Yours Seductively

Chapter 11.5

   Jane was impatient for school to start again. As busy as she had kept herself during the two weeks that had passed since Tyler Hamilton had broken her heart again, it still wasn't enough. She needed to fill more hours. It was the first week of August and teachers were to report back to school in less than three weeks, she reminded herself. As far as she was concerned, the time couldn't pass quickly enough.

   She'd been fortunate that she didn't run into Tyler yet. It was inevitable, of course—Honoria wasn't that big. And she supposed it really didn't matter how much time passed before it happened. For the rest of her life, it was going to hurt to see Tyler Hamilton and know they would never be together.

   They ran into each other, almost literally, at the post office. It was raining, and Jane had forgotten her umbrella. She jumped out of her car and made a dash for the door, skidding to a stop in a puddle of water just before she crashed into the back of someone.

   That someone was Tyler.

   Glancing down at her, he immediately shifted his large black umbrella so that it sheltered them both, although Jane was already wet. For one of the few times in her life, she couldn't think of anything to say. They entered the building in silence. Only when they were inside, out of the rain, did Tyler speak. "It's really coming down, isn't it?"

   Oh, God, she thought. They were going to have a polite discussion about the weather. She wasn't sure she could handle that. "Is it? I haven't noticed."

   The faintly reproachful look he gave her almost broke her heart again. It was so typical of Tyler. "How have you been?" he asked.

   "I've been better," she answered candidly, "but I've been worse, too, so I won't complain."

   "Jane--" He looked suddenly resolute, as if he had just then made up his mind about something, "Let's get out of here. We can have a cup of coffee or something."

   He didn't trust her, she reminded herself. He hadn't trusted her even when he had made love with her. And nothing had ever hurt her more. Not the first time he'd rejected her, when he'd said he was leaving for college and wanted nothing to tie him down in Honoria. Not even the day she had heard that he was engaged, or when she'd read his wedding announcement in the local newspaper that she'd always had mailed to her in New York. She could have lived with the fact that he didn't love her, but to know he didn't trust her, that he'd only been using her—that was simply too painful to accept. "No."

   His eyes narrowed in that stubborn look of his. "We need to talk."

   "We talked," she reminded him. "And, frankly, I didn't enjoy it much."

   "Damn it—"

   "Goodbye, Tyler. I would ask you to give my love to the children, but I know how important it is for you to protect them from my influence."

   Okay, so it was a cheap shot. She figured she deserved a couple. Because she was afraid she would give in to her craven heart and changed her mind, she nodded curtly and turned on one heel. He didn't try to stop her when she walked away—and that only hurt her all over again.