about Gavin sending her to Adrian’s and her finding him with other women … it made perfect sense. But I still didn’t understand completely. Why had Presley let Adrian off the hook? Why hadn’t she put him in his place? I don’t know that I could’ve willingly accepted fault for something like that. It was a strength I didn’t possess, but still, I didn’t understand it.
I stared at the page for a moment, sinking into Kora’s head, trying to rationalize it.
She sat up, and he noticed the spark of anger was back.
“What makes you think that I did?”
“Because he cheated on you, not the other way around.”
“How do you know that?”
It was obvious she didn’t think anyone knew the truth.
“Because he told me.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re lying.”
He couldn’t keep from smiling. “Fine. Because I know my brother. He’s an idiot.”
“He is that,” she said, relaxing once again.
“You let everyone believe that you were the one who cheated. Why?”
“What difference does it make?”
“Because Sam needs to be held accountable for his actions,” he told her, a thread of anger weaving its way through him.
“And that would help the situation how?”
She had a point. He didn’t like it, but she had one.
Kora shifted, her ass grinding against his cock, making him come to life. He didn’t want her to think this was about sex, but there was nothing he could do to hide it, so he pretended it didn’t matter.
“Sam cheated,” Kora explained. “Trina cheated. Neither of them are innocent in all of this. But as far as I’m concerned, they both are going to pay the ultimate price. If they don’t love each other—and I suspect they don’t—life isn’t going to be roses and rainbows. They’ll have a child to raise, yes. And I know Sam; he’ll stay with Trina until he’s old and gray and hating himself for what he did. That, for me, is punishment enough.”
“What about the others? The ones who think you’re to blame?”
“I don’t give a fuck what they think.” Her forehead knitted. “Sure, it hurts that they’d immediately blame me, but that’s on them. Not me. I was given a reputation a long time ago of being the rebel, not conforming. I argued with my parents more than most kids, defied them every chance that I got. But I never cheated, never did something that would intentionally hurt another person. That doesn’t mean I can change the way they see me. Nor does it mean that I want to.”
Okay, so that hadn’t played out quite the way I’d anticipated, but I definitely liked it. Kora was much stronger than I’d initially given her credit for, and I’d known all along that she was strong.
Donovan continued to stare at her. He realized that she had been bottling up her emotions, but she hadn’t simply brushed it all under the rug. Kora Madison was confident and smart, and above all else, she knew who she was.
And that was a fucking trait that most people didn’t have.
“You’re stronger than they realize,” he told her.
“Yes, I am. And I’m not broken, no matter what you might think.”
“Oh, love, I definitely don’t think you’re broken,” he told her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. “I think you’re smart and sexy as fuck. I think you know what you want and you go after it. Same as I do.”
Kora moved and Donovan let her go, but she didn’t go far.
No, Kora surprised him when she turned to face him, straddling his legs, grinding against his aching dick.
“And what do you want, Mr. Brashwood?”
He didn’t even have to think on that one. “You.”
“What if I don’t want you?”
Donovan smiled. “Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t.”
He knew she couldn’t do it.
Cupping her face, he brushed his thumb over her cheek. “One night won’t be enough for me, Kora.”
“What if that’s all I’m willing to give?”
He did have to consider that for a moment, but he wasn’t going to tell her what she wanted to hear, he was sure of that.
“I’m not looking for more,” Kora said, her eyes searching his.
“Then we’ll just have to figure out a way to compromise, now won’t we?”
Hmm. Compromise. Interesting.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Jake
Tuesday night
“Wow, I’m surprised you made it.”
I ignored the sarcastic greeting from my sister because I knew Paige was as excited to be at my mother’s as I was. Although our dinners were generally once a month on Thursday, it appeared my mother was switching things up a bit. Part of