re's

re, w

ity, stopped me just as I stepped out

a sigh escaping my lips b

uine concern. "Why are you always like this?" he demanded, as if I were the problem. "We were together for

scold me? For one stupid heartbeat, I'd entertained the ludicrous idea that he might have come to che

sound hollow. "Are y

uld have had a future if you'd just tried to be more. I don't k

uelty, sliced through the last fra

ily, who stole my boyfriend, and still had the nerve

r, and you still don't understand me. I don't need to change for anyone-es

ce rose, echoing off the grand marble column

y to justify your cheating by blaming me. And thank

orting his face. The spring breeze was biting cold,

heels. No taxis were in sight, only the city l

y lit shop windows a year ago. The day he'd bought me that little cupid brooch I'd admired but couldn't a

ironic those

nothing more than a loa

ing the indifferent city lights. I wasn't weak-but even the strongest woman could bre

r be the woman who threw the soup than the one

ke off my heels and walk barefoot, consequences be damned,

dow slid down,

ci

olute control, utterly unreadable. "Get in the car," he order

ted appearance and his audacious tone. It was

e. And after the absolute spectacle he'd witnessed at dinner, th

htening my grip on my

e at this hour," he said evenly from beh

espond, only qui

ingly precise, "You should know there have been several attacks

nly felt darker, colder. The rustling of leav

th raw reason-but primal instinct, the

th, and opened the passenger door.

urring softly. The silence between us was thi

e console and handed me a small, black, unado

inely surprised

simply, as if disc

ned the lid-only to gag at the incredibly pungent, almost med

flickering across his otherwise stoic, perfect face.

o my throbbing cheek. The cooling sensation spread

nuinely impressed.

as if stating the most obvious,

glaring at him through the corner of my eye. His faint smirk d

a huff, crossing

st conversational, but his eyes, when he briefly flicked them to me, were sharp, dissecting. "You w

solute lack of delicacy in his

or the record, last night was a mistake. A moment of weakness. A

gaze was steady-too stead

, "we maintain professional boundaries

al whisper, a dangerous rumble that vibrated throug

es

t lazily, with an edge of pure arrogance, "Don't flatter yourself. I have no interest in you.

adulterated arrogance in h

h, my voice a low growl. "You reall

smirk returning to his lips like a secr

ley pulled to a smooth, sil

ffly, unbuckling my seat belt with

otionless, detached cadence. "You're an employee. If something happene

ed. "Ex

his gaze unwavering. "It's a busi

man was infuriat

g again. "I'll make sure I live to be a hundred. You c

I slammed the car door sh

ssing softly against the wet pave

into the dark, my pulse still racing from anger

sufferably composed, treating me like

reason, my heart was

, ran up to me the moment I opened the do

tly shifting from worried to horrified when she saw the ang

't worry, Mom. I got slapped twice,

for herself, but for me. "You sh

sh wave of bitterness rising. "Ryan stopped being my father

e said softly, her voice barely above a

es, at the woman who had endured so much in silence-a

quietly, rubbing my tem

lence a welcome balm. My cheek still burned with a du

y bed, staring bla

e weekend. Than

t sure how much strength I had