Tracey V. Bateman - Betrayal Of Trust

She didn’t resist when he reached across the table and took her hand, lacing her fingers with his, forming a steeple. “Why, Rave?”

“W-why what?” She swallowed hard, kicking herself for not preparing for this inevitability. Of course Matthew would grab her heart again. She just hadn’t realized he would do it in five seconds flat. That had to be a world record.

“Why did you walk away?”

“I just—had to, Matthew. It’s nothing I can put my finger on, really. I just knew it wasn’t right between you and me.”

“It was right.” His thumb traced the sensitive skin between her thumb and forefinger, making it hard for Raven to concentrate. “We were right together.”

“I—I don’t think so. Life was too complicated. I wasn’t ready to commit.”

“Doesn’t it seem strange to you that we’re both still single? Neither of us moved on.”

Raven snatched her fingers away and hid her hands in her lap. “What makes you think I haven’t moved on?”

Disappointment washed Matthew’s features as the intimate moment between them passed. “No ring.”

“Maybe I don’t believe in conventional tokens of commitment.”

He gave a short laugh. “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Even unconventional girls.”

Raven had to smile. Then she grew serious once more. “Just because I haven’t tied myself down to a man doesn’t mean I haven’t moved on, Matt. It just means I’m not interested in a relationship. What I have moved on with is furthering my career.”

“I see.”

And Raven could tell by the smug relief on his face that he did indeed see. And not what she was claiming, either. He saw into the very truth of the matter. A truth that had taken her by surprise—the fact that he still had her heart. But she wasn’t ready to deal with that issue herself, let alone admit it to Matt, of all people.

She fixed him with a dubious rise of her brow. “Oh, please. Don’t make this about you.”

He held up his hand in truce fashion. “Far be it from me to be so egotistical.” But his eyes glinted with amusement.

Raven rolled her eyes. He exuded ego.

“What about you? Why haven’t you moved on?” Desperate to get the focus off of her own life and motives, Raven took a chance on the question, knowing he would more than likely open up all the raw wounds between them. This news story had better be worth all the pain.

He studied her, his blue eyes squinting with intensity, as though probing her mind. She squared her shoulders, meeting his gaze evenly, hoping against hope that she had met her objective and accomplished an expression of passive interest.

“Why haven’t I moved on?” He leaned back in his seat as he repeated her question. “I guess I never found the right girl. No one measures up to Raven Mahoney. Didn’t you know that?”

He was mocking her. Raven knew it and she felt the blush creep to her cheeks in hot trails.

He smiled. “Actually, I’ve just been too busy. First, with law school. And I have to thank you for all my good grades, by the way—if you hadn’t dumped me, I’d have been much too distracted to pass the bar.”

“You’re welcome,” Raven said dryly.

He gave her an appreciative smile for taking the joke as it was intended. “After law school I worked for three years in the offices of Tyler, Hillman and Long.”

“Very prestigious. I’m duly impressed.”

“As I intended you to be. Thank you.”

“You’re most welcome.” Raven’s heart nearly soared at the banter. They had settled into the easy back-and-forth just as though time hadn’t moved forward fifteen years without them.

“Then I went to work as an intern in Senator Grady’s office. Eighty-hour work weeks don’t make for a romantic atmosphere. I barely had time to sleep and spend time with my d—”

An arrow of sharp instinct lodged into Raven’s senses. She raised her brow? “Your what? Dominoes? Diary? Dear old aunt?” She grinned.

With an indulgent smile at her attempt at humor, he gave her another studied look, then almost in defeat, sighed. “My daughter.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out a billfold. He handed her a photograph. An adorable little girl with brown hair and marked freckles grinned back at her, revealing two missing front teeth. “That’s a couple of years old. Her teeth have grown in.”

Matt’s pride in the girl was obvious.

Questions tripped over each other in Raven’s mind until she wanted to give them expression, but she sat up a little straighter and forced herself to hold back. A professional never overwhelmed the interviewee. Tread carefully, Raven. Don’t scare him off.

“She’s cute.” She smiled. “Doesn’t look a thing like you, though.”

“She’s adopted.”

“Wow, Matt. That’s amazing.”

“You don’t sound amazed.” A frown creased his brow.

“I’m just wondering why a single man with a busy and promising career would feel the need to adopt. It’s not like you even have a wife to give the child a mother. Why not just find a woman, get married and have a little princess of your own?”

He raised an eyebrow, one corner of his lips tipping in a mocking smile. “Are you applying for the job? Because if you play your cards right—”

“All right!” Raven reached for her water glass with a trembling hand. “You’re going to have to stop bringing up our past as though we’re still a couple, Matthew. It’s….ridiculous.”

“Then you’re going to have to stop behaving like a reporter. I don’t like being interrogated—especially where my family is concerned.”

“I am a reporter. Remember?”

“Funny, and I thought you were an old friend.”

The waiter appeared with their food, effectively cutting off Raven’s reply. For the moment. Matthew turned an expectant gaze back to her. “Do you want to ask the blessing or should I?”

Alarm shot through Raven. Matthew frowned, obviously confused by her hesitation. ‘Everything okay?”

“Uh—yeah,” she said. “You pray.”

He did so, then picked up the conversation where they’d left off. “Well?” he asked. “Are you here as an old friend or as a reporter?”

“I didn’t realize it was taboo for ‘old friends’ to ask about family, Matthew. Or is your personal life only off limits to some old friends?” It had taken her the five minutes the waiter was beside their table to come up with the proper response, and she couldn’t help but silently bless the server for coming to her rescue. Her words nailed him with their intended effect.

“Forgive me,” he said. “I tend to live with a bit of an edge lately. Suspicion is my middle name.”

“Listen, I understand. I’m not one to discuss my personal life much either. I just thought…” She gathered a deep breath just before hammering in the nail. “I just thought you wanted us to be friends again.”

Matthew couldn’t put his finger on exactly why he didn’t trust Raven. Perhaps because she was a reporter, perhaps because she’d suddenly shown up out of nowhere. Perhaps because she had broken his heart and left a gaping wound to remind him not to trust her.

Friends. She was offering friendship when he wanted so much more. He wanted her love, her adoration, her devotion. He wanted her heart and body—in a pure and holy union before God.

Friendship wouldn’t do. He’d rather never see Raven again than be forced into a lesser relationship.

On the other hand, perhaps some time on a friendship basis with her would give her a chance to realize she still loved him. And Matthew knew she still cared. He could read it in her eyes, had felt it in the rapid pulse at the base of her wrist. Perhaps he could finally get an answer—once and for all—as to the reason she had walked away from their love.