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“Yes.”
“So, you know what happened...”
“I know.”
Now came the hard part. Why couldn’t he just tell her what he thought instead of making her ask him? “And?”
“What do you want me to say, Stacy? We made no promises but that of friendship. I can live with that.”
“So you’re cool with the fact that I...”
“I won’t say I want to jump up and do a happy dance, but I won’t hold it against you.” Sitting up, he shifted closer to her. He kissed her shoulder. “Stacy, Jack’s my friend. He would’ve told me even if you hadn’t. Even if I hadn’t smelled it. On your bed, on you... There are worse people you could’ve been with, in my opinion.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m sorry?” He looked completely confused. Which meant he looked exactly as she felt.
“Who are you? What kind of man says it doesn’t matter what his lover... Do you even care...” Stacy stopped herself. She shook her head and looked away. The last thing she needed was to hear straight from him that he didn’t care what she did. That he had no feelings for her. She tried to choke the tears back.
What right did she have to cry? He’d made no promises to her. She couldn’t make any to him. He was just an occasional lover, a man who might help her out now and then if she needed it.
Ignoring her nudity, knowing that him seeing her naked would be less embarrassing than him witnessing her tears, she turned away from him and began climbing out of the bed.
“Stacy...”
“Don’t. Look, um, thank you for making sure I got home okay. And I, uh, apologize for whatever I did last night. But I think I just really need to get in the shower and get to work. You can show yourself out.”
“We need to talk.”
“I don’t really have anything to say.”
“Then you can listen.”
Anger built inside of her. Fury at how her ex had treated her. Rage at herself—and Demetri—for how she’d allowed herself to start feeling for him. Frustration at her inability to do anything right.
Turning slowly to face him, she allowed her feelings to ooze out of her. “Then you can schedule an appointment with Ms. Pope.” She stared into his eyes, refusing to back down.
How long they stayed like that she didn’t know. She just knew she wouldn’t lose this battle of wills.
“Stacy...”
“What?” What would he say? Would he tell her what a mistake she’d made? Would he tell her to find a new lawyer? Would he suggest she back off and realize just who she was talking to?
His voice was soft as he continued to stare at her. “Do not turn your back on me.”
Were his teeth longer? His voice deeper? Rougher? Part of her screamed that she should listen to him. It said that even if they stayed locked in a stalemate for hours, she could not, should not turn her back on him.
But her pride was stung and she’d be damned if he told her what she could and could not do.
“Don’t tell me what to do.” She looked at him as long as she could, only breaking eye contact with him when she was in a position to continue her trek to the bathroom. She couldn’t have taken more than three or four steps when she was picked up and felt a shoulder pressing against her stomach.
“What are you... What do you think you’re doing?” she screamed, kicking her legs as hard as she could and trying to push against him in an effort to free herself.
There was a sudden stinging in her ass.
Had he just smacked her? “What the hell are you doing? Just who do you think you are?”
Without a word from Demetri, she was thrown onto the bed. Again before she could move, she felt him covering her. His hand wrapped in her hair as he pulled her head back.
