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How had their lives changed so quickly?
Chapter 12
Julian stepped off the elevator when he reached the penthouse, wiping the rain from his jacket and shaking out his hair with his fingers. He’d left in such haste, he didn’t bring an umbrella with him.
Punching his code into the pad, he wished he was calmer. He’d stayed at his office for the last hour trying to get himself in check, but there was one sure way to settle down. He wasn’t sure he wanted to go that route. Would looking into her stunning eyes make things right or was he still too annoyed with the whole situation? Only one way to find out.
When he came into the foyer, he found Kayla sitting on the stairs. Had she been there the whole time he was gone? She looked up at him with swollen eyes, almost making him wince when he looked into them. He wanted to go to her, to comfort her—she was just as much a victim in this whole fucked up scenario as he was—but his anger wouldn’t let him. He was angry she hadn’t believed him, but he was more upset that he gave her a reason to doubt him. If he had told her the truth when Angelina had attempted her whole screwed up fantasy, then he wouldn’t be in this situation now. He wouldn’t be staring into her distraught eyes, knowing he was the one who caused her pain.
“You’re still here,” he said. “I would have expected you to go back to your apartment, since that’s still an option for you.”
“Don’t deflect.”
“It’s raining and cold outside. I’ve had a long day. I’m taking a shower.”
“Where were you?” She stood, but didn’t follow him as he hurried up the steps.
“Resigning.”
He continued to his bedroom. Carefully removing his suit, he dropped it in the dry cleaning bin and headed into the bathroom. Turning on the water, he adjusted all the shower heads so they were just right. As he waited for the temperature to heat to his liking, he stripped off his t-shirt and boxers. Glancing in the mirror, he silently cursed himself for being such a prick to her. She hadn’t deserved his anger.
Moving into the shower stall, he immersed himself under the powerful stream of the jets. As he closed his eyes, he let the water wash away the grime of the day, wishing he could wipe his mind from the emotional filth Angelina had caused.
He tensed when the doors opened behind him. Could he handle her presence now? Would he have the control she craved? As he turned to face her, she stepped in and closed the door. She stood in the corner, her naked frame trembling as she looked up at him with her vulnerable gaze. Her swollen eyes and smeared makeup told him she had been crying. He couldn’t stand the thought.
“You’ll freeze there.” He extended his hand, unable to bear the pain he had caused her. “Come under the water.”
She accepted his gesture, moving to stand inches from him. Something stirred inside when she came to him. Not his usual arousal. If there was ever a time to prove that he was the man she needed, now would be it. Was he capable?
“You’re generous with your trust in our physical lives, but I need it all the time.” He smoothed her hair as it wilted in the steam. “Not just in the playroom.”
“You were off the other night. I didn’t think anything of it, but when those photos arrived, I started putting a picture together in my head. An ugly, unsettling picture.”
“I may be a lot of things, but I’m not a cheater. I’m loyal to you. I would never betray you. We’ve been through so much in such a short time, but you’re it for me.”
“If an ex-lover of mine sent you pictures of me with him in what looked to be a compromising position, would you trust me?”
“I’d like to believe I’d give you the opportunity to explain.”
“Then explain.”
“I told you that when I arrived she was already in that position. She’d staged a scene and hoped that I would play with her. I released her from the restraints and explained to her that I would never want her like that. I let her know in no uncertain terms that there would only be one woman for me. I had no idea she was memorializing the whole thing with a camera.”
“She’s sick.”
“I just thought she was desperate. I suggested she tell her grandfather that she wanted to go back to California. I would be working with her no longer. I thought I had gotten through to her, but instead she sent those photos to you.”
“If you made it clear that you would never be with her, what good would it do for her to send them to me?”
“She wanted to show me she had a hold over me. If those photos caused us to part ways, I’d be available.” He rubbed his temples, trying to fight off the raging headache that insisted on invading his mind. “Who knows what her logic was. Maybe she was trying to defy me so I’d punish her.”
“Why didn’t you tell me what had happened when you came home that night?”
“I thought I’d handled it.” He never imagined it would be an issue. “I rejected her advances. I thought she understood. I was wrong, and I apologize for keeping it from you. My past seems to want to creep up on us. First Connie and now Angelina.”
“Connie tried to warn me when I ran into her the other day, but I thought she was up to something. She was telling me the truth.”
“You don’t need Connie to tell you the truth.” That was another woman he would never trust. For all he knew, she was the one behind the camera that night.
