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My gritty, sleep-deprived eyes slide shut. I keep torturing myself with that question. Stabbing myself would hurt less.
Should I have told her I love her? Maybe it would have made a difference…but probably not. She has feelings for me, but love? More than likely, I would have startled her. Or scared the fuck out of her. She came to me for help, not devotion.
So now what? I probably need a new job. And who’s going to hire me after my public sexcapades? But I’m not even concerned about that. Thanks to my ambitions for the future, which I can probably flush down the toilet—though I haven’t talked to Maxon and Griff yet—I have a lot of cash in reserve. My bigger problem is that I need a new heart. The one beating in my chest belongs to Corinne.
Worse, my cock is on the same bandwagon. A glance at my social media over the last few hours proved that some people will do any guy for a thrill. I’ve had propositions from all kinds, offering me everything from a hard fuck to the blow job of a lifetime. That bastard between my legs wasn’t interested in the least, no matter how attractive or salacious the pictures accompanying the messages were.
I have no idea how I’ll recover.
The sudden sound of the key in the lock has my head whipping around. Slowly, the door opens. A figure walks into the shadows of my foyer and pauses. The familiar curves and curls in silhouette stop my heart.
“Corinne?”
“You’re up?” Her voice sounds scratchy and subdued. “If I woke you, I’m sorry.”
Hardly daring to breathe, I approach. “I couldn’t sleep.”
She shuts the door behind her. “Neither could I.”
Hope reignites. “Listen, I’m sorry about last night. But giving up our scheme isn’t the solution to our problem.”
She meets me halfway, standing just outside the first rays of dawn beaming through the back windows. But I can’t see her face. Has she been crying? Is she sad? Does she miss me at all?
I need to know.
Spinning around, I switch on the lamp on an adjacent hall table. It doesn’t provide much light but enough to show me she’s not merely been crying, but sobbing. Her bottom lip looks swollen, as if she’s dug her teeth into it all night. And there’s a love bite on the side of her neck. Did I leave that…or did Riley?
The question threatens to grind my composure to dust.
“I don’t want to rehash this. Please.” She swallows. “I’m sorry to barge in. I just came to collect the rest of my things. I didn’t expect you to be awake.”
Wait. She came at this hour because she didn’t want to see me? “So you were just going to take your shit and go, no goodbye?”
“I thought it would be best if I packed up all my business-related stuff when I wouldn’t disturb you.”
That’s a yes, and it hurts. “Then what?”
“I need to keep working. Orders are pouring in. I’m more behind than ever.”
Having something to focus on is probably a welcome distraction, but that wasn’t what I asked. “What about our plans? You’re seriously going to give up, rather than let this nonsense blow over?”
“Nonsense? Is that what it feels like to you? Your clients don’t think it is. Neither does your boss. The public doesn’t seem to, either. I appreciate you trying to help me. Truly. But your courage and fortitude are wrecking you, and I can’t allow that.”
It’s so like her to protect others, but I don’t need her to worry about me. “So you’re just going to let your brother win? You’re going to let him hang on to your inheritance for nearly three more years and stifle your company’s growth?”
She licks her lips nervously and looks away.
I freeze. There’s something she’s not telling me. “Corinne, are you going to let him do that?”
“No. I have another solution. Riley has agreed to loan me the money. I’m going back to the mainland with him tomorrow morning to finalize everything.”
Pure betrayal floods my system. From one heartbeat to the next, my temper spikes, instantly volcanic. Fury scorches my restraint and manners. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Xavian, I—”
“You what? After everything we planned and did together, when the going got tough you slinked off with another man and took a better offer. Doesn’t this sound fucking familiar?”
She rears back like I’ve slapped her. But that’s how I goddamn feel. I’ve spent all night thinking how in love I am with Corinne Emerson and inventing ways to win her back. She used our time apart to secure the loan she wanted all along from the ex she still has feelings for.
Bravo, princess. You outplayed me. I should have known better…
Spinning away from her, I grab a glass sitting on the nearby kitchen island and hurl it across the room. It crashes into a cabinet before shattering all over the floor. The sound isn’t nearly as satisfying as I’d hoped. It merely ramps up my teeth-gritting, fist-clenching wrath. I’d give just about anything to hit someone who deserves it. Riley and Parker come to mind.
