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“You seem in better spirits today. Have you reconsidered your decision to call off the wedding?”
Where on earth had that come from? “Ummm. No? I meant what I said. It’s over. I can’t marry someone who could do that to me.” She licked the grease off a finger. “For me, cheating? That’s unforgivable.”
He picked up another stuffed tortilla. “I only ask because I’m sure you and Brad have some history together. History that led you to say yes to him once. I can’t imagine that overnight those feelings just disappear.”
She took another bite and chewed slowly, buying some time. She swallowed and met his inquisitive gaze. Dark brown eyes that looked…almost uncomfortable; he glanced down for a moment.
“It hurts,” she admitted. “It hurts to think that he could do that to me. But if I’m being honest with myself…well, I’m not like Kate. She’s always believed in happily-ever-afters and one true loves—too many old movies I’m afraid. I’ve always been the realistic one.”
His brows quirked up at that comment.
“It’s true,” she insisted, seeing his doubt. “Well, at least when it comes to matters of the heart. All I want is someone who shares the same goals as I do. Who cares as much about me as I do him. I thought I had that with Brad. I was wrong. Do I feel anywhere near the depth of despair I saw Kate experience when she first lost Michael, and later Dominic? No. I don’t think I’m wired to. So to answer your question, I guess you could say I’m sad…but not shattered.”
Although, saying all this out loud, admitting to someone other than herself, made her feel uncomfortably naked. Vulnerable.
She hated giving him such an unfettered look at her life and her emotions. She felt the uncomfortable prickling warmth behind her eyes that told her tears were close.
He looked even more uncomfortable, staring at something over her shoulder instead of meeting her eyes.
“Why are you asking about this all of a sudden? About whether I’ve reconsidered marrying Brad?” A new suspicion hit her. “Dick didn’t say something to you, did he?”
His gaze snapped back to hers, and the way his jaw tensed and flexed gave her the answer. “Hell, Payton. I’m sorry. I’m not going to let that man get in my head again. He did ask me to keep an eye out for you. Even asked if I might lend a positive word about Brad. But I can’t in good conscience do it. Brad was a prick, and he doesn’t deserve another shot. And aside from whatever Dick has asked me, I’m not going to tell you that going back to Brad would be a good idea. Forget I said anything.”
She swallowed. She wished she could forget it. It didn’t surprise her that Dick had stooped that low, to try and manipulate Cruz to get something he wanted. But to know that Cruz had started this conversation, not out of concern for her, but because he was fishing for an opening to build Brad up to clinch this business deal, bothered her more than she wanted to admit.
It served as a good reminder of why she and Cruz weren’t compatible. No matter how attractive he was and how he made her feel when he swept those dark eyes over her, he was a businessman first and always. Just like her father.
She needed to get away for a minute.
“You know,” she said in a falsely bright voice. “I’m going to run to the restroom. Get cleaned up. Who knows how long it might be before I get another chance. I’ll be back.”
Scooping her purse off her lap, she fled the table.
Cruz watched Payton cross the restaurant, making sure she reached the restroom safely, with the sure knowledge that he was the biggest douchebag in the universe.
Hell. Did he want this account badly enough to push Payton back into the arms of a guy like Brad Eastman?
Hell no.
He was better than that.
And yet, he’d asked her those questions with the ulterior motive of getting her to see the possibility that her relationship with Brad could be redeemed. He’d sunk lower than he thought himself capable.
Payton deserved better than Brad. And as much as he wanted the account, he resolved never to attempt to do something as shitty as he’d just done again. There were other ways to make the deal. Playing someone like that wasn’t how it was going to be done.
Whether she went back to Brad or not was on her and her alone. Cruz was only there to make sure that she got to the hotel in one piece and eventually made her way home, where she could make those decisions herself.
His cellphone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to see his future sister-in-law was calling. “Kate. How’s the bride-to-be? Have you finally spent enough time with my sisters to send you screaming for the hills?”
She laughed. “Not a chance. Although Benny has been betting that you might arrive with Payton tied and gagged in the trunk and several bald patches where you’ve torn out your hair.”
Yeah. That sounded like Benny, the youngest of his siblings and who he affectionately called “the brat.” Even her fancy medical degree wouldn’t change that. “Tell Benny that we don’t all have to resort to such tactics as binding and gagging someone to get them to spend time with us. But I assure you, your friend is doing fine and if I do end up gagging her, I won’t be putting her in the truck. Nah. It’s too small. I’ll just duct tape her to the passenger seat.”
“Oh. Well now I feel better,” she said and laughed. “Is she around?”
“She’s using the restroom.” He briefly filled her in on their coordinates and that he expected they should still be arriving sometime around six that evening.
“Just be careful. It’s only a simple rehearsal dinner with the family and a brief run through of the ceremony. Nothing worth risking your lives for.”
