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“Nothing. Happened.” He stared at me. “You know she’s been with other people, so why does this bother you so much?”
My arms crossed over my chest, and I stared at the ground. “Because you aren’t other people, Theo. If you guys hooked up, something could have happened, and then she’d be married to you instead of me.”
His stare continued before the ferocity faded. “You know I’m not interested in anything serious, so that wouldn’t have happened.”
“She would have changed your mind. Trust me on that.”
“But it didn’t happen,” Theo said. “We’re speaking in hypotheticals here, which is stupid.”
“If you hadn’t said no?—”
“But I did say no,” he barked. “Because I would never cross that line. I know what she means to you.”
I felt like shit for a lot of reasons. Theo was a really good-looking guy, and knowing Scarlett was attracted to him made me jealous to no end. And if he had slept with her and then they’d gotten together, I never would have gotten her back—all because of Dante. “If you weren’t loyal to me, Dante would have completely ruined my life.”
He continued to watch me, both of us standing in the cold in t-shirts without being affected by the weather. “She’s a beautiful woman, and so spicy she makes me sweat, but there was something off with her. Like only half of her was present with me, and the other half was hidden in a vault. Maybe she wanted me for the night, but I can tell you’re the man she wants for the rest of her life.”
I gave a quiet sigh. “I don’t know about that.”
“Be patient, man.”
“Getting her close to me is like pulling fucking teeth.”
“You knew it would be this way when you asked her to marry you.”
“It still fucking sucks,” I snapped. “There are moments when I know she’s still there…she’s still with me, but then she gets scared and closes me off again. It’s a step forward and three steps back.”
“Did you tell her that Dante wanted me to marry her?”
“Yes.”
“And her response?”
“She didn’t believe me, and it turned into a big fight.”
“She’s a beautiful woman. Why would I turn down her offer to fuck?—”
My eyes were like a knife across his face.
He corrected himself. “It doesn’t make sense, is all I’m saying. My behavior supports your accusation. She must realize that.”
“I think she does, but she refuses to let herself believe it. It’s a compartment inside another compartment. She’s so fucking brainwashed by this guy, and she doesn’t even see it. It’s so damn infuriating.” I threw my arms down. “I’m the one person she can trust, but she trusts me the least.”
When I got home, I knocked on her bedroom door, and there was no answer. I let myself inside and saw she was nowhere around. I headed downstairs and checked the study, wondering if she’d decided to claim that room as hers, but she wasn’t there either. I asked my butler about it. “When was the last time you saw Scarlett?”
“Mrs. Moreau left the property four hours ago.”
“Did she say where she was headed?”
“No,” he said. “But she and I exchange very few words…”
She doesn’t say much to me either. “Thank you, Aldo.” I stepped away and texted her. Where are you?
At work.
Aldo said you left the house four hours ago.
Yes. And now I’m at work.
You mean you’re at your father’s house.
Yes.
That’s not the office anymore.
I’m busy, Axel. We’ll talk later.
Maybe I should just kill Dante. My wife already hated me enough as it was.
I headed to his estate, passed through the gates and parked next to my wife’s cheap car. I insisted she drive one of my nicer rides, but she refused. She was married to me on paper, but not emotionally, physically, or financially.
I walked up to the doors and let myself inside, knowing both Dante and Scarlett were aware I was there the second I stepped onto the premises.
She was in the parlor, working at one of the tables in a pencil skirt and blouse, looking like a sexy secretary that I should bend over my desk. Our wedding had been a week ago, and I hadn’t even hugged her, let alone fucked her.
She looked up when I entered, and as if we were back in time, when I flirted with her left and right to get her attention, we were back to a heated but distant liaison.
The most difficult part of our relationship was the fact that I knew she wanted me, had listened to her admit it, but she refused to act on it. She wouldn’t sleep with me for fear of opening her legs. She wouldn’t allow herself to be vulnerable with me whatsoever. I knew I had to be patient because she would break at some point, and once that happened…I would get my chance to win back her heart.
