Read Unfinished Business for Free Online

deep intensity of Alex’s voice startled Christy. “Who the hell do you think you are, Alex? Three years ago you all but told me—although in a nice way—to go to hell, and now you have the nerve, the gall, the damn audacity, to stand here and tell me that you don’t intend to get out of my life the way you asked me to get out of yours? I’m not someone you can kick to the curb, then come back and call out to play when the mood suits you.”
    “I was wrong, Christy.”
    Christy raised a surprised brow. Not in a million years had she expected him to admit that. She sighed. Too bad. He was a day late and a dollar short. “You’re right, Alex, you were wrong. Now please get out of my life.”
    “Can we at least talk about it?”
    “For what? It won’t change a thing. It happened. It’s over. There’s no way we can go back, wipe the slate clean, or start over, and it’s all your fault.”
    Alex eyed her thoughtfully, then said, “That night you claimed you loved me. If you could fall out of love with me so easily, then I was right all along. It truly wasn’t love you felt after all, was it, Christy?”
    The darkening of Christy’s eyes showed her seething rage. “How dare you tell me that I didn’t love you! I’ve loved you since I was thirteen. I never took any of my dates seriously and my brothers’ extreme case of overprotectiveness never bothered me because I always assumed that no matter what, I had you. I wore that ring proudly because as childish as it seemed, I truly believed in my heart that ring stood for something special. And in one night you showed me it hadn’t stood for anything. None of it did—the ring, my love, my dreams—nothing. In one single night you destroyed it all.”
    “Christy, I—”
    “No, I really don’t want to hear it, Alex. No matter how I might have felt before, I’m no longer in love with you, and if you really care about my feelings, the decent thing to do is walk out that door and leave me alone.”
    Alex swallowed deeply. He refused to believe he had messed up so badly that it was beyond repair. He knew the Madarises well, and the one thing he did know about them was that when they fell in love it was forever. But then he also knew from his close association with Dex and Clayton that when it came to the issue of the Madaris pride, they could be unforgiving.
    Christy was no different from her brothers. He had hurt her pride that night and there would be hell to pay before she found it in her heart to forgive him. But he refused to give up and let go.
    He met her gaze. “I can’t leave you alone, Christy.”
    A lump formed in Christy’s throat. Why was he putting her through this? Telling him that she didn’t love him was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do, and knowing it was a lie had made it even harder. But for now, the hurt and humiliation she had endured that night overshadowed any love she felt, and she would make sure it continued to do so. She could not think of forgiveness when she still felt pain. She had learned a valuable lesson and would not let Alex—or any man, for that matter—have control of her heart again.
    Before Christy realized it, Alex took a step forward and drew her into his arms. Her breath caught in response to his closeness, the masculine scent he was emitting, and the sensuality of every single thing about him. She knew she had to resist him. She needed to ask him to step back, insist that he leave, but she couldn’t get the words to form in her mouth. And at the moment pulling away from him wasn’t an option, either. It seemed his deep, penetrating gaze had her transfixed in place.
    Then the memories of that night three years ago flooded her mind, but not in the way she wanted them to. Instead of remembering the harsh words he had spoken, she was seized with memories of the kiss they had shared; just thinking of it had her light-headed, barely able to draw in her next breath.
    Desire between them had flared that night,