deep that she climaxed almost immediately, her scream of pleasure muffled against his shoulder. His own body shuddered heavily and he came seconds later, pumping into her as he felt his body splinter.

  For a long time the only sound in the kitchen was their harsh panting while they both relearned how to breathe. Finally, Mira laid her head down on James’ shoulder and let her legs relax their grip. Before her feet could hit the floor, however, James kicked his discarded pants away and swung her into his arms. With a slightly unsteady gait, he crossed the living room and slowly climbed the stairs.

  **********************************************************

  “Are you awake James?” Mira asked as she slowly sat up in the night darkened bedroom. With what little light came through the windows, she could just make out the outline of his body as he sprawled on the bed next to her.

  He mumbled something unintelligible and rolled over, pulling the blanket off her.

  “You have to wake up,” she continued. “There’s something that I really need to tell you.” She reached out a hand, intending to prod him in the shoulder. His skin was too appealing and she ended up running her fingers down his sleekly muscled back instead. He grabbed her hand and tugged, pulling her down next to him.

  “Are you married?” he growled.

  “No.”

  “Then it can wait until morning.” He yawned widely and rolled over, plastering her against his chest.

  Slightly stung by his attitude, she scooted backward and yanked the blankets out from under him. He moved suddenly and she found herself lying flat on her back with an enticingly muscled man looming over her.

  “I don’t know about you,” he said in a sleep roughened voice as he stared down at her, “but I’m exhausted, however,” he continued as his gaze drifted from her face to her soft, full breasts, “if you don’t stop squirming around I can’t guaranteed that I’ll let you get any sleep tonight.”

  “Are you sure you have enough strength?” she purred, completely sidetracked now by the renewed tingling that was spreading through her body. After several energetic hours spent in bed with James she had been sure that her body was too exhausted for anything except sleep. Apparently she had been wrong.

  “I can’t promise anything,” he murmured as he slowly lowered his head, “but I�
��ll do my best.”

  Chapter 22

  Mira awoke to bright sunlight flooding into her room and immediately squeezed her eyes shut. Automatically, she reached her arm out, searching for James. Her hand encountered only cool sheets. The prospect of getting out of bed and facing the consequences of her loss of control was not exactly appealing and she seriously contemplated snuggling under the blankets and staying there until James left. Unfortunately, she would still have to face him at some point, especially since she worked with him. Maybe with memories of the passion-filled night still lingering he would be a bit more willing to listen to her. It was worth a try anyway. Heaving a sigh, she threw off the blankets and climbed out of bed.

  After using the bathroom and brushing her teeth, she contemplated the clothing in her closet and tried to decide what outfit would help her the most. Should she dress in the attire of a confident, controlled woman or should she play up her youthful looks and go for innocence?

  She was standing in nothing but a pair of lacy underwear when her gaze fell on James’ discarded t-shirt and an idea began to form. Thinking quickly, she grabbed it off the chair and pulled it over her head. The shirt was plain white and, once on, it barely skimmed the top of her thighs. When she moved, it clung to her breasts, making it obvious that she was wore nothing underneath. Considering the intensely sexual night they had shared, the attire would hopefully help distract his attention from the revelation that she was about to make. Generally, she didn’t like using manipulative tactics, but this time she would make an exception. The future of their relationship and, she was coming to realize, her own happiness hung in the balance.

  When she finally ventured downstairs she found the kitchen cleaned up with no evidence left of their late night snack of cold lasagna. A fresh pot of coffee sat on the warmer and she grabbed a cup before going in search of James. She finally located him sitting at the wrought iron table that she had recently purchased for her patio. The bright sunlight glinted off his bare back, showcasing his sleekly muscled strength and distracting Mira from her purpose. Saliva built up in her mouth and she found herself drawn forward, her bare feet making little sound as she crossed the living room. She was almost at the sliding doors when she noticed that James held something in his hands. He turned whatever it was and light bounced, bringing it into sharp relief. It was the locket that he had given her many years ago. When her hand started to shake she bent down and set her cup on the floor.