Page 164 of The Silver Fox Brother

I stay near the door, keeping distance between us.

"And how did you even know I was gone?"

"I called your studio last Thursday, pretending I was calling from the office of an Interior Design publication. Maya said you were traveling for a project." He pauses.

"With Knox Sterling."

There it is.

"Rowan—"

"You're working for Knox?" His voice quivering as it rises.

"MyBROTHER?!"

I close the door behind me so this conversation doesn't spill into the hallway.

"It's a business arrangement. He hired my firm to design his residential development."

"Bullshit." Rowan's face is red.

"This is him getting revenge. Hiring you to get back at me."

"That's not what this is."

"Then what is it?" Rowan demands.

"You break up with me and immediately start working for him? Do you know how that looks?"

I cross my arms. "I don't care how it looks. This is business. We are not together anymore. What I do professionally isn't your concern."

Rowan laughs bitterly.

"Of course it's my concern. You're my—" He stops himself.

"I'm your what?" I challenge.

"Yourex-girlfriend? That's all I am, Rowan. That's all I've been for three months."

"Stop saying that!” he exclaims.

He pauses and takes a breath. “Winter, I made a mistake." His voice cracks.

"I know I did. But I love you, and I want us to work through this. I want you back, Winter. I'm not giving up."

I shake my head. "You need to leave."

"No." Rowan steps closer and I back up against the door.

"I'm not leaving until you hear me out."

"I don't want to hear it."

"Madeleine meant nothing," Rowan says desperately.

"It was a mistake. A stupid, meaningless mistake. I was stressed with work and you were always busy and I—"

"Don't you dare blame this on me."