High Card
The journey to reclaim love, a second chance romance.
Raised by nannies in the shadow of his family’s fortune, billionaire Xander Hawking yearns for a family of his own. He’s found love with in the capable and captivating Danni Smith, the reticent CFO who has been his rock at the helm of their wireless internet startup. Eager to begin their lives together and with the perfect proposal planned, Xander is certain that his dreams of a future together are just a “yes” away.
But Danni has sworn off marriage, haunted by a past she keeps buried deep. Her heart belongs to Xander, yet the thought of a wedding brings back fears she can’t face. Torn between the desire to be with him and the dread that commitment will be her undoing, Danni fights to maintain a careful balance in their relationship.
When Xander finally proposes, Danni’s world shatters. Consumed by fear and remorse, she does the only thing she can think of: she runs.
Xander is shattered, but refuses to give up. He’s determined to win back the woman he loves no matter the cost.
~EXCERPT~
“What is this?” Danni, in a long lounge dress that molded to her uncaged breasts and bare feet, had stopped halfway down the stairs. She stared at the floor in front of the fireplace, then her gaze moved to the champagne and, finally, to Xander. Her eyes were wide, and he could even see that her skin was more pale than normal.
Confused, Xander held out his hand. “Join me?”
Danni came down the stairs like being led to the guillotine. Each slow, plodding step indicated her reluctance to join him, and his nerves hit high alert. What was going on with her?
“Xander,” she said as she neared him. “I don’t—”
“Wait.” He reached for her hand and nudged her until they were in front of the fire. “Just listen first.” He needed to get this out.
“I can’t—”
“Please?”
Danni sighed and glanced at the champagne. She chewed her lip for a long moment, then nodded curtly.
Here went everything. Xander drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. He tightened his hold on Danni’s hand. “You know you mean the world to me, right?”
Danni nodded. Did he see a sheen of tears in her eyes?
“You touch me in ways no one else ever has.”
She didn’t even bat an eyelash at that. He should have at least gotten a smirk from her. What was going on?
“There are so many reason why I love you. I can’t possibly list them all. So I’ll just say the important ones. You have a smile that lights up my life. You don’t take any bullshit from me. You call me on it right away. You work as hard as I do for this company we’ve built from the ground up.”
He hadn’t told her yet that he had papers designating her a full partner. Xander frowned. He should have given them to her first. Hell, he should have given them to her months ago. God, would she think becoming a partner was contingent on marrying him?
“Ummm,” he faltered. “Sorry. What else? You care deeply. For the people who work for you, for our friends, for me.”
Her worry lines had deepened. Xander had a bad feeling he wasn’t going to like what came next. He’d gone this far and had been patient far longer than normal for him. It was time. He could only pray Danni saw that this was the next logical step in their relationship.
“I love you, Danni. It’s a whole body, whole soul, all-encompassing kind of love. I have since the moment I first met you. I will until the moment I draw my last breath.”
He pulled his hand out of his pocket, and her eyes widened at the box he held. Going down on one knee, almost falling over, he shook so badly, he said the words all in a rush. “Complete me, Danni. Complete us. Will you marry me?”
“I—I—”
Based on her reaction since coming downstairs, Xander hadn’t expected an immediate response. Maybe she needed to think things through. But when she stepped back, away from him, the stab to his heart felt real.
Tears flowed down Danni’s cheeks as she stared at him with anguish written in the lines of her face and angst in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Xander. I should have—I shouldn’t have let this go so far. I’m…I’m sorry. I can’t.”
Without waiting for a response, she ran past the kitchen, grabbing the sweater and purse she’d set on the counter when they arrived, and was out the door before he could stand up. Xander wobbled on his knee and took precious moments to regain his balance before he raced after her. At the door, he stared down at the shoes she’d toed off earlier. By the time he got out the door, she’d disappeared.