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Joar sighs heavily. “Never mind. I swear to you. I didn’t plan on…” he gestures to his clothes still laying on the floor. “…this.”
“And yet, here we are. I still don’t have answers. Tell me the truth. Not your version of it. Not halfway. Be honest.“ I lean against my makeup table.
He straightens up. Looks me in the eye. “Fine. I thought you were in on the scam. You appeared to make out like a bandit in the divorce. He signed everything over to you, meaning we can’t go after any of his personal assets to pay back the people he stole from. You own everything of value. Surely, you can see how that looks…”
“Really?“ I’m shocked senseless. “How did you come to learn all of this?” I’ve been called many things over the years, but a scammer is definitely not one of them.
“It’s how I do business. I learn everything. Then I came up here to see for myself. And I learned you are not who I thought you’d be.” His smile is genuine. “The opposite, actually.”
“You had me followed?” I can’t look at him anymore. This is next-level shit. Stupid, powerful, entitled asshole men.
“Yes.”
“Did you know I’d be at The Cactus Club?” I flick my eyes toward him, but don’t risk catching his gaze.
“Yes.”
“You knew where I’ve been staying?” I squeak. “When I’d be on set. Everything?”
“Yes. Everything,” he admits.
That’s it. I’m done.
My heart ices over entirely. I walk to the door and hold it open. “Please, go.”
“Clover…” he starts but I hold my hand up to stop him.
“No. Don’t speak. Let me tell you something. Women were not made to be trifled with by men like you. Stalked. Mind-fucked. Lied to.“ My voice is quiet, but firm and deadly. “Hooking up with you that night was spectacular, I won’t deny it. But I will not abdicate my self-worth or put my mental health and safety at risk, ever again. I do not need some rich, self-important blow-hard in my life who thinks he can work me over like a fucking puppet and sweet talk his way into my pants. Been there. Done that.”
He’s shocked.
So-fucking-what. I’m serious. I couldn’t detest someone more if I tried.
“You hate me.” He manages to clue in.
When I don’t respond, he puts the rest of his clothes on. Slowly. Deliberately.
And I watch him. God, I can’t tear my eyes away. He’s the finest specimen of man I’ll ever see, which makes this situation so much more disappointing.
Until he takes how I’m looking at him the wrong way and moves toward me like a panther.
Good God. The audacity.
I hold my hand up. “Stop. I do hate you. I hate everything you stand for. You think you can charm me? You can’t.“ I gesture for him to leave. “Do not call. Do not text. Do not contact me again.”
He stops in front of me. “I flew sixteen hours to get here just to apologize. To tell you the truth. Isn’t that worth something?”
“Only if you were a good human to start with, which you’re not.” I look at the floor to avoid any ambiguities of how I feel. “Arrogance can only get you so far. With me, it gets you nowhere.”
“You know what? Fuck this, Clover. You win,“ Joar snarls. I feel him brush past me. “For the record, I don’t need to prove myself to you or anyone. I’d hoped we could be more than a fuck in an elevator, but if this is how you want it. You got it.”
He disappears down the hall without a backward glance.
I slam the door behind him.
Knowing that despite how much I hate him…
I want him.
