Unplanned Desires

he turned to look at her. For a moment, neither of them s

silence, his voice low an

ammered, her heart racing. Her head throbbed, the remnants of last

er clothes. The room, modern and sleek, felt too intimate, too foreign. Her eyes darted around

movement. He looked calm, far too compose

shaky as she pulled on her dress. "T

the bed, his gaze soft but steady. "It

She couldn't deny the way he had made her feel last night, the way he had erased her pain, if

managing to pull up the zipper. "I

s he moved toward her. He was just as magnetic in the daylight as he had been in

voice sending a shiver down her spine. "I th

p in him again. She wasn't that kind of woman-the kind who threw caution to the wind a

ct was screaming at her to run. "I don't know what I wanted,"

ad, he stepped back, giving her space as she gath

y was trembling, the weight of her actions pressing down on her. She didn't want to see the ju

t the polished hardwood floors as she made her way toward the front door. Her fingers fumbled w

e pulled her jacket tighter around herself, her breath coming in ragged gasps

A man whose name she had learned after the fact

st because she'd been hurt. She was careful, composed, always thinking three steps ahead. She had promised herself she would

ions too chaotic to sort through. By the time she stepped through the d

e door as sobs wracked her body. The tears she had been holding back all night f

ad she

n that lingered just beneath the surface. She had thrown herself into her career, determined to forget about Mark, Jen

w straight through the armor she had carefully constructed around herself. She hated that she remember

now. She had moved on. Or

eart pounding in her chest. The sun was high in the Manila sky, casting a warm glow

ed she would be back

the U.S. But now, the very thing she had run from was pulling her back. Her family's financial ruin had been s

an

ng against the marble floors. It had been years, but she still remembered the way

g as she approached the receptionist. "I'm here for a meeting with

hing into her computer. "Mr. Cruz is expecting

rs slid shut behind her, and she exhaled shakily, her mind racing. This was bus

and she stepped into the lavish off

e he

ty. He hadn't changed much in five years-if anything, he looked even more powerful, more dangerous. His dark hair wa

The tension in the room was palpabl

, his voice deeper, more co

chest, but she forced herse

er leaving hers as he closed the distanc

arely above a whisper. Five years,

ing unreadable flashing acros

ying to keep her voice s

idden beneath her words. She had left because of more than just her broken heart. S

r

hing she couldn't

e low. "I've thought about you, So

nted to deny the effect his words had on her, to pretend that she w

r than she intended. She needed to regain control o

ng onto hers with an intensity that sent a shiver down her

d to let him see how much he affect

d feel the heat of his body, the intox

his gaze. For a moment, she was transported back to that night-bac

fford to fall for

. it was a mistake," she said,

reached out, his fingers brushing against her