The Eligible Suspect(41)

                And she still wasn’t over it. “He never knew you caught him?”

                Slowly she shook her head. “He asked why. I just told him I thought I loved him but I realized I didn’t.” She got a faraway look. “He wasn’t even upset. Not that I expected him to be.”

                “You loved him.”

                Now she lowered her head, letting go of the card and putting her hands in her lap.

                “Still love him,” he said.

                Now her head jerked up and she looked at him. “No. Not anymore. I did love him, yes. I loved him very much. It took me a long time to get past him.”

                “Then why are you still so upset about it?”

                She averted her gaze. “I keep wondering the same thing. I guess it’s because I don’t understand how a man can ask a woman to marry him and then so easily end up with someone else.”

                “It’s probably the same reason that sort of thing happens to me. They’re in it for money until they realize money isn’t enough.”

                “I suspected he wasn’t totally in it for me. He was always annoyed whenever I talked about my family or we had to go to a gathering. I think he felt threatened. He had a thriving business and made decent money, but nothing compared to my dad.”

                Korbin nodded. “Was he the last man you’ve been serious about?”

                To that he received a closed look, much the same as he’d received when he’d first arrived. “Why are you asking me all of these questions?”

                “Because I’m curious. And I know what a struggle dating can be when you have rich parents.” He also knew all about loss.

                Her eyes lowered as though she were trying to hide the smile that threatened. After a moment she looked up. “There was someone else, but it wasn’t as serious. We saw each other for a while, but we never talked about marriage. He was a lawyer in Denver. I thought we hit it off, but I was wrong. That ended a few weeks ago.” She kept meeting men who wouldn’t commit.

                “Well, you just might be as jaded as I am.”

                She exhaled derisively. “You’re probably jaded more.”

                “I don’t like thinking I’ll be alone the rest of my life, but I can’t say losing Niya didn’t change my perspective.”

                “Yeah. I get that. I’m still on birth control even though I know I’m nowhere near ready for another relationship. I guess I don’t trust myself with men anymore.”

                He chuckled, finding it much too easy to talk to her.

                Smiling back, she met his eyes and saw into them a little more than he liked.

                “Is it ever not fresh?” she asked.

                She hadn’t asked for herself. She may have gotten over her fiancé enough to move on, to try again to find that special someone to spend the rest of her life with, but it was him she doubted. His wife’s death would always be fresh.

                Digging Savanna out of that avalanche had brought everything back in vivid color. He could smell, taste and feel every second of the memories that were dredged up about Niya’s death.

                “Not for me,” he said. Best if she knew now he was no better than the last two heartbreakers she’d wasted her love on.