AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He laughed at thehorrified expression on his Mom’s face. Ilene Horton was in hersixties, her skin still smooth and flawless. Her brown hair wasstreaked with silver, giving her a distinguished look which shecultivated. Her green eyes were as sharp as ever and her shoulderserect.
“God forbid.’Those sharp green eyes sized up the man in front of her. “Youlike her.”
“She’sa very good friend and isn’t intimidated by my position and,most of all, she’s not afraid of you.” He added with agrin.
“She gets on mynerves.” With a sigh, Ilene acknowledged, “She isbeautiful.”
He cast her a wrylook. “We’re just friends. Both of us have gone through-“He ran a hand through his hair and deliberately steered away from thetroubling thoughts.
He was still havingnightmares of the time he’d been tied up for more than a weekand almost lost his life. His mother had warned him about Ameliaseveral times, but he’d been fascinated by her beauty and hersophistication.
“Darling-“
“I’mfine.” He forced a smile. The press had salivated over theevent for several months and he was only now getting back to somesort of normality. He was still wary of women and aside from a quicktumble a few times after that, he wasn’t in a hurry to make acommitment.
“I want to hurtthat woman for what she did to you.” The fury on Ilene’sface was evident.
“She’swhere she belongs.” He didn’t bother to tell her thatAmelia had reached out to him and that he was still feeling the achesfrom the stab wounds. She didn’t need to worry about anythinglike that.
He'd spoken to Odetteabout it and she had been colorful in her anger.
“You reallyknow how to pick them.”
“You’reone to talk.” He’d pointed out teasingly.
“God, we are ahot mess!”
“I think I takethe prize.” He agreed, grimly. “I almost died because ofmy choice.”
“You had noidea the bitch was crazy. I saw the two of you together several timesand she looked normal as hell.”
He’d laughed atthat. She always had the ability to downplay the heavy stuff. He’dbeen bombarded by the press until his mother had threatened to filecomplaints and set their lawyers on them in order for them to backoff. Now, he was trying to return to normality.
He still had feelingsfor Amelia which made him sick with guilt and shame. She’d beenbeautiful, of course, but also intelligent and energetic in bed.She’d started introducing drugs into the mix and, when hebalked at that, she’d backed off for a bit.
When she broughtanother man to have a menage a’ trois, he decided the mostlogical and sensible thing was to break things off.
She’d beggedhim to reconsider, but he realized belatedly that the relationshipwas destructive and she was leading him down a path he didn’twant to take. He should have had the common sense not to meet withher, but she’d begged and pleaded with him.
His phone pinged,bringing him sharply back to the present. Pulling out his phone, helooked at the LED, his heart thumping inside his chest. “It’sher. I’ll take it in my office.”
“You’lllet me know?” She asked anxiously.
“Of course.”Sliding the green icon, he headed for the door. “Hi.”
“Hi yourself. Ihope I didn’t catch you going into a meeting.”
Her voice warmed hiscold heart and gave him much needed hope.
“I was justtalking to Mother.”
“How is thedear lady?”
Nodding to hisassistant, he closed the doors to his office and laughed ruefully.“Singing your praises.”
“I bet.”She snorted. “We should talk.”
“We should.When?”
