"Please stand up," My voice cracked. I sounded cold even to my ears. "You have nothing to apologize for."
"But you're angry. And I've wronged you, Cherry. I toyed with what we shared. Let me make amends."
"I don't remember you," I met his eyes now and took a step back, away from him.
"There is nothing to apologize for because I don't know what you're talking about. You've got the wrong girl, Sir. I'm not your Cherry. I'm Elaine."
He paled, horrified. "Cherry..."
"Stop calling me that. I'm not Cherry!" I shouted, rushing to the door. "And I'm not coming back to this place."
I unlocked it and bolted for the elevator. He ran closely behind, calling my name.
The elevator doors closed off his shouts and I pressed the button that would take me to the first floor hastily, wiping the tears that had escaped the corner of my eyes. I hated myself for being a chicken. I could hear the sincerity in his voice, but I'd been so unfeeling that it was easy for me to lie.
I still wanted him, but we were in different places now. If he had traced me to the publishing house in Manhattan, then he could've asked for my house address. I had no cause to believe that he was very much in love with me. Only God knew how many ladies he said those words to on a particular day. I wasn't prepared to be a contender for his attention. I had my son to think about and I couldn't even handle it even if I tried.
So it was for the best.
- | -
Elaine Matthews is an eternally single, twenty-two-year-old, receptionist. She doesn't do love. she's never been in love. She's seen her friends fall in and out of love and has decided to stay away totally. Yet, when she gets involved in a one-night-stand with a gorgeous stranger who saved her from a creep, she throws away that opinion into a gutter.
But fate comes biting hard when she finds out months later that she's pregnant, and has no contact with the man who changed the course of her life.
Max Sturm is a well-known CEO and proud owner of a publishing firm. The most eligible bachelor and ladies man in the room. If only anyone knew how heavy that title was. If only anyone knew how tired he was behind all the bad boy facade. When he saves and meets the phenomenal woman at a nightclub during a business trip, it's a night of passionate lovemaking with no names exchanged, no questions asked. Yet, months later he still finds it hard to stop thinking about her, and no leads as to her whereabouts.
But when they find each other at last, both are in completely different places. Elaine has moved on with her son and a man she's starting to love, and Daniel is getting engaged to a woman he couldn't love. It's worth a try to shut the door on true love, but fate has other plans for the both of them.