by Cassidy Coal
She glared at him. "What happens when you get sick of me? Hm. What then?"
He shook his head. "I'm not going to get sick of you, Sarah. I love you."
She rolled her eyes.
"I do." He reached for her again, but she stepped away.
She frowned, shaking her head slightly. "I don't doubt that you love me now, Tyler. But people change. Will you love me in a month? Or six months? Or a year?"
"I don't know." He shrugged. "I think so, yes. But I can't guarantee that."
"But you'd have me throw everything away so I can be with you." She stared at him, searching for any sign that he understood what he was asking of her.
His lips pressed into a firm line. "Is it money? Is that why you won't come with me?"
She turned away, refusing to answer.
"I'll give you a living allowance then." His voice was hard, clipped. "Ten thousand a month enough? Use it how you want."
She closed her eyes and bowed her head, such a complex storm of emotions washing through her body that it made her ill.
She wanted him to stop talking. To just shut up now before he ruined everything.
But he kept going. "And I'll have my lawyers put something together so that if we ever break-up you'll get a separation payment. How much is enough? Fifty thousand? Sixty? Tell me what it'll take to make you say yes, Sarah."
He placed his hands on her shoulders, but she jerked out of his grip and turned around, her face blotchy with fury.
"You want to know how much it'll cost to buy me? I don't know, Tyler. How much do high-end companions cost these days? A woman who travels with you and is on demand 24-7. Always at your beck and call. How much does a woman like that go for in your world?"
She pushed past him and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Only then did she let herself cry.
She curled up on the floor, her back resting against the door, and sobbed, great heaving gasps of air that she prayed he couldn't hear.
He didn't get it. He was trying to make it right, trying to do something nice so they could be together.
And it was nice. The thought of traveling the world with Tyler…It was amazing, it was wonderful.
And the things she could do with ten thousand dollars a month…Or fifty thousand dollars for that matter. Help her mom finally get out of that damned trailer park. Set up college funds for her nieces and nephews. Pay off her student loans.
But he didn't understand what he'd done.
He'd taken the love growing between them, something fragile and beautiful and delicate, and he'd crushed it. He'd turned what they had into a business transaction.
If she said yes, he'd no longer be her boyfriend, the man she loved and wanted to spend time with.
He'd be the man who paid for her time. The man she depended on for everything. A man who could destroy her and leave her behind with the snap of his fingers.
Every time they disagreed, she'd have to stop and ask herself if it was worth it to fight with him. Worth the risk of losing his financial support for that little issue.
And what issue was worth losing ten thousand dollars a month?
None.
He'd turn her into a shell of herself.
And probably leave her because of it.
And when it was over? Where would she go? Who would hire her? What choice would she have but to move on to another man like Tyler, to turn into a leach, sucking money from the next man and the next one after that?
She stood up. She couldn't do it. As much as she loved him and wanted to say yes, she couldn't.
She turned on the shower and buried herself under the hot stream of water, closing her eyes and letting it cleanse her, wash away all the hurt and pain.
She knew he wouldn't understand. But she knew she had to say no, had to go back to the States, to her accounting job working for Mr. Horowitz.
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When she finally came out of the bathroom an hour later, Tyler was sitting on the patio, his iPad in his lap, marking up a memo.
She sat down in the chair next to his and stared out at the beautiful scene before her. Green grass stretched down to a large, broad, slow-moving river. A tree-covered hill rose into the clear blue sky on the other side of the river, a handful of hikers visible on a trail running along its side.
It was so peaceful, so beautiful. She never wanted to leave this place.
She grabbed Tyler's forearm and leaned close, waiting for him to look at her. When he finally did, she saw the hurt and confusion, and, yes, anger, there.
"I'm sorry, Tyler. I love you. And I want to be with you. But…" She swallowed and looked away. How could she explain this to him? How could she explain that deep-seated fear that if she let go, if she relied on someone, anyone else, that they'd let her down, that they'd fail her and leave her broken and alone?
She bit her lip and took a deep breath, meeting his eyes with hers. "I can't let myself rely on anyone else to take care of me, Tyler. It's…" She shook her head. "I just can't do that. It's not that I don't love you, because I do. It's…I just can't do it."
He frowned at her slightly, but he rested his hand on hers. "I understand, Sarah. I mean, I don't. Not really. I wish you loved me enough to come with me. But I still love you and I still want to be with you, however I can."
He stared off into the distance for a long moment.
"We can still make this work," she said softly, half statement, half question.
He nodded. "We can." He flashed his beautiful smile at her, his eyes bright and shining but with just a hint of doubt hiding deep in their depths.
She leaned forward and kissed him—a long, slow kiss showing him everything she felt that she couldn't put into words.
He growled under his breath, shaking his head. "You know, if I let myself, I'd spend the rest of my life holed up in a cabin with you somewhere making love to you over and over again."
She laughed, the sound spiraling up into the perfect blue sky to join the birds singing somewhere in the distance.
"So why don't you?" she asked, stroking his arm.
"Because sometimes it's good to be denied a bit. Makes me appreciate what I have that much more."
She laughed. "Is that so?"
"It is."
They started at each other for a long moment, both smiling slightly, before Sarah said, "Well, then. Mr. Corrigan what should we do today to deprive ourselves so that we can appreciate each other that much more tonight?"
"How about a skydive?" He glanced up at the perfect blue sky. "You did say you wanted to do one…"
"A skydive, huh?" She studied his face for a moment, searching for any lingering hurt, but didn't see any.
He nodded. "What do you say, Ms. Baxter? Are you up for another adventure with me?"
"I'm always up for another adventure with you, Mr. Corrigan." She leaned forward and kissed him, losing herself in the sensation of her lips on his, in the way their bodies fit so perfectly together. "But maybe we can leave in an hour or so?"
She ran her hand down his arm, staring deep into his eyes. "I have a few more things I'd like to try here while I have you alone."
He kissed her—long and slow and deep. "Okay, but just an hour or so."
She laughed at the intensity in his beautiful green eyes.
They'd be lucky if they were done by dinnertime.
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The story continues in A Mile High Rendezvous. Or you can read the entire eight-story collection, A Mile High Romance: The Complete Collection.
About the Author
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You can contact the author at [email protected].
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For other titles by Cassidy Coal as well as titles by C. Coal and C.K. Carr visit http://ckcauthor.com/.
Steamy Short Stories by Cassidy Coal
A Mile High Romance: The Complete Collection
An Undeniable Attraction: The Complete Collection
A New Year’s to Remember
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Sweet Short Stories by Cassidy Coal
writing as C. Coal
Puppy Love: Volumes 1 to 13
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Novels by Cassidy Coal writing as C.K. Carr
Something Worth Having
Something Gained
Text copyright 2014-2015 M.L. Humphrey
All Rights Reserved
