Torn: Kory & Aimee (Oak Springs Book 5) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Epilogue

  One 3

  Two 10

  Three 14

  Four 19

  Five 21

  Six 23

  Seven 25

  Eight 28

  Nine 33

  Ten 37

  Eleven 40

  Twelve 43

  Thirteen 47

  Fourteen 51

  Fifteen 58

  Sixteen 62

  Seventeen 66

  Eighteen 72

  Nineteen 76

  Epilogue 80

  Sneak Peek 84

  Available and Coming Soon Books By Lucy Rinaldi. 87

  About The Author 89

  Torn

  Oak Springs, 5

  Kory & Aimee

  Copyright © 2017 Lucy Rinaldi

  The contents of this novel are pure fiction.

  All names, places and events are in no way associated with any persons dead or alive.

  Places and events are used for fictional purposes only.

  Any similarity's to real life events, places or persons are pure coincidence.

  All rights reserved.

  Table of Contents

  One 3

  Two 10

  Three 14

  Four 19

  Five 21

  Six 23

  Seven 25

  Eight 28

  Nine 33

  Ten 37

  Eleven 40

  Twelve 43

  Thirteen 47

  Fourteen 51

  Fifteen 58

  Sixteen 62

  Seventeen 66

  Eighteen 72

  Nineteen 76

  Epilogue 80

  Sneak Peek 84

  Available and Coming Soon Books By Lucy Rinaldi. 87

  About The Author 89

  One

  Aimee

  Okay, date number two with short and stocky. Why am I on a date with a man who is so very obviously twenty years older than I am and an out of towner? Because I'm dumb and I allowed my friends to set me up on a blind date.

  Why did I allow them to set me up on a blind date?

  Your guess is as good as mine.

  According to the people of this small town, I need to start getting out there and dating before I get too much older. I mean, seriously? I'm twenty-seven, I'm not dead.

  But I can't deny that my desire to have a baby is taking over everything else in my mind. I feel like time is running out for me. I want a baby before I get much older. All of my friends have kids, and there's me. No man, no kids, nothing but my business. But in order for me to have a baby, I need to find the right man to have said baby with. And not just anybody will do.

  Call me what you will, but the man I choose to have a baby with has to be someone I can see myself getting along with for the rest of my life. For the baby's sake. I want my child's father to be in its life not out of it. I'm not looking for a relationship, just a father for my child. Although, finding the man that I could have a real relationship with would be nice. Just won't happen.

  It's not that I'm against dating or even relationships, but I don't have a very good track record, and to be honest, there's not much talent left in this town for a girl like me.

  A lot of my friends are younger than me, so that sucks all to hell. All I want is what they have. I want to be loved like I'm everything to the man sleeping next to me each night.

  Love.

  What's that?

  Love has not exactly been kind to me. Don't get me wrong, I have loving parents and grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. But the romantic kind of love? That ship sailed a long time ago along with my heart. No, love won't be knocking on my door anytime soon.

  And that's how I know I won't be having a baby. I just have no chemistry with anyone. But I'm trying. That's why I figure giving people a chance will soon land me with the right man to father my children.

  Back to short and stocky.

  Tim is nice enough, he's funny in a contemporary kind of way. A probate lawyer from New York, here to visit the sleepy town where all the high flyers come to relax. The picturesque waterfront town of Oak Springs is hardly the place people think it is. But nevertheless, the place is fast becoming popular to outsiders.

  Over the last three years alone, business has tripled. My little waterfront boutique is thriving in a way I never believed it would. I'm even traveling a lot these days, all over the place to sell my designs and Roya's. God, that girl has some talent when it comes to lingerie.

  I love traveling, I love meeting with potential buyers, and I love putting my boutique out there. My designs mean the world to me and I love that a wider customer base is getting the benefit of them. Phone orders, internet orders, it certainly keeps Roya and me busy. I hate putting a waiting time on orders, but sometimes it's unavoidable.

  Roya is my only staff member, so it's becoming a lot of work for the just the two of us. But in a town this small it's hard to find anyone who would even want to work with us, let alone be qualified enough. Thank God for mass production warehouses or we'd never get anything done.

  I'm sitting here in the same bar I've been in every almost weekend since I was legally old enough to drink, and sometimes before that when my parents brought me here as a child. This town doesn't have much in the way of nightlife. Four bars, three restaurants, and two nightclubs. And one of those nightclubs is inside local firefighter, Enzo Ryker's hotel. But Hooliey's was Tim's bar of choice for us to meet tonight.

  I don't even know why I agreed to this second date, the first one was boring enough. Tim hadn't done anything wrong, in fact, he'd done everything right. He'd been a real gentleman, but there's no spark there for me at all. In all honesty, it feels like I'm having dinner with my father. So definitely not the father of my future children.

  Our first date was exactly the same as this one. Dinner, a bottle of wine, some chatter about what we do for a living, and then home... Alone. When he came into my boutique this morning and asked if I'd like to come to dinner tonight, my first thought was, Oh, hell no! But that's not the answer that came out of my mouth. I stupidly said yes.

  What the fuck?

  I'm wearing black slacks and a black glittery type shirt that ties around my neck. At least it's not backless because I don't think I could handle this man touching my naked back. Him touching my naked arms and shoulders is enough to make me want to hurl. That, and I wish I hadn't worn such high heels. Not only do my feet hurt, but I feel like I'm standing next to a midget every time I stand up.

  I shouldn't be so hard on him. He tries hard to look good, to make me feel comfortable and happy. But the truth is, this isn't me. I don't do this whole dating thing. I like being alone. I like working, working out, and that's pretty much it.

  Hell. My life is so boring!

  But if I don't try, how will I get what I want? A sperm bank? Like I said, I kind of want a father for my child. But if I have to go down that route, then I will.

  “Would you like some more wine?”

  “No, thank you, Tim. I think I should be getting home.” I smile at him. He's kind of handsome for a man of his age. Pity “short” doesn't do it for me.

  “Are you sure I can't persuade you?” He smirks, his fingertip sliding up and down my arm. And yes, of course, it turns my stomach. I shudder but he doesn't seem to notice.

  “Maybe we could take this somewhere else.” It's not a question but a statement, and there is no way on this earth I'm going anywhere with this man. I don't sleep with random people. I never have and never will. Hell, I don't sleep with anyone... Okay, someone, but that's irrelevant right now.

  Tim and I may have
been on two dates, but sleeping with him is not an option at this point. I may want a baby, and I will do anything to get one, but I won't sleep with just anyone to get it. I have some damn pride.

  “I could show you...” His voice trails off in my ears as the scent of familiar cologne hits my senses. Oh my god, no. Not here. “...Okay?”

  “Aimee,” My eyes flutter closed, the sound of his deep voice makes my body hum, even after all this time. It shouldn't be this way, he's not supposed to be able to affect me like this anymore!

  I notice Tim's eyes locked on the man now beside me. Because he couldn't just stand behind me could he? Oh no, he had to come to the side of me so that his gorgeous body is almost pressed against me.

  Bastard!

  “Kory,” I reply without looking at him.

  “Who's your friend?”

  I give Tim a, I'm sorry, look before answering Kory. “This is Tim. Tim this is Kory.” I watch them shake hands and exchange pleasantries, which to me is just insane. But then, Tim isn't to know the extent of my relationship with Kory. Hell, no one knows anything about us, he made sure of that.

  I'm not really a big drinker, I never have been, apart from one or two nights when I was younger, but right now, as I down this wine like it's water, I'd say I'm pretty much on my way to being smashed.

  “So, how do you two know each other?” Who said he could sit down?

  “I'm just a tourist who saw a pretty girl and asked her out. This is actually our second date.”

  “Is that so.” It wasn't a question. Nothing much ever is with Kory. He's all about facts. I guess that's the lawyer in him.

  Our eyes lock hard and firm the second I look up at him, and yes, I instantly regret it. Everything I try to suppress where this man is concerned always hits me hard each time I look into those emerald eyes of his. I wish I could stop it, I wish I could just turn it off and pretend I'm fine, but I can't. I'm not like him, he walked away from me and never looked back. It's kind of a slap in the face how he always acts like we're friends of old. Like nothing ever happened between us.

  If only.

  “Does your husband know you're on a date with another man?” I should have expected him to say something like that. I should have, but I didn't, and I'm sitting here wide-eyed with a thumping heart.

  No one knows about my husband. And when I say no one, I mean no one. Not my parents, my friends, no one. It was a stupid mistake that cost me my heart. A stupid mistake that wrecks a tiny piece of what's left of my heart every time I see him and allow him back in.

  “You're married?” Tim's tone is one of shock. Can't blame the guy. But then, he never asked if I was married, to begin with.

  “Separated.” I smile at Tim. I do not want him to think I'm some kind of cheating slut. I am not. “My ex-husband is a jerk, a jackass. A very selfish, self-centered asshole, and not worth even thinking about, much less talking about”

  He gives me a curious look as if he's not sure whether to believe me or not. But I seriously speak the truth. My ex-husband is all of that and much more.

  “I need a word with you.” There's no, “Can I have a word with you, please?” Just, I need. Well, he can fuck off if he thinks I'm going anywhere with him. “Now, Aimee!” Kory says while getting out of his seat and standing tall and proud. Like some huge werewolf right before he turns. All boring eyes of emerald green with burning embers smack in the middle. Chest heaving like a starving beast ready to pounce on his prey. And that goddamn hot, fit, tight, muscle-clad body of his. There's no way I can go anywhere with him and not want to jump his bones.

  “Not tonight, Kory, I'm busy.”

  “It wasn't a request, Aimee.”

  “The lady said she doesn't want to go with you. Maybe you should respect her wishes.”

  It's nice of Tim to stand up for me like that, but Kory isn't the kind of man to back down from anything. I know it will be easier to just go with him.

  “It's okay, Tim,” I smile reassuringly. “I'll just be a few moments. If I don't go he'll just make a scene. It's easier this way.”

  “Why? Who is he?” His eyes move over me to Kory and back again.

  “The jerk husband!” Kory snaps while grabbing my arm and dragging me to my feet.

  Kory drags me to the men's room of all places! He pushes me through the restroom door and angrily slams it behind him. With my arms folded over my chest, he stalks toward me like some crazed killer. His eyes are like burning balls of fire.

  What's his deal?

  “What do you want, Kory?”

  “What do you think you're doing?”

  “Excuse me? What do I think I'm doing? It's none of your goddamned business, Kory! You don't get to keep walking in and out of my life and ruining everything!”

  “You think running around with men old enough to be your father every time my backs turned is...”

  “What?!” I yell, cutting him off. “I do not run around with anyone, asshole! God! Who the hell do you think you are?”

  “I'm your husband! That's who I am.”

  “My husband when it suits you!” I rub my hands over my face frustratedly. I can't handle it when he acts like this. “Why do you keep doing this to me, Kory?” I ask more calmly. “Whenever I try to move on with my life, you walk back into it and ruin everything. Do you expect me to be alone forever, is that it?”

  “No,” He says sullenly. “But I won't have what's mine screwing around behind my back!”

  “Are you for real right now?” I think I'm in shock, I've never seen him this het up about anything. I can tell from the look in his eyes that he's deadly serious right now.

  What the hell has gotten into him? He's always been a jerk where I'm concerned, always staking claim to me when he thinks I'm moving on. But right now, he looks like a man possessed!

  “I can't live like this anymore. You're driving me crazy!”

  I jump when he grabs my shoulders. I didn't even know he was standing so close to me. “Look at me.” His voice is suddenly calming. Again, this is confusing.

  What the hell does he want from me? With his finger beneath my chin, he tilts my head back. Our eyes lock and I know that I need to stay strong, but I'm melting inside.

  “I know that I haven't been the best husband in the world,”

  “You haven't been any kind of husband, Kory. You asked me to marry you one drunken night in Seattle. I said yes, even though we weren't even dating,”

  “Yes, we were.”

  “No, Kory, we fucked a couple of times.” He breathes deeply through his nose, anger pulsing from him. But he needs to know that I won't let him push me around any longer. “Regardless, I married you the very next day because you told me that you loved me, that you had for a long time. It was impulsive and stupid, but it meant everything to me. But what did I get out of it, Kory?”

  He takes a step back from me, raking his fingers through his short dark hair, and I'm glad for the space.

  “Two weeks is all I got out of our marriage. Two weeks when I thought I was everything to you. Two weeks where I thought everything would be okay. I should have known it wouldn't be when you wouldn't allow me to tell anybody we were married. I thought you were ashamed of me, you know?”

  “I have never been ashamed of you, Aimee.”

  “You say that, but I know that you are. You've never told another living soul about you and me. Yet you refuse me a divorce every time I ask for one. Why would you do that when I'm nothing to you but the girl you pull back into your selfish web whenever you're in town and want to fuck?!”

  That is all I am to him. And I'm just the stupid fool who allows him to walk in and out of my life. I'm the one who lusts after him, wants him to notice me whenever he's in town. I'm the one who allows him to use me, and I'm the one who sleeps with him because that's where I feel safe and happy, in his arms. And he's the one who walks away from me every single time like I'm nothing but some slut he picked up at a bar. And every time, I'm left a complete mess.

&
nbsp; Why do I put myself through it all? I'm worth more than that and I know it. I'm a strong woman, I am. But he's my weakness, he has always been my weakness.

  “What are you even doing here, Kory?” He lives in Seattle. He only comes here for family functions. I don't know about any family function. If there was one, I would know. I'm friends with all four of his sisters. One even works with me. His mother and my mother are best friends. There's no way I wouldn't know if his mother was planning a family thing.

  I watch with fascination as he straightens his blue tie. He looks so good in that navy blue suit. God, I can see his naked form in my mind's eye. The way his chest feels beneath my fingers. His thick thighs, his huge biceps, and his massive co... “I'm here for my wife.”

  I shake my head from side to side for a second as if shaking away thoughts of his amazing body. Did I just hear him right?

  “What?”

  He walks toward me again. I step back and into the washbasin. I swallow hard as he leans into me, bending at the waist slightly with his hands pressed either side of me. My eyes flutter closed, the feeling of his breath in my ear has every inch of me throbbing with want. I hate that he has this power over me. I hate even more that he knows it.

  “I'm here for you,” I fist my hands tightly by my sides. I won't fall for this, it's all talk just as it always is. “And I'm not leaving here without you.”

  Why is it your voice always leaves you when you have so much to say? I can't seem to find my voice, it's gone and left me. My insides are all knotted up and I feel really sick.

  “In all the ways I have wronged you, I will make it right.” He whispers before kissing my cheek and walking away from me and out the door without another word.

  I turn and look at myself in the mirror. I won't do this with him. I won't allow him to barge into my life because he has nothing else going on right now. I know for a fact the only way he'd come here is if he's just finished with a big case. There's no way he'd walk away from his job unless he had.

  Kory is a very good lawyer, but I don't know much about his job other than he owns his own law firm and that his brother works with him. That, and they're both amazing at their jobs.