Part 11 (1/2)

She almost stopped breathing and a tight knot formed in her stomach. How in the world could she have allowed herself to fall in love with Sterling Hamilton! She felt as if a heavy hand was closing around her heart, squeezing it. How could she have let herself fall under his spell like a zillion other women?

Colby clenched the phone in her hand until it hurt and slowly eased up. She took a deep breath and tried not to panic. Somehow and some way she would find a way to deal with this.

A sound behind her caught Colby's attention. She turned to find Sterling standing in the doorway. She could tell by the way he was looking at her that he had been privy to her conversation with Cynthia; specifically he had heard the part where she had said she loved him.

She quickly turned back around. ”Cynthia, I have to go,” she blurted out. ”Someone just came in.”

”Who?”

Colby rolled her eyes upward. ”Look, we'll finish this conversation later, I promise.”

Out of the corner of her eyes Colby saw Sterling walking toward her. Before she had a chance to react, he was standing right in front of her.

”May I?” he asked.

Not giving her a chance to respond, he took the phone out of her hand. ”h.e.l.lo, Cynthia. This is Sterling.”

There was complete silence on the other end. Sterling quirked a brow and covered the mouthpiece of the phone with his hand and whispered to Colby, ”She won't say anything.”

”She's probably fainted,” Colby stated calmly.

Sterling frowned and put the phone back to his mouth. ”Cynthia? Are you there?”

Seconds later, Cynthia's happy and excited voice came back on the line. It was so loud even Colby could hear it. Evidently her sister-in-law had recovered from shock.

”Yes,” Sterling laughed, ”I'm really Sterling Hamilton, and yes, I'm marrying Colby.”

He laughed again. ”I'm looking forward to meeting you, too.” He nodded. ”Yes, I a.s.sure you Colby's in good hands.” Another nod. ”And yes, we'll be arriving in Richmond around noon tomorrow.”

Colby shook her head. Cynthia was as bad as James at times. She wanted to know everything, every little detail.

”You have one more question?” Sterling asked Cynthia. ”All right, what is it?”

Whatever Cynthia was asking made Sterling look at Colby. His dark eyes held hers as he studied her intently. ”Yes, I fell in love with Colby the moment I saw her.” A few moments went by then he said. ”All right, Cynthia. Goodbye.”

He hung up the phone. His expression was mildly humorous. ”I take it she's a romantic,” he said.

”Of the worst kind.”

Dipping his head slightly, he said, ”I guess the more people we tell our little story, the more believable it will seem. Just listening to you tell Cynthia how we met almost had me believing it myself. You're a good storyteller.”

Colby leaned toward him, seething with mounting anger. ”Is that a nice way of saying I'm a good liar?”

Sterling raised a brow at the fury he saw lighting her eyes. ”No, that's not what I meant at all. There's a difference between being a good storyteller and being a good liar. I consider a liar as someone who makes a habit of not telling the truth to serve their own purpose. I think of a storyteller as a person who has the ability to weave magical, believable tales and fables for the enjoyment of others. I bet you do that a lot for your students.”

The lines of anger in Colby's features dissolved. Sterling's comment had not been the put-down she'd a.s.sumed. Instead he'd said it as a compliment.

”Yes, I enjoy telling stories to them,” she said, annoyed with herself for overreacting. She didn't like these new emotions a.s.sailing her senses. How could she suddenly have such strong feelings for Sterling? A couple of days ago she was convinced she totally disliked him.

She walked over to the window wondering why he was there. She'd thought she wouldn't be seeing him again until later that day. ”Is there something you wanted?” she found herself asking him. She wanted to be left alone for a while to think.

Sterling looked past her and out the window at the beautiful ocean view before meeting her gaze. ”I thought you'd be interested to know the squeeze we put on Morton Industries is working. Already my people have received calls from them.”

Colby became instantly excited. ”Oh, Sterling, that's wonderful.”

”But it's not over yet.”

”I know, but that's still good news. Thanks for telling me.”

He continued to look at her, thinking how beautiful she looked with the sun's rays highlighting her features. He suddenly became annoyed with himself for having such thoughts.

”Why shouldn't I share it with you?” he asked curtly. ”That's all part of the deal, isn't it? I'm to save Wingate Cosmetics and you're supposed to give me a child. And no matter what romantic tale we've fabricated for others, you and I know the truth.”

He quickly turned and left the room.

Colby sighed deeply. Sterling's words had seared her heart because they had painfully reminded her of her place in his life. A place he considered to be only temporary.

Now she had a new problem to deal with, an even bigger one than before. How was she going to deal with the fact she had fallen in love with Sterling Hamilton?

Chapter 11.

Colby inhaled the salty smell of the ocean. It was invigorating, stimulating and soothing. The gentle breeze ruffled her hair, tantalized her tender skin and at the same time it beckoned her to enjoy the awe-inspiring beauty of her surroundings. It lured her to relax, unwind and appreciate the mystic effect of the lush blue-green waters that touched the sandy sh.o.r.es.

And so she did.

The salty spray of the ocean seemed to slowly wash away the troubles that plagued her mind. She didn't want to think about why she had suddenly fallen head over heels in love with a man who didn't love her in return, a man who saw her place in his life as only temporary, and only as a means to an end.

She opened her arms, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The smell of the ocean, the feel of silken sand beneath her bare feet and the warmth of the sun on her skin consumed her senses. She opened her eyes, leaned her head back to stare up into the clear blue sky, seeking comfort and relief from her tormented mind.

And from somewhere she received the inner peace she sought.

She was suddenly entrenched with a feeling that somehow things would be all right. It endowed her with the belief that there was a reason she had been placed in Sterling Hamilton's life and he in hers. And it bestowed upon her a promise that in time the answers would come and the purpose would be made clear.

She took another long, deep breath of the clean, salty air and felt her anxieties and tension slowly disappear. She smiled and like a small child filled with an abundance of energy and full of life, she ran toward the beach to enjoy the waters.

”You're so busy enjoying the view outside that window, you haven't taken the time to notice my presence.”

Sterling's gaze slid from the window to the man whose imposing height and stature nearly filled the room. ”You're early, Kyle.”

Kyle Garwood smiled. ”My grandfather used to say the early bird catches the worm.” He walked over to where Sterling was standing in front of the window. Curiosity made him gaze out of it to see just what held Sterling's attention.

Kyle's smile widened. ”But I guess I can say in your case, Hamilton, the early bird catches you standing at the window ogling your future wife,” he said, chuckling. ”From the news I've read in this morning's paper, I a.s.sume congratulations are in order.”