Page 35 of Earl
“You confided in me about your childhood.”
“And?” He bristled.
“You told me yourself that because of the lack of parental love, you were always searching for it wherever you can.”
His thick brows lifted, his expression turning ominous. “You are implying that I tend to jump in headfirst?”
“Don’t you?” She prodded softly. “When we first met, you decided that I was ‘the one’ and you lavished attention on me. You bought me expensive gifts as if ensuring that I stayed with you.”
His eyes burned with anger, but he realized it was true. After spending years living with emotionally retarded parents, instead of growing up being hard and brittle, he and his sister had been vulnerable and open to every emotional upheaval there was.
He had been through a series of broken relationships where he either went in too hard and fast or was emotionally unattached. He was starved for love and had been searching for it all his life.
Evelyn had finally found a man who loved her despite all her hangups, and the damages done by their parents, but still she was not completely happy. Her desperate need to have a child had been dashed because of her illness.
His mind flickered to the conversation he had with Cathy last night. She had told him she was going to Mexico with a friend and the first thought that leaped to his mind was that she was going with a guy. She had said it was business, but he was finding that difficult to believe. He had done it again.
Jumped in hard and fast and was now bearing the brunt of it. Jealousy was like a sharp sword twisting the insides of him and he was finding it very hard to deal with it. Best now to break things off before he becomes too attached.
He had basically told her goodbye last night when he said they should take things slow.
“Earl?”
Mentally shaking his head, he concentrated on the woman in front of him. “Forgive me, but I thought it would be appreciated if the man was attentive and generous.”
“Too generous,” Diana muttered.
He laughed harshly. “I had no idea that was a thing.”
“A woman likes to be treasured of course, but we also prefer having the man being physically present.”
His eyes glittered with anger. “You knew what I did for a living before we even met. I am a businessman with a lot of responsibilities, which means I travel a lot and work damned hard. Whenever you had to hightail it out of the country, I would understand, I told you initially that I would never stand in the way of your career, and I never did.
I supported you, cheered you on, was there for you when you started bitching about the parts you were receiving. But that was not enough, was it?”
Diana felt the shame and regret coursing through her body as she stared at him. He was very distinguished looking, with his ink black hair immaculately styled and his stormy gray eyes.
She had seen him naked numerous times and knew firsthand that beneath the silk sweater and precisely cut black trousers, lies a body made sinewy by vigorous exercises. He was very athletic and was religious in doing his workouts.
His sex was full and impressive, and he had a way of driving her crazy in bed. His lovemaking was intense. Even when he was not always there, he made certain to give her pleasure. She never had to fake an orgasm with him. Earl Drummond was the most skillful lover she ever had.
Which begs the question of why she had the need to take another lover.
“I was vain,” she whispered hoarsely, the soup no longer appealing to her tastebuds. “I wanted to be young again. I was grasping for something illusive, proving to myself that I was not in my thirties. I wished I could go back and undo what I did. The hurt and pain I caused you.” She started to reach for his hand on the table and thought better of it.
“You can’t,” he told her abruptly, no longer feeling the rage bubbling up inside him.
“Perhaps we could remain friends?” She ventured hopefully.
His brows arched. “Is that what you want?”
She laughed ruefully. “I want more than that, but I know that’s impossible.”
“It is.”
“Friends, then?”
He nodded. “Friends.”