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“Okay, this is getting creepy,” she says, opening the door.
I shake my head as I follow her inside. “I’m pretty sure it’s from X,” I tell her. “There was a rose in the room last night.”
“I was right. You do have a secret admirer,” she teases.
I snort a laugh. “He could still be a stalker.”
SEVENTEEN
X
Leaning in the doorway of Desiree’s office, I watch as she stares vacantly out the window.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
Without looking at me, she says, “I ended things with Victor.”
Thank fuck.Shoving my hands into my pockets, I cross the room until I’m standing beside her. “Did something happen?”
She heaves a sigh and turns away from the window. I suck in a sharp breath when I notice the small cut on her bottom lip. “He plays a little too rough,” she admits, taking a seat on the sofa. “I don’t trust him.”
My jaw clenches. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“No. I’m fine.”
“Do I need to call and remind him of our agreement?”
“I already did.” She waves me off. “He’s in London for a few weeks so he won’t be a bother.” Releasing another sigh, she averts her gaze back to the window. It’s clear there’s something else on her mind.
“What is it?”
Her teary gaze returns to me. “Was there—” She clears her throat. “Did you ever think about marriage when we were together?”
My brows shoot up to my hairline.What the hell?“Are you asking me if I ever wanted to marry you?”
She shrugs. “We were together for seven years.”
I sit down on the coffee table in front of her, propping my forearms on the tops of my thighs, and lean in. “Where is this coming from, Des? Is it your biological clock?” I joke.
She exhales a puff of air through her nose. “I’m serious. You’re the only man who treated me right, and I’m just wondering where it all fell apart.”
“When relationships fall apart, it’s rare that the parties remain friends, much less business partners. Our relationship didn’t fall apart. It grew stronger. When my father died, my life changed. My priorities changed. My feelings changed.”
When someone close to us dies, it forces us to reevaluate our lives. Desiree was the woman I loved for seven years of my life. She was a good partner and my biggest cheerleader. But she lives in a fantasy world. One that I created, and she continues to rule. She was in no way ready to give up the fantasy life for a domesticated one. In hindsight, I believe Veil was always meant to be hers.
“You’re my best friend and not having you in my life was never an option. I’ve always respected you. I never stopped loving you. I trust you more than anyone. The rule I put in place about not getting involved with a member was for your benefit. You deserve more than to be someone’s weekend getaway fling. You deserve a life outside of this place. You deserve to be loved and worshiped.”
Desiree sniffs as she wipes the tears from her cheeks. “I thought Gio was the man to give me all those things. How could I be so stupid?”
“You’re not. Gio is a good man, and he cares about you. I’m not excusing his behavior because I will never agree with cheating, but in his world, it’s just the way things are. It’s how he was raised.”
“He’s been calling me nonstop, but I don’t know what to say. I’ll never be okay with him sleeping with other women.”
“Maybe you should answer and hear him out. But unless he’s willing to change his ways and commit to you, then I suggest you move on.”
“Yeah.” She nods in agreement. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.” Pushing to my feet, I lean over and kiss her cheek before heading toward the door.
