Love Story

 

Brooke kicked the tire of her car for the third time. “ Damn it!” Out of all the places for her Jag to break down, this was the worst. She was lost, cold , all alone with a car that had broken down. Why did she let Megan talk her into taking this trip? Megan had told her about this place where she could rent a little cottage. Some time alone, she thought that it was needed especially after all that had happened between her and Ridge. Truthfully she had thought the business deal that she had her in Paris the last two months would have been more than enough time to for her to deal with what had happened, but she still wasn’t ready to go home yet. “ So here I am. In the woods, not knowing where I am going.” Suddenly the thundering skies opened up and Brooke was hit with cold rain. Brooke cried out in alarm. Sitting in the car on the dark road wasn’t going to help because she hadn’t seen another car or person for miles and miles. Her cell phone had died as well, so even if she had someone to call, she couldn’t do so. Brooke opened the trunk of her car, took out her flashlight and started walking.

 

Ian finished putting another piece of firewood into the fire to keep the cabin on its warm temperature. The rain had started and he knew that it was going to last for at least two weeks if he were lucky. By this time tomorrow, the dam would most likely be flooded and he would be stuck here in his solitude. Good, that was the way that he liked it. He liked being alone with his thoughts. He was not an easy man to get along with, he understood that and accepted it. He didn’t like people. Most especially, he didn’t like women. Not that they didn’t have their uses. There were times when he was fed up with his self imposed exile and he would find a woman to fulfill his sexual needs. He was honest with them about what he wanted, no relationship…just sex. After that, he’d restock his supplies and come back here. He was happy here. He had everything that he ever needed, a roof over his head, food in the fridge plus the freezer, his had his golden retriever, Sam, and he had his work. Ian walked toward the small, yet cozy kitchen of his and fixed himself a rare roast beef sandwich on rye with spicy mustard from the left over roast he had cooked. He poured himself a cold beer in his frosted mug and opened a bag of Lays potato chips. Sam nudged him on his thigh. Ian threw Sam a piece of beef, which he promptly ate up. “ Good boy.” Ian took his sandwich over to the sofa and ate half of it. He hooked up his laptop and started editing the latest chapter of his book. He loved his work. Researching, collecting data and writing had given Ian a sense of peace that nothing else had. Ian became so engrossed in his work that the hours slipped by like they often did. Three hours later Ian’s coffee table was full of papers and his eyes were aching from reading in the dim light. Sam was dozing in front of the fire when suddenly he bounded up and ran to the door barking.

“ What is it boy?” Ian went to the front door and opened it when he found a drenched looking woman standing on his porch.

“ Oh…thank God someone is here.” Brooke was cold and freezing. She had walked for what seemed like hours in the now muddy and cold woods.

Ian looked at the woman and cursed.

 The man standing in the doorway took Brooke aback. Instead of being her savior, he looked to be a demon. He had cold eyes and she couldn’t see much of his face because most of it was covered with an unkept beard. Brooke looked at his clothing, which was a pair of jeans and a wrinkled large wool shirt.

“ What in the hell to you want lady?” He said in a gruff voice.

Brooke shivered and rubbed her shoulders. “ I’m freezing and lost.”

“ That isn’t my problem.” Ian closed the door. Brooke stood there for a moment; she couldn’t believe the gall of that man. She was freezing cold, it was raining and he had closed the door on her. “ I’m not letting you get away with that.” Brooke banged hard on the door. Ian stood on the other side of the door listening to the woman bang on the door. Sam whined. “ Don’t whine boy…I’m sure that after a while she’ll go away.” Ian sat down on his sofa. Women were trouble and he had a distinct feeling that this one was nothing but trouble. Still, it was cold outside and she wasn’t even dressed for outside. How she had even found his cabin amazed him, he was way off the road. The banging continued.

“ Please, Mr. let me in! It’s cold outside. Please.” The banging got louder. “ I’m not going anywhere, so let me in! I just want to make a phone…” Brooke’s voice trailed off as the door swung open. Brooke almost fell inside the cabin. She steadied herself. “ I want to use your phone.”

“Do you normally bang on people’s door and expect to be let in?”

Brooke had had it. If she could deal with the pressure and hatred of others like she did the last four months, she could deal with one rude man. “ Do you usually close your door to a woman in distress? I’m lost and cold. I just want to use your phone. You don’t have to be so  rude.”

“ I didn’t ask you to come here lady.”

“ I didn’t mean to get lost.” Brooke pushed some wet hair out of her face. “ Look Mr. I’m sorry to impose on you but I could I please use the telephone?”

 Ian sighed and stepped back allowing Brooke access to his cabin. Brooke felt the warmth of the cabin and moaned with pleasure. He watched her with his cold eyes as she took to the warmth like a baby to the breast. In the firelight he could clearly see where her silk black dress clung to her body like a second skin. Her breasts were full and nipples were erect. He suddenly felt himself become hard within the confines of his jeans. He wasn’t disgusted within himself after all, he was a man and she had a body on her. The woman pulled her hair out of the way of her face and although she was drenched even in the firelight he could see that she was beautiful. Ian cursed mentally. Beautiful women were the worst kind.

 

Ian left the woman alone for a while and came back with a towel. He threw it at Brooke.

“ Here.”

Brooke caught the towel. “ Thank you.” Brooke dried her hair and watched him with a wary expression.

“ You can stop looking at me like that. I’m not going to jump your bones. Although it might serve you right it I did.  I haven’t had a woman in a long time.”  Alarm  filled Brooke. God, she had made a horrible mistake? Ian saw the fear in the woman’s eyes. Good, he thought.  Served her right. He started toward her slowly in a stalking manner.

 “ I could easily out power you. What do you weigh 120? It would take nothing to throw you down on the floor, rip that flimsy dress off your body and be inside of you in the matters of seconds.” Brooke started to back up toward the fire where she had seen the fire poker. She was all-alone in the woods with a scary looking man. No one knew where she was going expect Megan. Not her mother or even her children. Ian observed her behavior and frowned. “ Don’t worry lady…you’re not my type. Besides I would never force a woman to do anything for me.”  Ian could see that she didn’t believe him.. He used a serious tone. “ Look, I would never hurt you lady.”

“You were trying to scare me.” Brooke said with a suspicious tone.

“You damn right I was! You don’t know what kind of sicko’s there are in the world. You can into this cabin without knowing me or what I would do. That isn’t real bright.”

Brooke put her hands on her hips. “ What did you expect me to do, stay in a car of the road? I don’t even know where I am and it late. Then there was the rain…”

Ian’s eyes jumped at the mention of Brooke’s car. “ You came from the road, the main road?”

“Yes..”

“ Shit!”

“What in the world…”

“ You are alone?”

Brooke looked confused. “Yes…I wanted forever to looking for someone to help me. Believe me, I wasn’t looking for someone like you. I don’t want to be here.” Brooke noted that the man looked almost pleased at her remark.

“ Good….but that doesn’t solve our problem.”

“ There isn’t a problem. I’ll call to get a tow truck and get directions back to my cabin.”

“ Your cabin was at White River, right?”

“Yes. How did you know that?”

“That is where all the cabins for rent are.”

“ There aren’t cabins near here?”

“No. You took a wrong turn, lots of people do that.”

“ Okay, I’ll get the directions from you…”

Ian shook his head. “ That’s not going to work.” Ian frowned.

“ Why are frowning? I’ll be out of your hair in a couple of hours..”

Ian shook his head. “ Lady… I wish to hell that it was going to be a couple of hours. It’s going to be longer.”

“ No it won’t. I’ll just call a tow truck.”

“ Lady, don’t you ever listen before you talk?”  Brooke opened her mouth to talk but Ian rudely interrupted her. “ If you got here from the main road, I assume that you’ve been walking for hours?”

“Yes.” Brooke gave him an annoyed look. “ That’s why I was cold.”

“ Anyway…I know where your car is.”

“ Great.”

“ I also know that the dam that you past to drive here is filling and most likely washing over the bridge at the moment.”

“ What are you saying?”

“ I’m saying that you are stuck here with me.”

Brooke shook her head. “ Oh shit!”

“Yeah that was what I was thinking.” Ian frowned. The last thing he wanted to be was stuck with a woman, especially her. “ Believe me lady…I don’t want you here anymore than you want to be here.”

“ I could try to call…”

“ Did you hear me lady? Christ, are you deaf? You are stuck here and unless you want to get drowned by that storm outside. I’m your savior.”

Someone she didn’t know had never treated Brooke this rudely. The man really didn’t want her there. “ What am I going to do? I can’t stay here with you. I’m not supposed to be here. I’m supposed to be in my cabin thinking. Oh…God.” Brooke went to sit down.

“ You can’t sit there. You are still wet.”

Brooke’s eyes narrowed. “ You don’t expect me to strip naked do you?”

 “ No..But if you’d like.” Ian crossed his arms over his chest. “ I’ll watch. Like I said earlier, I haven’t had a woman in a long time. I’m sure that even you would get my pecker going at this time.”

Brooke looked at the front of his jeans where she saw the obvious tell tale sign of his pecker. “ Oh God.”

“ Look here lady. I’m a man and I guess that you are a decent looking woman. But then again any woman would have this effect on me.”

Brooke turned away. “ God, help me.”

Ian laughed. “ Don’t you know already lady. God just love to fuck with us humans.”

 

 

Brooke stepped into the hot bubbly water that filled the old-fashioned porcelain bathtub to the brim. She sunk lower in the water allowing it to sooth the aches and pains from walking for hours. The chill that had settled in her bones started to dissipate. Brooke leaned back in the water allowing it to soak her face and her hair. Brooke used her hands to wipe the water out of her eyes.“ God.. This feels good.” Brooke sighed sinking further into the water. Brooke washed her body slowly wanting the hot warmth to sink back into her body. HE had told her that there wasn’t any way that she could leave and that it looked like she’d be stuck here. Although Brooke didn’t like the man because he was rude and surly, she didn’t have a choice. Like he had said, she was stuck. “ Cheer up Brooke, you’ve been in worse spots than this.” Truthfully, she it could be a worse spot than this; she could still be stuck in the rain walking in the woods.

 

Ian put his paperwork away into his file cabinet into the room that he had converted into an office. His cabin consisted of two bedrooms, two bathrooms a newly converted office and a main living area. The main room was a cozy living room with a large fireplace a large comfortable sofa, an open small kitchen with all the cooking utensils he needed. In the back of the living area he had an antique table, which was set for dining, it was directly in front of the large bay windows that allowed him to see the scenery. Ian heard movement upstairs of water draining. She must be getting out of the tub. Upstairs was his guestroom. He had put new sheets on the bed and a comforter because no one had used that room since he had bought the cabin years ago. Downstairs to the right of the living area was a small hallway toward his large bedroom. He wasn’t giving up his bedroom for some pampered princess and he was quite sure that was what she was. Ian came out of his office toward the living area and sat on his sofa. He assumed that she was going to be hungry after her bath. Well, he wasn’t cooking for her. He wasn’t her maid besides she was imposing on him.

 

Brooke came down the stairs. She had washed and blown her hair dry. HE had left her a shirt of his to put on; she had found it on the bed that she would be using. Brooke had washed out her panties and put them back on. There was no way that she was going to go down stairs with only a button-up shirt of his on without panties. The warm blue shirt that she wore came mid-way to her knees but it would have to do at the moment. Brooke looked for a phone in the living room but couldn’t find one. The last thing she wanted to do was to bother HIM, but she didn’t have a choice. Brooke made her way toward one of the doors and knocked, she didn’t hear anything so she knocked again. She opened the door to a study or office. Brooke walked in the room that had a computer; two file cabinets and shelves with full of books. The desk was extremely neat although Brooke could tell that used. A semi-warm cup of coffee was still sitting on the desk.

“Do you make it a habit of going through people’s homes?”

Brooke jumped. “ God, you scared me.”

He came into the room. “ Good, that is what you deserve.” He looked around the room to see if anything was out of order.  Brooke stood there in the room looking at him.

“ I didn’t steal anything.”

“ You had better have not.”

“ I’m not a thief. Plus you don’t have anything that I’d like to steal.” Brooke moved over to the desk. “ Or do you have something that you think I’d like to steal. Besides, I wasn’t looking to steal anything. I was looking for a phone.”

“ A phone. I told you lady..”

Brooke waved a hand in front of the man’s face. “ Stop right there. I have a name and I isn’t LADY.”

“What is it? Sweetheart?”

“No, my name isn’t sweetheart. It’s Brooke. So if you plan on talking to me, I suggest that you call me that.” Brooke pointed at him. “I won’t respond to anything else. Do you understand me?”

Ian almost smiled, but he didn’t. She was little firebrand. But still he didn’t like her. Ian walked toward his desk and sat down. “ You invade my house, take a bath using my water, wearing my shirt and now you are ordering me around.”

“I’m not ordering you around. I’m just stating the obvious. We are here together. I thank you for being generous enough to extend your hospitality to me.”

“ I don’t want to. So don’t thank me.”

Brooke wanted to scream. “ Fine. I won’t thank you.” Brooked held her head with her hands. “ I see that you have a computer.”

“ Real perceptive aren’t you.”

“Do you have phone that I could use?”

“ If this is about some damn tow truck again..”

“ It isn’t!” Brooke paced. “ God. You are so infuriating. Look, I need to make a call.”

“ To your husband?”

“No, I’m not married.”

“To your lover then.”

Brooke looked at him for a moment. “ Not that it is any of your business. But I don’t have a lover. I want to make a call to my children. Listen, I just don’t want them to worry. So please, can I make a call?”

Ian opened the drawer to his desk and handed Brooke a cordless phone. “ Here you go.” Brooke took the phone.

“ Thank you….You do have a name don’t you?”

“Yes, I do.” Ian left the room leaving Brooke alone.

 

Brooke muttered to herself for a movement then made a call to Bridget’s house. She got the answering machine. “ Bridget, honey. This is your mother. I just wanted to let you know that I’m all right. I was going to White River to spend some time alone when I got lost. Right now I’m staying with…” Brooke didn’t know what to say because she didn’t want to worry her daughter. “ A nice man who helped me. I’ll call you in a couple of days. Bridget… I love you.”  Brooke hung up the phone. Brooke knew that lately there had been some distance between her and her children and it wasn’t because of Paris, it was because of Ridge. Her children didn’t understand…or maybe they did. Maybe they felt like Taylor had felt, like someone was stealing their spouses because of their own insecurities with Deacon and Amber. Brooke sighed. She was who she was and her children where going to have to accept it, she was through with apologies. No one had been there when Thorne left her, instead they blamed her. She had never admitted that Thorne’s annulment had hurt her badly. Although she hadn’t loved him with the passion that she loved Ridge, she had indeed loved him. When he gave up so quickly, it had hurt her to the core.  She had wanted revenge and she had almost gone through with it. “ I wonder what you’d say now Taylor if you knew that you husband came back to you because I sent him back?” Brooke knew that there was no use. Ridge would never tell Taylor about what had happened. His pride would never allow it. He’d never want Taylor to know that Brooke had won or that she was fully satisfied with their marriage. Truthfully, going after Ridge, it hadn’t been all revenge. Spending time with Ridge made her want the old times, but when Thomas had gotten sick, she knew. She knew that no matter how much she hated Taylor and Stephanie or how much she had loved Ridge…she couldn’t destroy the lives of his children. So, for Ridge’s sake, Brooke lied. She had told him that she had used him, that she wanted revenge. She said that now that she had had him in her bed again, she didn’t want him. It had almost killed her to tell him those lies, but it worked. Ridge ended the affair that had started and went home to his wife and sick child. Brooke would never forget the look on Ridge’ face. He said that his mother was right; that she was selfish and only cared about herself. Brooke knew from the look on Ridge’s face that he would never look at her again. He thought that she had used him to hurt his mother and his wife. Brooke had stayed in Paris extending her stay and she hadn’t spoken to Ridge in two months.

 

Ian was hungry, although he had eaten a couple of hours ago, sometimes when he was engrossed with his writing, he didn’t eat. So whenever the feeling hit him, he ate. It was around 10 so it was too late for him to start cooking anything new. He did however have some homemade chicken and dumplings that he had made a couple two days ago in the fridge. He put the food on the stove to heat in a pot. Ian didn’t believe in microwaves so he didn’t have one. It might take a while for the food to heat up, but he was a patient man when it came to some things. He heard the door to his office close. Without looking up from the food simmering on the pot. “ If you look in the cabinet, you can find the dishes. Since I’m heating up the food, you can set the table.” He figured that since he was eating, he’d might as well feed her. When Ian heard no response he looked up. “ You do know how to set a table don’t you?”

Brooke was too tired to deal with his nasty remarks. She said nothing but looked through the cabinets to find the dishes.  Brooke silently set the table. Ian looked at her. She hadn’t said anything about his remark, he wondered if everything went well with her phone call.

“ Brooke..”

Well, saints be praised. At least he hadn’t called her lady. Brooke looked up from table that she was setting. “ Yes..”

Ian left the stove and moved to the table. “ Is everything all right with your children?”

Brooke was taken aback by his question. He actually seemed concerned. “ Yes…I left a message for them both. It’s been a while since I saw them. I’ve really missed them.”

Ian picked up the two bowls from the table. He took them to the stove and started to fill them with the chicken and dumplings. “ How long since you saw your children?”

“ Two months and I’ve really missed them. Talking on the phone isn’t the same as being with them.”

The sympathy that Ian was feeling for her that moment fled. What kind of woman would leave her children alone for two months? “ Figures…”

“ What figures?”

“The way that you looked when you came here. I guess that I was right about you.” Ian’s eyes flashed with anger. “ Children are to be loved and they need a mother’s guidance and love.”

“ I agree…”

“ But I guess that your children don’t need that. What? Do you have a nanny to raise your children?”

“ No…I raise my children?” Then it dawned on Brooke that he thought that she had small children. For the first time in weeks Brooke started to laugh. Ian couldn’t believe that was laughing. Anger really set it.” He slammed the bowl down on the counter. Brooke stopped laughing but she wiped the tears that had filled her eyes with the laughter. She smiled a sly smile. “ You are used to being so right about everything aren’t you. Well, you are wrong about my children.”

“ What? They don’t need a mother?”

“Yes, they do. But my children really aren’t children anymore. Rick is 20 and Bridget is 18. They do need me but they lives of their own. They are both married and I hope happy. Normally I see my children all the time, but a business deal in Paris has kept me there the last two months.”

Ian was quiet after Brooke explained the situation. For a moment, he left bad for jumping to the wrong conclusions. “ Look…I thought that your children were babies or young kids. How old are you anyway?”

Brooke smiled. “ Old enough.” Ian took brought the dishes to the table.

“ Here, you’ll feel better after you eat this. You most likely got a chill.”

Brooke sat down and bit into a hot dumpling. “ This is good, did you make it?”

“Do you see a maid around here?”  Brooke knew that small talk wasn’t a good idea.

“ Are you normally this surly?”

Ian looked at her for a moment. “ Yes.”

Brooke ate her chicken and dumplings in silence. Ian hardly looked at her; he ate silently then got up from the table. Brooke watched him as he filled the sink in the kitchen.

“ I can do the dishes since you cooked.” When it looked like he was going to say something, Brooke cut him off. “ And yes…I do know how to do the dishes.”  Ian looked at her from a moment like he was trying to figure out if she was lying or not.  God, looking at her stirred something inside of him. Standing there in his kitchen wearing one of his shirts, she was more than beautiful. The light from over the table hit her, her long blonde hair and those eyes…” Ian almost shook his head. What in the hell was he doing? So what if she was beautiful. So what if she hadn’t been acting as spoiled or pampered as he thought that she would. It didn’t matter, he didn’t want her here. “ Fine… you can do the dishes. He walked over toward the sofa. “ Your bedroom is upstairs. I’ve put new towels and washcloths in the upstairs bathroom. If you need anything…I’ll be in my bedroom. “ Good night.”

Brooke stood there for a moment. “ Excuse me, I do need something.”

Ian stopped dead in his tracks. “ What?”

“Your name. I gave you mine…what is yours?”

“Ian.” Ian left the room and Sam promptly followed him.

“ Ian” Brooke muttered to herself. It seemed that getting his name was like pulling teeth, how in the world was she going to stay here with him?”

 

Ian stepped out of the hot steaming shower. God, he needed that shower to relax him. A woman. Out of all the people who had to show up here, why in the world did it have to be a woman? Ian took the large towel and dried off, the cords of his muscles rippled. His arms were muscular, his stomach was rippled and his thighs were tight. He didn’t “ work out” in the traditional sense but he ran everyday, hiked on the trails, cut down firewood and during the warmer weather he swam as well. Ian threw the towel into the hamper and walked naked into his bedroom, which was adjacent to his bathroom. His bed was large and he was proud to say that he had built the large frame and headboard himself just like his chair that was located in front of the fireplace in the living room. His bedroom had a spacious view of the trees and land. His room had hardwood floors, which was covered with a beautiful rug that his grandmother had made years ago. Surprisingly, he did have a television in his bedroom that was connected to a satellite; he liked to keep knowledgeable about current events, although he hardly ever used it. The Internet had changed that, he read the Washington Post on line everyday so he hardly needed the television. Although there were times that he would watch the Court TV to watch a particular trail. His television was located in a middle of an oak entertainment set that stood against the wall next to the door. On the other side of the door where shelves filled with his favorite books.  Ian crawled into his bed and turned the lamp off. Moonlight filled his room from his bed. Normally, he would be working but he couldn’t at the moment he was thinking of his guest. The fact is that he didn’t want her there, but he couldn’t change that. Still, here he was lying here, with an erection as hard as a roll of quarters thinking about her. It was purely sexual, after all, she was extraordinary beautiful, but he’d never let her know it. When he had been warming the chicken and dumplings she had reached high for the bowls, the shirt had ridden high on her thigh and the golden thigh tempted him. He had been so hard and aching in his jeans that it annoyed him. It wasn’t just her body. There was her face; it was totally expressive showing her anger, her mirth. He almost wanted to see what her face would look like with a smile. He wanted to see if her eyes would sparkle again like it did when she laughed. That laugh…God, he had thought that seeing her thigh had made him aroused….that laugh, it had sent shivers through his body. Strange a woman’s laugh had never aroused him before.

 

Brooke looked out of her window in her upstairs bedroom; the rain was coming down so hard. Truthfully, she was pleased that the cabin was sturdy because the way the wind was howling and the trees were moving from side to side was a bit scary. Brooke looked around “her” bedroom.  The bedroom was simple yet decorated with a slightly Native American flare; the comforter on the bed was beautifully exquisite. The bedroom consisted of a queen size bed a handsome oak amour and large window with a picture seat. There however was a great deal of floor space and Brooke had spent the some time looking at the incredible artwork of Native Americans done in charcoal that hung on the walls.  Brooke striped off Ian’s shirt and hung it up in the amour and she crawled into the bed. Brooke sighed because the bed was comfortable and before she knew it she drifted off to sleep.

 

Ian stood in front of the fridge trying to decide what he was going to drink before the morning coffee was ready. He had already grounded the coffee beans and set his top of the line coffee machine to work, he loved good coffee. Ian grabbed the orange juice carton out of the fridge and was getting ready to take a sip out of the open carton when he remembered that he had a guest and it would be rude for him to drink out of it.

“ Shit...” Ian poured the juice in a glass and padded toward his bedroom. He figured that he should put some clothes on, after all he wasn’t a total ass but it would serve her right to find him standing nude in front of his fridge. Hell, it was his home. He liked being naked, if he didn’t want to wear clothes, he didn’t have too but now she was ruining that. 

 

Brooke turned over in her sleep when she felt something touching her back. Whatever it was it was sticky and wet and moving. Brooke jumped up and screamed before she knew what she was doing. She turned around and find Ian’s dog lying in bed with her. Her heart was racing a million miles a minute. The dog licked the side of her face. Brooke couldn’t help up to laugh.

“ You silly dog, you scared me to death.” The dog panted happily and Brooke rubbed the top of its head when suddenly Ian appeared in the doorway.

“ What in the world…” His voice trailed off as he noticed the sight before him. Sam was sitting in the middle of the bed being petted by Brooke. Sam wasn’t what Ian’s eyes were glued on, it was Brooke. Her hair was mussed from sleep, her eyes were sparking with laughter which lit up her face while the sheets from lay in her lap and her breast were bare. Her breasts were perfect, round, creamy and full while her luscious nipples made his mouth water because they were like lush ripe strawberries.

Brooke stopped laughing when she saw Ian and she suddenly realized that he was staring at her naked breast. She pulled the sheet up to cover them.

Ian’s face darkened. “ You are the one who screamed…so don’t get all upset if I naturally take a look at what you are offering.”

“ I wasn’t offering anything. Your dog scared me.”

“ You didn’t look scared to me.”

“ I wasn’t…”

“ You just said that you were.” Ian gave her a mocking look.

Brooke pulled the sheet with her as she struggled to get up. But the dog wouldn’t move. Ian watched her for a moment.

“ Sam, come here.” Sam bounded off the bed and ran to Ian.

“ Don’t be too mad at him. He’s friendly…. I actually like dogs..” A grunt and a quickly slammed door cut off Brooke. Brooke had had it. She had tried her best to be kind to that jackass. He was rude. He was arrogant and he acted like she was coming on to him, making up excuses for him to see her in the nude.  Never had she been treated this way. The man was some rustic hermit with a face that probably only a mother could love under that beard. Who else would chose to live in the middle of the woods? She hadn’t meant to bother him; hell she had problems of her own. She didn’t want to be here anymore than he wanted her. Brooke wasn’t going to allow him to continue to cut her off with his rude remarks and could looks. Brooke wrapped the sheet tight around her and bounded down the stairs. 

 

 

Ian was sipping a steaming cup of coffee reading article when Brooke stormed down the stairs toward him. “ How dare you cut me off when I wasn’t finished talking?”

Ian looked up from his article. “ What?”

“You heard me. I wasn’t finished talking to you. First of all, I wasn’t making a pass of any sort at you.”

“I didn’t say that you were.”

“ But you implied something of that fact. Your dog jumped into my bed and startled me. It isn’t my fault that you came bounding up the stairs to see what happened and I wasn’t properly dressed.” Brooke’s eyes narrowed. “ I have the feeling that you enjoyed looking at me in the nude and maybe it bothered you so you decided to make it seem like I set the whole thing up.”

Ian sipped his coffee. “ Are you finished yet?”

“No, I’m not.” Brooke snatched the article he had in his hand and put it on the table. “ I am sorry that I am invading your self imposed life alone, believe me, I don’t want to be here with you. But one thing that I’ve learned about life is that it is what you do with it. I can’t change being here. Do you really think that I want to be here with you? I don’t. I want to be in my cabin trying to figure my life out, not being closed up with some scary looking mean tempered asshole whole growls.”

“ Is that so?”

“Yes. But since we have to endure each other for a least the new couple of days we should be civil to each other.”

“ What if that isn’t what I want?”

“ It really doesn’t matter at the moment. I can handle you. I’ve handled something much worse than a man with a bad attitude. So, growl, make comments, be rude it isn’t going to change anything at all. As soon as the weather permits, I’ll write a check for your hospitality and be out of your hair.”

“ I don’t want your damn money.”

“ No, I didn’t think that you did, but you’ll get it anyway. I’m not trying to buy you but I’m not going to be indebted to you either. I make my own way. You remember that.”

Brooke moved away when Ian caught her by the arm.

“ What if I don’t like YOUR way? After all, this is my house, my sheets that you are wrapped it. What if I decided to throw your pretty little ass out of my house and let drown in the rain.”

“ Then do it. I begged last night, but I won’t beg again. You know why I’m here and what I want. You know that I am not a threat of any sorts. If you want me to leave, say it and I’ll be on my way.” Ian looked deeply in her eyes and knew that she was serious.

“ But if you were willing to let me stay…I expect you to try to be civil to me.” Ian slowly let go of Brooke’s arm. “ Do I stay or go?”

Ian was surprised with her bravo. It took guts for her say something like that to him. She was in a position where he was in control.  “ You can stay…at the moment. I don’t want you dying in the woods, your family would try to blame it on me.”

“ My family? Thank you for thinking of them. So…we are going to try to be civil?”

“ This is civil for me.”

“ Really…its no wonder you are here alone.”

“ It’s my choice lady.”

“ Brooke… I have a name. Why don’t we call each other by our names.”

Ian sighed. “ All right Brooke. As you can tell, I don’t like people. Especially the female version…so don’t take it personally if we don’t become the best of friends.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t.”

Ian picked up his article. “ Good…I suggest that you get dressed.” He nodded to her homemade dress that she created with his sheet. 

“Actually… its my clothes. I wanted to know if you had a pair of sweat pants or something that I could wear. I want to go back to the car and get my bag.”

“ You want to go to your car? It’s raining hard outside and wind is picking up. You don’t even know that where your car is.”

“ Well I can’t where your shirts all day long. I’ve got to wear something else. You don’t happen to have any women’s clothing around here do you?”

“No. It’s raining too hard and you will most likely don't know where your car is because you were walking around in the dark. I’m sorry but you’ll have to make due with my shirts. I’ll get you another one.”

“ But…”

“ Brooke. You aren’t going.” Ian walked away leaving Brooke standing in his living room.

 

Ian walked down the gravel filled road with the rain coming down in buckets while Sam trotted beside him. Sam had needed to get out so he walked him. The next thing he knew, he was walking down the path that he knew like the back of his hand. Almost a half an hour later he found her car. He had known most likely where it would have been. Brooke would have spent at least 3 or more hours trying to find the car. He went to the driver’s side of the door and pulled on the door. When it opened without a key, he shook his head.

“ Figures…” She had left the door open. Ian hit the trunk release and groaned when he opened the trunk to see three bags. “ Shit. If she thinks that I’m going to lug three bags to her, she’d mistaken. Ian wiped the hard rain out of his eyes. He quickly opened on bag, it had clothes, the other smaller bag had makeup and the third bag looked to have …Ian groaned. He grabbed the first bag, three a couple of items from the third bag. He noticed a briefcase and another bag for a laptop computer. She might need to do some work, she he took the briefcase and the bag with the computer as well. Ian closed the trunk and locked her front door. “ Come on boy…” He said to Sam, he wanted to get home before the water soaked through the leather of her computer bag.

 

Brooke looked out of the large bay window. He had been gone almost an hour. She had figured that he was going to walk the dog, but that wouldn’t take that long. She had cooked breakfast, making an omelet, Grandma Logan’s homefried potatoes and sausage.

She had made enough for Ian, thinking that he’d want something to eat as well. She sipped another sip of hot coffee…it was good. He at least had good taste in coffee if he had nothing else. Brooke had set the table for two and the food was getting cold. She sat down and filled her plate. She wanted to eat well; after all she had some walking to do. Ian couldn’t stop her from getting her clothes.  Suddenly the front door opened with a bang, cold air rushed in. Brooke stood up and she rubbed her arms to ward off the incoming cold. Sam trotted into the cabin followed by a totally drenched Ian. He slammed the door behind him and threw a bag on the floor, a briefcase and a computer case on the sofa.  “ Here..”

Brooke looked at him astounded. She never would think that he would be so kind as to get her things. “ You got my things for me.”

“Yes..”

“ Ian…thank you. I didn’t expect you to get it for me.”

 

 

 

Chapter 4

 

Chapter 3 Review:

 

 

Previously on Love Story: Ian struggled to sleep because unwanted thought of Brooke entered his mind. He admitted to himself that he was sexually attracted to her, but nothing else.  Brooke awoken to find Sam, the dog, in her bed. Her screams sent Ian into her room to find a very naked Brooke. Brooke took offense to Ian’s attitude that she was trying to seduce him and gave him a peace of her mind. Ian decided to let Brooke stay but warned her that he didn’t like people especially women. Brooke asked Ian to help her find her car in order for her to get clothes in which he said no. Ian took Sam for a walk and decided to get her clothes. A jubilant Brooke thanked Ian for getting her things while he continued to treat her in a gruff manner.

 

Chapter 4

Ian highlighted more notes from the latest trial scene he was writing about. He outlined the scenes, but he felt that something was still missing. He looked through his notes and wondered what it was. Before he knew it, he had started writing again on his laptop, and made major changes. Gone was the steeled determined male District Attorney, now instead was an intense blonde female District Attorney who was stubborn as hell with a big mouth. Suddenly he had a whole new idea for his story, which was compelling since he’d never gone in a direction like this. Soon, Ian was caught up in the world of his writing and totally engrossed in his new character whom he’d never admit looked like his guest who was in his living room.

 

Brooke studied the reports about Brooke’s Bedroom. As much as she hated to look at them now, “Scandalous” was making them a great deal of money. People had been jumping about the ads; she had even heard rumors that women and men had torn the ads out of magazine. People demanded more from Forrester, but Brooke as well had put a halt to the ads. Brooke looked back and knew that it was a major error in her judgment to start them; she had allowed her personal life to become public knowledge. It had been a rash and foolish thing to do and now she was paying the price. It amazed her how the some of world saw Ridge as the fallen man who made a mistake because of her “black widow” tactics. She on the other had had become hated by some, she was considered the horrid mistress who tried to break up “America’s Sweethearts”. Then there were those who fell in love with the story of Brooke and Ridge and clamored for more. Brooke dropped the reports back on the table. “ Brooke, what in the world had you been thinking?” She shook her head. She had to come up with another ad, the department had tried the last two months, but nothing seemed like Scandalous. Brooke turned her attention to Ridge’s sketches, for the line. The designs were beautiful; he clearly had an eye when it came to what looked good on women. Brooke then looked at the designs that he had created in the last months and frowned. Although they were beautiful, there was something missing, the fire in his designs. Brooke wondered how much it had to do with her? Brooke put the sketch down and stretched her legs. She looked toward the door to Ian’s office. He had been in there most of the day doing whatever he did. Yesterday he had given her her clothes and spent the rest of the day saying nothing. He had come out to cook dinner, he had looked at her fully dressed and nodded. She had tried again to thank him, but he cut her off. Dinner had been a long a tedious ordeal. This morning hadn’t been any better. Brooke had cooked breakfast; he had fixed his plate and eaten alone in his study while Brooke only had Sam for her company. Sam, Brooke smiled, she really liked the dog.

 

Ian leaned back and he looked at what he had written and frowned. It wasn’t that he didn’t like what he had written, he did. But he had done the unthinkable; he had added a romantic element between the D.A and the defense attorney. He didn’t like that she was invading his thoughts and finding her way into his book, but he didn’t erase it. She had popped up and he had never ignored his instincts before so he allowed her character to stay within his book. She was there and she was there to stay.

 

Brooke gotten a sudden craving for a sweet snack, she had looked for something to eat and she found ingredients for making some homemade chocolate chip Macadamia cookies. Brooke took the cookies out of the oven and put them in the cooling rack. Sam brushed up against her and barked. “No Sam, cookies aren’t made for you.” She took pity on him and threw a doggie treat to him, which he instantly ate it up. Brooke was pouring herself a cup of milk when Ian opened the door of his study and walked out. Ian smelled the scent of cookies within the warm living room. He said nothing to Brooke as he made his way into the small kitchen. Brooke felt his presence immediately since he took up a great deal of room of the kitchen. When she had turned around she found that he was so close to her that she could easily lean up place her head in the crook of his neck. She could smell his male’s scent, which was a mixture of cologne, coffee and pine. It smelled good to her.  Ian silently studied her for a moment, she looked cute as hell. She had on a semi-tight blue cashmere sweater, dark blue jeans that displayed her curves, her hair was up in a ponytail and she wore no makeup but her face you youthful and beautiful. On the tip of her nose was a spot of flour. He wanted to rub the spot off, but he didn’t dare touch her. It had been months since he had a woman and she was so achingly beautiful that a small part of him was afraid that once he touched her he’d never be able to stop. The thought of that made him frown.

“ You baked cookies?”

Brooke looked at him giving him a wary look. “ I got a sudden craving for something sweet.” Ian looked at Brooke’s lips, which looked soft, luscious and very sweet. He wanted something sweet too. Brooke turned away from Ian and picked up a very hot cookie, which burned her fingers.

“Ouch..” Brooke the cookie down quickly.

Ian grabbed Brooke’s hand and led her over toward the sink. He turned the facet on to the cold water to cool her fingers. Brooke sighed as the cool water gave relief to her aching fingers.

“ Thank you.” Brooke tried to pull her fingers away from under the water but Ian wouldn’t let go of her hand. He instead brought the fingers up toward his face to study her fingers. He looked at the slightly reddish ting of her fingers. His fingers caressed her fingers lightly to test the pain factor. Brooke was caught off guard. He was gentle with her fingers as if her pain mattered. She couldn’t notice the look in his eyes, they were beautiful. She hadn’t ever noticed how clear his gray eyes where. Ian looked up from Brooke’s fingers and found her studying him. Brooke was slightly embarrassed at the way that she was looking at him so she looked away. The last thing that she wanted him to think that she was coming on to him.  Ian shook his head.

“ You are a little fool, touching those cookies when they are hot like that.”

“ I wanted one. I wasn’t thinking…”

“ Yes, I can see that you weren’t thinking.” Suddenly it seemed to him that he was still holding her finger. He quickly dropped it.  He turned away. “ You might want to put some ice on it.” He said gruffly. Brooke was amazed at the change that occurred in the matter of seconds. One minute he was actually gentle and caring and the next, he was being his usual gruff self. Still for that moment, his beautiful eyes had captivated her. And for the first time, she wondered what he looked like beneath his beard.

Ian turned away from Brooke and got out a plate. He put some of the cookies on it took out the milk and poured himself a glass. Brooke sat down next to him at the table; she couldn’t help but to study him as he bite into the cookie. A look of genuine surprise covered his face as he chewed the delicious treat.  Brooke leaned back in her chair and watched him what amusement. Ian noticed immediately.

“ What?”

“You are surprised aren’t you?”

“Surprised about what?”

“You are surprised that I can actually make cookies. They taste good, don’t they?” 

Ian swallowed some of his milk and then started to bite into his second cookie. “Well?”

“Well what?” Ian said with a slightly smug tone. He watched her with hidden amusement.

“ Admit it.”

He sighed. “ They are good. Are you happy now?”

Brooke broke a cookie in half and bit into it. “ Yes, I am.”

“Well, at least you can cook. I must say that I’m surprised that a rich girl like you would even knows how to make cookies from scratch. Did you nanny teach you how to make cookies when your parents were away on whatever whirlwind trip they were on?”

Brooke put her cookie down. “ A rich girl….nanny?” Brooke started to laugh and she didn’t stop even when he scowled at her. “ You really got me pegged wrong.”

“ I do?”

“ Yes you do.”

“ So you aren’t rich? Because you’ve got me fooled. Ian at her with suspicious eyes. You’ve got the perfect manicure and pedicure.” Brooke’s eyes went down toward her bare feet with a beautifully done French manicure that matched her perfectly manicured fingernails. “ You are wearing designer jeans with the cute cassimere sweater.” Ian’s eyes couldn’t help but to notice how the blue sweater encased her full breast and made her even more attractive. “ Then there is your underwear.”

“ My underwear?”

“Yes. I saw them when I had to put them into your bag. Sexy satin and lace bras with matching thongs, lacey see-through nightly and then that black teddy.”

“ You sure noticed a whole lot.”

“How can I not notice?” Ian picked up the now empty plate and washed it. “ I’m wondering what in the world did you think that you were going to do out here. Seduce Dudley Do Right?”

“ So because I have sexy underwear, I’m rich?” Brooke stood up. “ You mustn’t know much about women. First of all, all kinds of women of shapes and sized wear sexy underwear. I happen to like silk and satin because it feels good on my skin and makes me feel desirable. I wasn’t wearing those things for a man, although I have for occasions. I wear sexy underwear for ME.  And for your information, there are a great deal of women who feel the same way that I do.” Brooke walked over toward Ian. “ That doesn’t make me rich, it makes me a woman.”

Ian didn’t like that she was so close to him so he gave her one of his most intimating looks. “ Is that so?”

“ Yes it is.” Brooke wasn’t going to back down. She was tired of people judging her.

Ian smiled. “ Touché”

Brooke’s heart leaped. My God, he had the most incredible smile with beautiful teeth. His smile changed what she could see of his face drastically. Brooke took a step back and looked away. She couldn’t believe that his smile had affected her like the way that it did.

“Besides, what do you have against someone who is rich?”

“You are rich aren’t you?”

“ No” Brooke said defensively. “ Not the way that it matters.”

“ Really?”

“I didn’t grow up in country clubs or anything. I lived in a single parent home with two sisters, a brother and a grandmother. I got a scholarship to go to school and worked two jobs just like everybody else.”

Ian was taken aback by this piece of information. He could tell she was telling the truth.

“ Two jobs?”

“Yes…do you have a problem with that?”

“No, I don’t.” He respected hard work.

Brooke relaxed for a moment. “ Besides, having money doesn’t make you rich, having a loving husband and family does.”

Ian instantly noticed a touch of sadness in her voice.

“ So to answer you question….I’m not rich, not in the way I want to be. Oh, I do have money but I’d give it up all for….” Brooke stopped talking. What in the world was she doing? “ Never mind….” Brooke moved to leave when Ian stopped her.

“ No…Continue. Tell me what would you give it up for?”

Brooke looked deeply into his eyes. “ Love….I’d give up all the money and stock that I have to have real abiding love. To have someone to stand by me and for me to stand by. To have someone to grow old with and won’t care if you are perfect or beautiful or even sexy.” Brooke’s mind went back to Thorne, she had tried to have that with him but in the end it was ruined, just like every other relationship she had. “That is what would make me happy.” Tears started to fill Brooke’s eyes and she pulled away from Ian.  She turned away to wipe a stray tear that started to fall down her cheek.

“ Look, I’ll let you get back to whatever it is that you do in your study.” Brooke headed upstairs feeling sad because she knew that going back to L.A would never make her happy. She knew that all the money and Forrester stock didn’t mean a thing if she didn’t have someone to share it with. Her children had lives of their own and they didn’t need her anymore. No one did.

 

 

Previously On Love Story: Brooke wonders what Ian does in his study for most of the day. She studied the reports on Brooke’s Bedroom and although things look good, she regrets her decision to have “Scandalous” since it opened her personal life to discussion. She racks her brain for another ad campaign to replace it. Ian works on his book and adds a character that resembles Brooke. Brooke cooks cookies and burns her fingers, which Ian helps to cool off. Brooke is caught off guard by Ian’s gentleness as well as his smile. Ian blackens the mood when he suggests that Brooke is rich and pampered. Brooke is disheartened and tells him that she may have money but she worked hard. She also lets him know that she’d give up money for happiness and a family. Brooke is saddened by her life that she is almost in tears, she leaves Ian stunned with the sudden knowledge that although she represents all that he doesn’t like, and he actually likes her. Ian is uncomfortable with thoughts of liking Brooke.

 

Chapter 5

 

Ian walked into the dark cabin and instantly noticed that it was almost as cold as it was outside. He wondered what had gotten into Brooke; he knew that she had kept the fire going the night before. He muttered a curse to himself and decided not to deal with a fire at the moment. He shook his head, which was wet like the rest of him as he walked over toward the thermostat and turned the heat on. Instantly the furnace started to work and warm air came billowing out of the open vents. He turned the lights on the living room and listened to hear any sounds. There was a strange eerie silence within the cabin and instantly Ian was worried. He called out Brooke’s name and got no response, he looked at his watch to see that he had been gone for two hours. He had needed to take a walk and although it had been coming down hard outside, he couldn’t he kept up the same small cabin with her. Ian made his way upstairs to “her” bedroom; he knocked not wanting to rehash yesterday morning’s fiasco. He didn’t hear a sound so he slowly opened the door. There was very little light in the large room for only lamp next to bed was on. Sam, who had been napping on the floor of the room lifted his head, sniffed and when he recognized Ian’s scent, closed his eyes and out his head back down to nap.  Ian made his way over toward the bed where Brooke was lying on her side. He instantly noticed the balled up tissue clutched in her right had as well as the dried tear tracks on her face. He sighed, damn, she had been crying. God knew that he didn’t like to see women cry. He had somehow had hurt her with his questions, he hadn’t meant to do that. He was crude and rude at times, but he’d never purposefully hurt her. Brooke’s sighed in her sleep mumbling something that he couldn’t make out. Then she shivered in her sleep slightly. Ian took the quilt at the end of the bed and covered her gently. She sighed with contentment and he smiled. When he noticed that he had smiled, he frowned. God, what in the hell was wrong with him? He was standing there wet, cold and smiling like an idiot all because she had sighed in her sleep. Ian shook his head, he was really losing it and it was all her fault.

 

Brooke slowly made her way down stair to living room. She rubbed her eyes, she was still a little tired but she knew that if she napped too much she’d never be able to sleep when it was time to go to bed. She wondered if Ian was still gone. She opened the front door and noticed that it was now dark, she wondered if he was all right. “ Of course he is alright Brooke. He lives here.” He was most certainly capable of taking care of himself and she knew that he couldn’t appreciate her worrying about him. Not for the first time, she wondered about the man that she was living with. Truthfully as much as she wanted to dislike him on the same principal that he decided that he didn’t like her, she didn’t. He was gruff and rude, that was a given but she had a feeling that there was something more. Maybe it was the way that he loved his dog, that was evident or maybe it was the fact that he had gotten her bag and seemed genuinely concerned about her fingers. He face flashed before her eyes, she remembered his smile. It had been breathtakingly beautiful. How would have thought it.

 

Ian wasn’t working on his book, nor was he reading, eating or sleeping. He was sitting on in his favorite spot on the high platform on the back of his house; the large slope of the roof protected him from getting wet. The large flood lights from his cabin allowed him to see the beauty of the diamond like raindrops hit the flood of trees. At his feet was a small bottle of very expensive wine, which he had, in his wine collection. Like good coffee, he liked excellent wines as well as ports. He sipped from the goblet and the warm spicy wine coated his tongue and filled his sense. He had come out here to draw like he often did; his drawings and painting were another passion of his like his writing. Although he never sold them, they were private. He did however gift a few to one or two of the friends that he had. Upstairs in home he had even hung a few of his charcoal drawings that he had done at the Reservation.  Ian looked down at his sketch, again there she was. Before he knew what he had down, he had drawn a black and white sketch of Brooke when she had been sleeping. There were also little pictures all around the sketch of parts of her face, there was a single pair of lips floating in space, as well as a pair of beautiful eyes that he would later color to show the beauty of those tawny hazel eyes. Ian thought about those eyes, sometimes they looked at him as if they could see something that he hadn’t known was there.

 

Brooke looked up when Ian came back inside from the doors, which lead to the platform in the back of the house. “ My God, you scared me to death. I thought that you were still outside, truthfully I was getting scared.”

“ Scared about what?”

“It’s dark outside and the rain in pouring down…where were you?”

“Outside.”

“ I know that but I was wondering….” Ian’s look cut her off. Why did she do this to herself? Hadn’t she learned that he didn’t like her asking a great deal of questions?

“Never mind.”

“I was taking a walk. I came back a while ago but you were asleep.” Ian put his sketchpad down on the coffee table without thinking and put the bottle of wine on the table as well. Brooke noticed the wine, she picked up the bottle. “This is an excellent year. Expensive too.” Brooke tried a hide a smile. “ So, appearances can be deceiving for you as well.”

“ What does that mean?”

“ I mean from the outside appearance, you look like a beer man.”

“ I am.”

“ What about the wine?”

“I like that too.” Ian made his way to the sofa. “ You shouldn’t assume anything about me. You know what assumptions do don’t you?”

Brooke gave him a mocking smile. “ You should know….you’ve been making an ass of yourself about what you think about me.”

Ian was surprised by her remark. “ You think so?”

“Yes.” Brooke nodded toward him, “Do you mind if I have a glass?”

“Be my guest.” When Brooke gave him a satisfied look, he made a remark. “ You’ve taken over everything else around here.”

Brooke should have known that it was too good to be true. She gave him a disgruntled look that he ignored and poured herself a glass. She took a sip and the delicious wine made her tingle. She closed her eyes. “ God, that is so good.”

Ian’s gray eyes darkened. She had almost moaned those words in her sexy voice. Was she good? Did she sound like that when she climaxed? God, he wanted to know what she’d feel like under him with him pounding inside of her all tight and wet. Would she be as hot as he thought she would be? She wore her emotions on her face, she hadn’t learned to conceal anything and she was so damn passionate. He knew that she’d be hot. How hot? Would she bite, scratch…God he knew that she’d moan. She was so fucking expressive. He knew that she’d be expressive in bed that thought pleased him.

Brooke wondered what Ian was thinking about; he had a strange look on his face. He had said that she had changed things around his house. Just what was he talking about?

“What type of changes do you think that I’ve made around here? I’ve tried hard to leave you alone.”

“ You talk all of the time.”

“ I’ve hardly spoken to you. You certainly make it clear that you don’t want to speak to me.”

“I don’t dislike speaking to you.” Brooke snorted. Ian sipped some more of his wine.

 “ But like I said before, you talk to much. Obviously you aren’t used to being alone.”

“ What does that mean. I came to the rent a cabin to spent some time alone.”

“ You aren’t used to being alone with your thoughts are you?”

“ You are making assumptions again.”

“Have you ever lived alone?”

“ Yes.” He gave her a look like he didn’t believe her. “ I live alone now.”

“ And I bet it drives you crazy doesn’t it?”

“ No it doesn’t. I’m just used to having people around. I lived with my family and I got married and had children. I loved having my children around; they bought joy into the house with the laughter and their voices. When they moved out, of course I was lonely especially when Thorne moved out.”

“ Thorne?”

“ My ex-husband.”

“ Your husband left you?”

“ Yes.” Brooke sipped some more wine and then looked into the fire. “ Yes, he left me.”

Ian heard the pain in her voice.

“ Why? Why did your husband leave you?”

“ That isn’t any of your business.”

Ian wasn’t one to listen to anybody. He wondered why her husband had left her.

“ Why did he leave you?” She didn’t answer him. He leaned forward. “ Tell me. Why did your husband leave you? Was it another woman?”

“No.”

“ Another man?”

“No. Thorne isn’t gay.”

“ Another man for you?”

Brooke turned her head toward Ian. “ No. Not at least the way that you are thinking. I didn’t cheat on my husband.”

“ But there was another man?”

A tear escaped Brooke’s eyes as she listened to the fire crackle. “ Thorne thought that I still wanted my ex-husband Ridge.”

“No. I didn’t want Ridge; I only wanted my husband Thorne. But Thorne didn’t see it that way. He only heard what he wanted to hear and he only focused his pain. He didn’t try to listen or to even talk things out. He just ended our marriage.”

“ A man’s pride is an important thing. If he thought that you were still in love with your ex, he naturally would be upset.”

“ I wasn’t in love with my Ridge. But I cared about him. My marriage to him didn’t end on bad terms and Ridge and I had a special connection. Thorne knew that when I married him.”

“Did he have anything to worry about?”

Brooke’s eyes narrowed and she became defensive. “ What are you saying?”

“ In my experience women aren’t too trusted worthy when it comes to playing men.”

“ I wasn’t playing anyone and I resent that comment. I loved my husband and I never gave him any reason to doubt our marriage or me. He’s the one who gave up on us. One day I happily married and the next my husband was filing annulment papers all because of a conversation.” Brooke stood up. “ I don’t want to talk about this anymore because I can tell no matter what, you’ll see me as whomever woman scorned you in the past.”

“ What makes you think there was a woman?”

“Was it a man?”

“I’m strictly heterosexual.”

“Well you are the one who says that you don’t like women.”

“ I don’t trust women but I don’t mind sleeping with them.”

“Typical male response. What happened to you? Did your wife cheat on you?”

“It’s none of your business. Besides I don’t have a wife, never did.”

“ I wonder why? Maybe it’s your sparklingly personality.”

Ian shrugged. “ Maybe. Marriage isn’t for everyone, I’ve accepted that.”

“You don’t want to be married?”

“No. I don’t want that headache.” Ian studied Brooke. “You still believe in your happily ever after don’t you. After two marriages, you still believe in marriage, don’t you?”

Brooke didn’t open her mouth to correct him, she didn’t want to hear his opinion if he knew that she had been married more than two times. “ Yes, I still believe in happily ever after.”

“ You are a fool, you know that don’t you?” There was a flicker of pain in Brooke’s eyes at his comment. “ But I am sorry that you lost your husband. It seemed to me that he didn’t fight for you. If you marry a woman then you should fight to keep her. If I’d ever been married I do anything in my power to hold on to my wife.”

 

Brooke finished setting the table when Ian put on some jazz music. She looked completely surprised by his taste. Brooke listened to the sounds of Duke Ellenton as Ian finished making the shrimp stir-fry. He had some frozen large shrimp in the freezer, which he defrosted and Brooke had helped to cut up the vegetables. Ian had started adding seasons and gotten out his wok. The small of fresh stir-fry filtered through the living area.  Brooke leaned down to pet Sam whom she slipped another treat. She rubbed his head. “ There you go….the food smells great doesn’t it?”

Ian turned and found Brooke talking to Sam. He was glad that she had cheered up a bit. Talking about her marriage had saddened for so much that she had been quiet for two hours reading silently. Ian sighed, he had missed her chatter. Maybe during dinner he would tell her a little about himself, he didn’t know why her feeling mattered but they did. Boy, he was getting soft.

 

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