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“You mean you’ve grown some balls? Good for you.”
A quick tremor shot through his body, making the veins stand out on his forehead. It was probably tempting to break that glass and stab me with it, but then there would be a retaliation, and we would both bleed to death in that restaurant. “She’s to be my wife, the mother of my children, and I won’t sit back while she’s held captive against her will.”
“Held captive against her will?” I asked incredulously, releasing a loud laugh. “Oh, trust me, she’s not being forced to do anything…”
Ferocity burned in his eyes.
“She can walk away whenever she wants. She’s the one who chooses to stay.”
“She feels nothing for you—”
“It didn’t seem that way last night—”
“I’ll fucking kill you.” He threw the bottle of wine at the wall, where it shattered. Red liquid stained the white walls and splattered the white tablecloths stacked on the banquette along the wall.
I didn’t flinch. Relaxed as ever, I remained in my chair and started drumming my fingers on the table. “I liked that wine.”
He straightened his jacket. “Then you can lick it off the floor.”
“Or I can lick it off—”
“I swear to fucking god.” He gripped the table like he was going to throw that against the wall too. “Give her back to me, or you’ll regret it.”
I hadn’t had this much fun in a long time. My fingers continued to drum on the table as I looked bored. But inside, I was grinning like the devil. I had the one thing he wanted more than anything, and I would exploit that to no end. “No.”
“Then I’ll take her from you—”
“She doesn’t want you.”
“She doesn’t want you either—”
“Like every other woman I’ve been with, she’s wrapped around my finger.” I rose to my feet and smoothed out the front of my shirt with my palm. “She wants my dick as much as she wants my name. I’ve made her forget every other man she’s been with—especially you.”
With veins popping in his neck and skin the color of a ripe tomato, he was fuming. There was too much rage to channel into his movements. He didn’t know if he wanted to smash my skull with a plate or pin me underneath the table. But whatever he decided, there would be consequences, and that was the only thing that steadied his hand. His breaths grew labored, pissed off but hurt at the same time.
Hurt that the woman he loved preferred me to him.
Revenge was so fucking sweet.
He could try to take her back, but what would be the point if she loved me instead of him?
I watched the hurt dance across his face, as if I’d fired a bullet made of sorrow.
He lost his temper and flipped the table to the side. Dishes crashed on the floor. The vase with the white rose shattered. Restaurant staff didn’t come to check on the commotion, the music from the main room too loud. He stormed off, leaving me in the wreckage of his childish tantrum.
I took my seat once again—and smiled.
SIXTEEN
CAMILLE
In my leggings and a sports bra, I stepped into the on-site gym, a separate building on the grounds. Most of the walls were made of glass, and the back wall was a large sliding glass door that opened entirely to reveal the grounds.
Cauldron was there, lifting a bar stacked with heavy weights toward the sky before he lowered it back to his chest. He did a set of ten before he re-racked the bar and lay there, his bare chest shiny with sweat. He gave himself a minute to catch his breath before he benched over two hundred pounds ten times and returned the bar above his head. Then he sat up, his muscled back facing me. He wiped the sweat from his face with the white towel then rubbed the back of his neck.
I could see his back in greater detail than before because the sweat made every groove shine with a distinct reflection. Massive shoulders led to a strong back then narrow hips. He was in loose shorts and his workout shoes, looking out to the open grounds as he evened out his breathing. He seemed to be finished because he stood up and grabbed the bar so he could do biceps curls next.
He didn’t notice me.
After he did his curls, he moved the bar to the back of his neck and did squats, his large body carrying the weight with fatigue but also strength. His form was perfect, his breathing irregular as he pushed his body to conquer his workout.
I was supposed to do some cardio, but I found myself thoroughly entertained.
He finally racked the bar, his shiny chest facing me, all the muscles plump and tight from his workout. His eyes lifted and locked on mine without a hint of surprise, either because he already knew I was there or he didn’t care. His eyes made a quick glance at my tight little clothing before he grabbed the towel and wiped his face. “What are you doing in here?”
