Too Good to Be Wrong

  Evernight Publishing ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2016 Sam Crescent

  ISBN: 978-1-77233-654-2

  Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

  Editor: Karyn White

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  TOO GOOD TO BE WRONG

  Sam Crescent

  Copyright © 2016

  Prologue

  April Robinson stared across the table to look at her friend. Julia wasn’t being her usual happy self. This was supposed to be a fun dinner date and shopping, yet her friend looked on the verge of tears.

  “Are you okay?” April asked, concerned.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” Julia turned away from her, stabbing her fork into the salad leaves on her plate.

  Her friend wasn’t as talkative as usual.

  “Have you and Henry had a fight?”

  “Why would we have a fight?” Julia asked, snapping out each word.

  She held her hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry. I was only asking.” April went back to eating her lunch. This was supposed to be fun, and it was anything but. She checked her watch to see the time wondering when she could leave.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t snap at you. Henry and I, we didn’t have a fight. We’re good. In fact, I think he’s going to propose to me very soon.” Julia flicked her blonde hair off her face and smiled. “Isn’t that wonderful?”

  “Yeah, it sounds amazing. Isn’t that a little soon?” April went back to her salad, pushing the leaves around the plate. Henry Jones was Julia’s boyfriend, and an extremely handsome businessman. Her friend and Henry had only been dating for a year, maybe a little longer.

  “Yeah, I can’t believe it myself. I was so shocked. I didn’t even think he loved me, but I saw the ring.”

  April saw Julia’s knuckles were white and tight as she held the fork tightly.

  “You’re brilliant together.”

  “Aren’t we just?” Julia said smiling. “I’m bored with this salad. Shall we go back home?”

  “Sure.”

  She placed their bill on the table leaving a nice tip to their waiter. April followed after her friend, not liking the way Julia kept her distance.

  Once inside the car, Julia took out her cell phone and tapped away at the keys. April placed the seat belt over her and waited.

  Julia gave a satisfied smile then pocketed the cell phone. “Teach him a lesson.”

  “What’s going on?” April asked.

  “Nothing.”

  Driving out of the mall, Julia took the roads with care. The moment they opened up, Julia increased her speed, and April held onto the seat.

  “Do you want to slow down?”

  Julia didn’t answer her as she drove around the curves.

  “Seriously, Julia, slow down!”

  Her friend laughed and suddenly veered off the road. April screamed as she saw the tree they were heading toward. The car jerked, changing direction so that the driver’s side was in the line of the tree. There was no time, and the pain was instant as the car impacted the tree.

  Chapter One

  “Why are you here?” Henry asked.

  April stared at the man behind the large, intimidating desk. She’d always been scared of him. Just over a year ago Henry had met her best friend, Julia, and the two had become inseparable. From the sidelines April had watched the couple grow together, feeling like a total outsider. For some reason unknown to her, Henry hated her. Julia tried to convince her that it was nothing, but April knew the hatred shining in his eyes whenever he looked at her, wasn’t nothing.

  “I wanted to see how you were doing after everything.” She glanced down at her hands, wishing with all of her heart that she hadn’t said anything or even come to him. Three weeks ago she’d gone out shopping with Julia. Henry didn’t want his girlfriend to go, but Julia had been determined. Looking back, April knew she should have said no. On the way home after eating a delightful lunch, Julia had run headlong into a tree, killing Julia instantly, and injuring April in the process.

  She would never forget being trapped in the car, begging for Julia to respond to her. What felt like hours but was probably only minutes had passed, but Julia never responded to her calls. April had sat beside her friend begging for her to respond and nothing. Closing her eyes, April recalled sobbing as Julia’s cell phone rang.

  Reaching into her dead friend’s pocket she’d answered Henry’s call. Telling him over the phone that his girlfriend was dead would haunt her for the rest of her life. He’d gotten to them before an ambulance or anyone else. She’d never forget the look on his face when she saw him. Henry had surprised her by helping her first to get out of the car.

  Pushing the memories aside, she got to her feet. “I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have come.” She put the two crutches underneath her arms and gripped the handles. The accident caused her to break her leg, stopping her from working for the next couple of weeks. She worked as a checkout girl at the local supermarket. “I just wanted you to know that I was sorry.”

  “Why the fuck are you sorry?” Henry asked, getting to his feet. He rounded the desk with speed and planted himself on the edge in front of her. “You weren’t the one driving the fucking car.”

  His harsh language always surprised her. She’d grown up around men who cursed all the time. With Henry, she always expected something different. He was a successful businessman, so shouldn’t he talk differently?

  She licked her suddenly dry lips and stared at him. “I don’t know what happened. I wanted to thank you for pulling me out of the car.”

  The doctor who tended to her had told her if it wasn’t for Henry placing a tourniquet above her wound she’d have bled out and possibly died. The very thought of dying scared her. Her own thoughts made her feel guilty as Julia hadn’t survived. Julia’s funeral had been over a week ago. It had taken her this long to build up the courage to come and see Henry.

  “I’m doing fine.” He reached out and touched one of the crutches she was holding. She tensed up wondering what he was thinking. “What about you?” he asked.

  Easy conversation between them had never worked. Whenever they were alone, silence always worked better.

  “I’m fine.” She stared at the ground. Her best friend was dead, and she didn’t know how to deal with the pain of losing her loved one. She didn’t have any family of her own, as they hadn’t liked her moving to the city to be near her friend.

  “You’re not fine.” He stood, closing the small distance between them. Henry tilted her head back with a finger underneath her chin. “You don’t get to lie to me, April. Tell me the truth.”

  The intensity of his blue gaze struck her hard. Her body, which worked against her, responded to the smallest of his touches. This was the guilt she hated. There was something about Henry that called to her. His gruff voice, the hard, chiseled features, even the day-old stubble he always sported, awakened something within her. Henry was her best friend’s man, and she’d curbed those feelings for so long she didn’t know what she believed anymore. His hatred of her sure stopped her from wanting anything to do with him.

  “Everything hurts,” she said, gasping. “I’m sorry. I just needed to see if you were okay. I rang Julia’s phone today, and I remembered—” April stopped as a fresh wave o
f pain coursed through her entire body.

  He cupped her cheek, pulling her against him. Without thinking, she released the crutches and held onto him. Henry smelled amazing. She didn’t know what he used, but it was heady.

  Julia’s face appeared in her mind, and all the thoughts and feelings Henry inspired, she pushed aside. This was not her man. He’d never be her man. April withdrew, releasing a gasp as her balance almost gave out.

  “Don’t do anything stupid,” he said. Henry held onto her waist as he leaned down to grab her crutches. Once the two sticks were back under her arms, she stared at him, conscious of the touch against the side of her breasts from the backs of his fingers. “You’ve got to learn to be careful.”

  She nodded. “I will. I’m sorry for coming here.”

  “You’ve got to learn to stop saying sorry. Not everything is your fault.”

  Again, April nodded, turning away from him. Moving toward the door, April wished she hadn’t come to him. Staying at home with the memories made it hard for her to focus. Why did she need to come and see Henry? He was probably moving on to another woman. She’d seen the women around him even with Julia. They flocked to him as if they knew something about him.

  Shaking all the unease from her mind, she went to the door about to open it when his voice interrupted his thoughts.

  ****

  Henry stared at April’s round ass, distracted by the tempting curves on display. He ran fingers through his hair as he stared at her retreating form. Seeing April with her dark brown skin, long black hair, and soulful eyes, the guilt returned once again. For the past week he’d been trying to avoid getting in touch with her. They both lost Julia, yet he couldn’t bring himself to go to her. Ever since he first met her, he couldn’t control himself around her. When he first met Julia, the attraction had been instant. One week after meeting Julia and becoming an official couple, she’d introduced him to April.

  His well-organized world came crashing down around him. April inspired so much inside him, but there was no way for him to break up with Julia just to go with her best friend. The very thought repulsed him.

  “Wait,” he said, unable to watch her go. She looked so damn pitiful with the crutches and the cast on her leg. All he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her, pulling her against him.

  Instead, he held onto the edge of his desk, watching her, like he’d been watching her for many years. She’d not been alone while in the hospital. When she fell asleep, he’d take the time to check on her. Henry couldn’t bring himself to be apart from her.

  “You’re not going anywhere.” Leaving his desk, he grabbed his jacket, seeing that it was indeed lunchtime already. “We’re going out to lunch.”

  “Seriously, Henry, you don’t have to stop what you’re doing for me. I can take care of myself.”

  “Do I look like I’m giving you a fucking choice?” His words came out harsher than he intended. Gritting his teeth, he tried to calm down so he wouldn’t give her cause to be alarmed. “I need to eat sometime, and you’re here. I don’t want to send you away.”

  Stepping closer to April, he waited for her to dispute what he said.

  “Okay, I can handle some food. If you’d rather eat by yourself then I’m okay with that.”

  She looked at the floor again. Her long black hair fell over her face, blocking her beauty from his gaze. Reaching out, he tucked strands of her hair back. She jerked away from him touch.

  Letting out a sigh, he withdrew his hand, wishing things were different.

  “Come on, let’s go and eat.” He opened the door, waiting for her to pass before closing it behind him. On the way to the lift he nodded at his personal assistant telling her he’d be back after lunch.

  “How does the place function without you?” April asked, stepping onto the lift with him.

  Staring at their reflections Henry did everything he could not to look at her. There were times she’d visit Julia that he found himself looking at April. Life, for him, was easier when he tried to believe she didn’t exist.

  This is all on you. She’s nervous around you because of you.

  He never tried to make her relax. The attraction between them was all on him. She didn’t give him any indication that she wanted more from him.

  “When are you back at work?” he asked, trying to turn the conversation to something else other than the increased attraction.

  “I’ll be going back next week.”

  “You’ll still be on crutches.”

  “I know. I’ve got to get back to work. Staying in all day and doing nothing isn’t my idea of fun. I’ve got to do something, as otherwise I’m going to go mad.” April stared up at the numbers counting down at the top of the lift. He stared at the column of her neck. Would her skin be as silky as it looked? Henry wanted to close the distance between them, press her up against the wall of the lift and kiss her.

  She’s not yours.

  “I don’t like it,” he said, turning his hands into fists at his sides. There had to be an off switch to this attraction. She didn’t feel anything for him, yet when he was in her company, all he did was feel for her.

  “There’s nothing you can do to stop it. I’ve got to eat, and they’ll only keep my job for so long.”

  “You should be resting. Your leg broke, and you almost died.” Hearing her sob over the phone after the accident twisted his gut. The only thing worse than the memory of her sobs was the visual he got every time he closed his eyes. The car wrapped around the tree, Julia’s side a mess and the vision of April trapped within the car.

  Again, he pushed the memories away, reminding himself that April was still alive. She didn’t know that he and Julia had argued before she went out or what they’d been arguing about.

  “Bills need to be paid, Henry. Not all of us are successful businessmen.” She gave him a smile, which had his heart pounding harder in his chest.

  Fuck!

  He averted his gaze and breathed a sigh of relief when the doors opened. Waiting for April to take the lead, he followed close beside her. Every now and then he couldn’t help but catch a glimpse of her glorious, full behind. She was so ripe and full. He knew once he got her naked that she’d fill his hands to perfection.

  Once outside of his office, he could breathe easier. Loosening his tie, he made his way toward the car that always waited for him outside of his business. Opening the door, he gave the driver a pointed look. April did a little hop then shuffle before landing her ass in the car. “I really don’t need to eat. I can wait.”

  Sending her a glare, he took the crutches, dumping them into the trunk. Glancing around the city, he couldn’t help but smile. He had April in his car, and now he got the chance to feed her. For once, his day was looking up.

  Sitting beside her, he told the driver to take them to an upscale Italian restaurant that had opened up. He loved the food, and he wished to share the experience with April.

  ****

  The heat coming from Henry had to be all in her imagination. No one could generate heat simply sitting beside her in a car. Pushing some hair off her face, she forced herself to watch the city passing her by.

  They were going for Italian. Did he pick the place because she liked Italian food? How did he even know what she liked? All of her thoughts were starting to confuse her, none of them making any sense as she thought about the kind of man Henry was.

  The tension in the car mounted, and she made sure to keep her attention outside rather than inside. This was the first time she’d been alone with him. He seemed to be acting different. She didn’t know why and would rather not overanalyze why he was suddenly behaving toward her with interest.

  He didn’t even ask what she wanted for lunch—he assumed.

  Why are you getting angry? You’re happy with anything.

  Staring out of the window, she tried to get her thoughts into focus. Henry stayed quiet on the ride toward the restaurant. At times she found herself tracing over the cast that covered her thigh.


  When they were outside, she opened the door and was shocked to find Henry standing with her crutches waiting for her. He offered a hand to help her to her feet. Staring at his hand, she wondered what she should do. She took the hand he offered, knowing in her heart that it would be ridiculous to ignore the help.

  Henry stayed beside her as she got comfortable.

  “Are you good to walk?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I’m good now.” She offered him a smile then followed him as he entered the restaurant. There were no steps for her to battle. April hated steps with the crutches. There was no easy way to get to her destination when stairs were involved.

  She stood slightly behind him as he made arrangements. The moment the maître d’ knew who he was they got a table within seconds.

  “Wow, you know how to throw your name around.”

  “I do own all rights to my name,” he said, teasingly. April couldn’t help but laugh at the smirk on his face.

  The waiter approached their table holding a menu. Henry took the menu before she got a chance.

  “I need to see that to order,” she said.

  “No, you don’t.” He flicked it open and glanced down. “Get us two of your strong coffees with extra cream for the lady.”

  April frowned. How did he know what she liked?

  “I’ve been listening to you for the past few months, April. It’s pretty hard to miss what you like.”

  She nodded, more confused that he knew what she was thinking.

  The waiter came back carrying their drinks. They were handed another menu, and she looked toward Henry to see if she was allowed to take it.

  “Order what you like.”

  Glancing down the list of meals she noticed there was no cost.

  “Erm, could I borrow your menu when you’re done?”

  “No. Lunch is on me. Order what you like and I’ll pay for it.”