FATED PASSION

By

Marianne LaCroix

© copyright, Marianne LaCroix

NCP edition, June 2007

Cover art by Eliza Black, © copyright June 2007

New Concepts Publishing

Lake Park, GA 31636

www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s

imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or

events is merely coincidence.

Prologue

“How long do I have to wait for you to make up your mind, Rob?” Alexia asked, her anger growing as she watched him slip on his jeans.

After an afternoon of passionate lovemaking, she wondered aloud about their future together. She wanted commitment, a promise of marriage and a life together, forever.

Only Robert wasn't thrilled with the idea, judging from the way he dodged the subject whenever she brought it up. Well today, she wouldn't be to be put off any longer.

“Allie, I just can't be thinking about this now. My first book is set to come out in a few months, and my agent is setting up all kinds of plans for promotion. This is just not a good time to talk about marriage.”

“When the hell is it ever a good time? We've been together for three years, and I want to know exactly where we're going from here.”

Grabbing his t-shirt, he quickly yanked it over his head, covering his bare chest. “At this point, I can't make any promises when my mind is so occupied with my career. This all will have to wait.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and started putting on his socks and shoes.

She stood in front of him, clutching her hot pink silk robe about her quaking body. “I'm not someone you can put on hold, Rob. I have a life.”

As he tied the last shoelace, he sighed. “I have a life, too, Allie.” Rising, he stopped to look down into her dark eyes before walking out of her bedroom toward the living room.

How could she love a man who was so difficult to get along with? As hard as it was to believe, it was true. When he wasn't around, she longed for his closeness, yearned for his touch, and ached for his kisses.

It was easy to love him, yet easy to hate him, too. They were both dominating personalities, so it was easy to understand the powerful attraction between them. Everything they did had been passionate from the laughter they shared, to the incredible sex, to the explosive arguments.

Their fights sometimes ended up in short break-ups, but they never usually lasted for long. This time Alexia was determined this was the end. How long could she wait for him to decide to make a commitment? There was so much in life she wanted and waiting around for Rob to consider marriage years from now was out of the question. If he loved her, shouldn't he want to marry her?

Following him out into the living room, her body shaking with rage, she screamed, “Just go! Leave! If I'm not worth a commitment, then I don't want to ever see you again!”

Robert stood at the open door of her apartment as he gazed away from her, sliding on his leather jacket. He remained quieter than usual. When he turned to face her, Alexia felt suddenly small in comparison. His six-foot six-inch frame filled the open doorway like he'd filled her life for the past few years.

Robert had a pleasing face and a charming aura that had always attracted her like a bee to nectar. Paired with a sexy confidence and a creative sense of humor, he'd quickly captured her heart. Maybe that was why it was breaking into a thousand pieces now. She hated to see him go, but he just had to. That bearded face would haunt her for a long time to come she knew, but it was for the best. Wasn't it?

“This is it then. Goodbye, Allie.” His voice was surprisingly calm … then he simply turned and walked out her apartment.

His cool reaction only enraged her more. How dare he act so nonchalant?

Alexia slammed the door after him as a last exclamation to their most-recent fight.

She lifted a shaking hand to her mouth as she held back the tears that threatened to spill forth. He wasn't worth crying over.

The revving of an engine outside drew her to the window. Sure enough, it was Robert. Maybe he wasn't so unaffected after all?

His sports car revved again as he quickly backed out of the apartment parking lot space and peeled out onto the road, driving out of her life forever.

Tears flooded down as she watched the last trace of the car's taillights fade away into the distance.

Robert's out of my life for good. That's what she wanted, right?

For some reason, she felt like she'd lost more than a lover. She'd lost her best friend, too.

* * * *

Why does Alexia have to be so stubborn and demanding right now? He had other things on his mind. Didn't she understand that?

Rob peeled out onto the street from the apartment parking lot, wondering to himself what exactly had gone wrong today. The gray late afternoon sky threatened to open up and pour down icy rain at any moment, fitting his mood perfectly.

She seems to bring up marriage at the worst possible times. Last time was a year ago, around their second year anniversary. Now she'd started dropping hints again that she wanted to get married. He was in the middle of writing his book, which he did in his almost non-existent spare time. Money was really tight too. Freelance writers only made so much money, living from one meager paycheck to the next. Short magazine articles paid peanuts, and he had lived a subsistence life, until his novel was picked up by a major publisher.

Of course, he hoped it would get published. His entire future was pending on the sales of the book. If it did well, he could write more novels and live comfortably doing what he loved--writing. Then again, if sales were poor, he could very well end up in a dry cleaner's washing dirty clothes.

Right now he worried about the future sales. How could he drag Alexia into his world if sales were poor? If she could only wait until he could give her the things she deserved––a good home in the suburbs, freedom to pursue her own dream to write, and, eventually, children.

It wasn't that he didn't want to marry Alexia. He did. It was just that the timing was off. He wanted to wait until he could provide her with all the things he wanted to give her.

Should he turn around and go back to tell her they could talk about marriage once he was sure of his writing career?

No. Since she was so upset with him, he'd stay away for a while, at least until his book was out in stores a few months from now. Then he would go back and ask her to marry him. He just needed a little more time.