AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Well, it is partially true. But that was before I found out...’
‘You think you can lie and cheat and say and do whatever the hell you want to get your way? Just like your old man? Well, you’re gonna have to think again. Because no one screws with me any more.’
There were a million things she could say in her defence. A million things she wanted to say. But her throat closed, trapping the denial inside her. She felt herself shutting down in the face of his anger. Wanting to crawl away and make herself small and invisible. The way she had whenever her father had shouted at her, had bullied and belittled her, had derided her for being too soft, too sentimental, too much of a girl.
‘I’ve got to hand it to you...the seduction was a nice touch.’
Heat seared her to the core as his gaze raked over her, as hot as it was derisive.
‘You’ve certainly learned how to use that fit body to your advantage.’
The contemptuous comment felt like a smack in the face. Releasing the anger which had lain dormant for far too long.
‘How dare you imply...?’
Hauling herself out of his arms, she slapped him hard across the face, determined to erase that smug smile.
His head snapped back on impact. And fire blazed in her palm.
But her anger faded as quickly as it had come, the volcanic lava turning to ash as he lifted a hand to his cheek to cover the red stain spreading across the tanned skin. His eyes sparked with contempt, and his powerful body rippled with barely controlled fury.
Shock reverberated through her.
He manipulated his jaw, then licked his lip, gathering the tiny spot of blood at the corner of his mouth. The nonchalant way in which he had accepted the blow made her feel nauseous. How many other times had he been hit before?
‘So daddy’s little princess finally learned how to fight back,’ he said, the fury in his tone tempered by an odd note of regret.
The shock disappeared, to be replaced with weariness and a terrible yearning to turn back the clock. What were they doing to each other? She couldn’t hate him any more—it hurt too much to go there again.
But how could he have such contempt for her? Know so little about who she’d been then and who she was now?
‘Dane, I can explain. This isn’t what it looks like.’
Except it was in some ways.
She reached for him, needing to soothe the blotchy mark she’d caused. He jerked away and brushed past her, heading for the door.
‘It’s exactly what it looks like.’
He opened the door, and part of her heart tore inside her chest. He was walking away from her again—the way he had once before. But she couldn’t find the words to stop him, all her protests lodged inside her.
He paused at the door, fury still blazing in the ice-blue eyes. ‘I never wanted your old man’s money—or his crummy company. Which just makes it all the sweeter now that I can take a piece of it if I want to. Just for the hell of it. Don’t contact me again.’
Xanthe collapsed onto the couch as the door slammed, her mind reeling and her whole body shaking.
She wrapped her arms around her midriff, taking in the unmade bed, the torn pieces of document on the carpet, the unfinished mug of black coffee. A gaping wound opened up in her stomach and threw her back in time to that dingy motel room in Boston. Lost and alone and terrified.
Tears squeezed past her eyelids as she sniffed back the choking sob that wanted to come out of her mouth.
If Dane followed through with his threat she might very well lose everything she’d worked so hard for in the last ten years. Even the threat of legal action would be enough to destroy her position as CEO. If the board ever found out she’d mismanaged this situation so catastrophically they would surely withdraw their support.
But far worse than the possibility of losing her job was that look of contempt as he’d accused her of being daddy’s little princess.
Was that really what he’d thought of her all those years ago? That she was some spoilt little rich girl? Was that why he’d never trusted her with his secrets? Was that what he thought of her now, despite all she’d achieved?
And why did it sting so much to know he’d always thought so little of her?
She stood up and thrust shaky fingers through her hair, scrubbing away the tears on her cheeks.
