Page 38 of Falling in Love Again: A Valentine's Day Proposal

“Hmm, I see.” I nod slowly. “And where exactly are you going to get this money?”

; “I was hoping that you would lend it to me.” She bangs her hip against mine. “Since you love me so much.”

“Love you,” I instantly scoff. “Come on, Anna, you can’t honestly say that.”

“You don’t love me anymore?” She manages to make herself look sad. “Oh, come on, Carter.”

“I did love you, and you destroyed that. So, you can’t use that against me now.”

“Okay, well let’s work on the basis that you did love me then. I can do that. When you married me, you didn’t ever want anything bad to happen to me, did you? You wanted to protect me and stuff.”

“Hmm, just like you said you were going to be faithful to me.”

She huffs, clearly irritated that this isn’t going the way she wants it to. I’m not the person she can just manipulate anymore. I’m sure that must really destroy her. But it isn’t my problem.

“Look, Anna. I don’t know what you’re trying to do here, but it isn’t going to happen, okay? I’m not going to give you any money. I gave you enough considering you cheated on me, I don’t owe you anymore.”

“You might not owe me, but you should care enough to want to help me.”

“I feel bad for you, Anna. I do. But I’m not going to give you anything. That’s the end of the matter.”

I want her to leave, I need her to go, but she doesn’t. She continues to stare me down. “You know, I only strayed because of your workaholic tendencies, that’s all. I felt ignored by you, so I fell into Daniel’s arms. That was a mistake, I know that now, but I’m not completely to blame here.”

“I’m not listening to this,” I warn her. “You didn’t have to cheat. You could have talked to me whatever I did. Plus, you and Daniel have stuck it out for years. It can’t have been that much of a mistake.”

“Oh, you know me. I don’t like to be alone. It was a mistake though. You were better.”

She moves closer to me, shaking her hips as she goes. I recognize that glint in her eyes, but it isn’t welcome. It’s a look that I’ve not seen lots in real life, but more in my dreams. I don’t want it now. I’m smart enough to know that this is all a game, that she doesn’t really want me. She destroyed me enough, I won’t let her do more.

“I always wanted you, really. This could be our chance to get back to that place. But do it better this time around. You focus on me more; I’ll focus on you more. We can really give it a shot.”

“I just have to pay off these debts first, right? That’s what you’re trying to say.”

“Well, we won’t be able to start a fresh life without that, will we?”

She grabs my hips and moves her hands up my body, her eyes flashing as she does. She knows me well, she thinks that she has me, but I’m not the same person I was when we were together. I’ve changed a lot.

“Anna, stop this.” I grab her hands and move her off me. “This isn’t going to work.”

“You think?” She pushes up onto her tip toes and smiles at me. Her lips are so close to mine I can almost feel the moisture on them. But it doesn’t interest me. Not one bit. “Why are you trying to deny us, Carter?”

“There is no us. That’s because of you. If you wanted an us then you shouldn’t have cheated.”

“You’re acting like people can’t change. Like they can’t grow.”

“Oh, no. I’m not. I know that people can grow, I’m not a fool. I’ve grown myself, and now I don’t want to go anywhere near you anymore. There’s nothing that you can do to change my mind.”

She grabs my bulge, going in for the kill, but as soon as she realizes that there isn’t a scrap of activity going on down there, her eyebrows furrow in anger. She wiggles her hand a bit as if she’s trying to wake up my cock, but of course, there’s still nothing. I think she’s finally starting to see that it isn’t going to happen. I push her off.

“What the fuck, Carter? Why are you being such a dick?” She takes offense to my lack of erection. “What the fuck is going on with you? You can’t honestly be still pissy about our marriage now.”

“Wow. Yet again you prove how little you think of me. Classic Anna.”

“Come off it. Get down from your high horse. I just want some help.”

I step back and she immediately folds her arms across her chest. Thank God she’s stopped touching me now.