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He frowned. “Why?”
“Because after that,” she said, gesturing behind him, “I don’t think we can be together.”
His nostrils flared. “So that’s it? Don’t I have the right to know what happened to end the relationship that was so important to me, I was ready to risk everything for it?”
Every word pained her like a dagger to the heart, and instinctively she wanted to meet his anger with her own. But she didn’t. She absorbed the blows. As she’d said, what would it matter now?
“Genesis wanted—”
“Ohhhhh,” he said, nodding as he mentally put the pieces together. “You said you hadn’t signed the contract and I assumed it was a mere formality. Since you never went into detail and because you’reyou, it never occurred to me you wouldn’t get the deal.”
It was inappropriate to take pleasure in his faith of her considering the circumstances, right?
“Apparently, I did my job too well when I was last here. A new company bought Genesis and they loved the idea of us. Of you. They wanted to add you to Mela-Skin’s marketing campaign.”
“That makes no sense,” Jameson said, rubbing his forehead. “Your products are marketed primarily to women of color. What would I have to add?”
See, evenhegets it!
Yeah, bitch,hegets it.
“That’s the same point I made. But they were royalty struck.”
“And what did you tell them?”
“I told them no! But Andrea pointed out there was a possibility they could keep Mela-Skin tied up in court if I walked away. We allthought a compromise would be in the best interest of all parties concerned.”
“We.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “But it wasn’t ‘we,’ was it? It was you.”
“Me and my team.”
He winced and she realized her words made it clear she didn’t consider him a part of her crew.
His hands clenched into fists. “Why?”
“Because I needed to do it on my own.”
And that had been the answer all along. The only person she could ever truly count on was herself. She should’ve realized it back on the plane. If she had, they wouldn’t be here essentially dealing with the same issue, but deeper in love and with more people affected than if they’d just broken it off the last time.
“It’s like a bloody mantra with you,” he growled. “You make it true because you keep saying it! When I stood outside at that airport and declared to my family and the world how much I loved you, I never intended for you to ever do anything on your own again. I meant it, Dani. Why couldn’t you believe me? What did I do to make you doubt my sincerity?”
His anguish was killing her and she wished she could take his pain away. But this wasn’t happening because she didn’t love him.
“It’s not just you. It’s everything. All of this. It asks too much of me. Your family, the Company—they want the benefit of my skin, but not the burden of my humanity.”
He pursed his lips, rolled them inward. Then: “You said your team came up with a compromise when you turned down their condition of including me in the campaign. What was the compromise?”
What?She narrowed her eyes. She’d just explained the reason they couldn’t be together, and he was asking her about her business?
“What was the compromise?” he repeated. His hands flexed at his sides, almost as if he were preparing himself for her response.
Her chest tightened and she exhaled audibly. “We realized they didn’t really wantyou. They wanted your clout and prestige... to rub off on me.”
He closed his eyes, a wry humorless smile curving his lips. “Of course.”
Dani swallowed but continued. “In the end, we told them you didn’t have to be in the campaign for me to benefit from your influence. I could access it just by being seen and photographed with you.”
Nausea roiled in her stomach even saying the words, knowing how he would feel hearing them.
