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The air in Austin’s lungs seemed to thicken, making it impossible for him to exhale while he waited for her to answer. He remembered each moment vividly, just as he remembered halting the scene to comfort her both times. But if she lied, if she claimed he’d kept going despite her calling her safe word, then not only would he face losing his career, he’d be blacklisted from any halfway decent BDSM club in the country. Not to mention what the public would do to him.
Chloe darted a glance over to her lawyer, then Austin, before settling on the table in front of her before she answered. “I don’t remember.”
Reed and Park shared a look before Reed pushed. “You don’t remember what, exactly? Either he stopped or he didn’t, Ms. Carlisle. Please answer the question.Truthfully.”
“Yes, he stopped,” she finally forced out through clenched teeth.
Park pulled a second sheet of paper from the folder in front of him and scanned the contents, though Austin had a feeling he already knew every word by heart. “So, when you said you ‘didn’t know how to make him stop’, that wasn’t exactly true, was it? Mr. Barrick had already proven to be the type of man who would abide by a safe word in private, so you had no reason to believe he wouldn’t abide by one in public where everyone could hear you.”
Red was creeping up her neck, a sure sign her temper was going to explode all over them at any second.Keep pushing, Austin silently willed.
As if he’d heard the silent plea, Reed pulled another sheet of paper from his folder and slid it across the table toward Chloe. “Is this your signature, Ms. Carlisle?”
Chloe glanced down, then nodded sharply.
“Verbally, please, Ms. Carlisle.”
“Yes, it’s my signature,” she snapped, glaring daggers at the two men currently tearing her story to shreds.
Reaching across the table, Reed tapped the paper. “Please read the highlighted section.”
If looks could kill, every one of them would have died on the spot before she lowered her gaze to the paper and forced herself to read out loud. “I am here of my own free will and have not been threatened, bribed, blackmailed, or otherwise coerced to participate in any activities of any nature during my time at Black Light.”
“So according to this legal document, signed by you, Mr. Barrick did not force you.”
“Fine!” Just as Austin had predicted, Chloe jumped to her feet, her voice rising to a shriek. “He didn’t force me. Are you fucking happy now?”
It was, technically, all they needed, but Park leaned in, his expression hard and serious. “Then why lie about it, Ms. Carlisle?”
“Because he fuckinghumiliatedme!” Chloe turned her murderous glare on Austin. “Did you really think I wouldn’t know what you were doing, Austin? Parading that fat cow around, right after you dumped me? I refuse to sit by and let you make a fucking joke out of me!”
Stunned silence filled the room. Keeping his gaze locked with Chloe’s, Austin pushed to his feet. “I can promise you two things, Chloe. One, you were the absolute last person on my mind when I started dating Katherine. I haven’t thought of you once since the moment I laid eyes on her.”
Chloe’s lower lip wobbled for just a moment before she sneered. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that, Barrick.”
“And two,” he continued, ignoring her. “I couldn’t possibly turn you into a bigger fucking joke than you already are.”
Pushing away from the table, he strode from the room, a grin spreading across his face when he heard Reed’s cool, firm voice behind him. “Sit down, Ms. Carlisle. We haven’t even gotten to the NDA, yet.”
Chapter 30
Katherine
Curled up on her couch in her favorite pineapple pajamas, Kit reread the same page for about the hundredth time. With a frustrated sigh, she slammed the book shut and tossed it on the cushion. She eyed her phone, debating whether or not to pick it up. Ever since she’d watched Austin’s press conference from a few days ago (on repeat, probably a hundred times) she’d been tempted to call him, to tell him she wanted to come home.
In the end, she opted for a trip to the kitchen. There was still half a pint of fudge brownie ice cream in the freezer she hadn’t polished off yet.
She’d just shoved a spoonful of gooey, chocolatey goodness into her mouth when the doorbell rang. If those fucking reporters were back, she was going back to her dad’s. Being a big girl and getting over Austin could wait until she wasn’t being hounded by the press.
But when she opened the door, her mouth fell open and the spoon she’d been half-prepared to throw at someone’s head clattered to the floor. “Holy shit,” she whispered, staring in shock at the woman on her front steps.
“Hello. You must be Katherine.” Emma Cartwright-Davidson, looking the absolute picture of perfection in curve-hugging jeans and a flowy, off-the-shoulder top, smiled warmly at her. “I hope you don’t mind the intrusion. May I come in?”
“Umm.” Kit winced internally when she glanced around at the disaster her house had become. “Sure. I mean, yes, of course. Just… don’t mind the mess.”
“Oh, honey, if I’d just been put through the wringer the way you have this past week, I wouldn’t feel like cleaning, either.” Emma patted Kit’s shoulder as she stepped inside. “Your home is so charming, Katherine.”
“Thank you. Ah, you can call me Kit.”
