The Spanish Tycoon's Temptress Page 0,54
you’d slept with Richard all those years ago.”
She stared up at his handsome face, her mind working hard to remember another man in her life during that time period. “Richard Sandberg?” she asked softly, confused.
“I think that was his last name.” He sighed, his hand gripping her body slightly. “I saw a picture of the two of you and it looked…intimate,” he finished lamely. “I thought you’d slept with him and it tore me up.”
She pulled away slightly, trying to understand everything he was telling her. “Are you saying that you put us through hell, that you left me and started sleeping with dozens of women just because you thought, without proof or even asking me about an incident, that I had been intimate with another man?”
She slipped off of his lap, covering herself with her arms as best she could under the circumstances. “Richard?” she repeated his name, astonished that he would think that she’d been with another man like Richard. Richard was a sweet guy, but he couldn’t even come close to Gaston’s virility or appeal. “He was just a friend!” she explained with growing anger and increasing confusion. Her mind went back to that period in her life, trying to think of a time when she would have touched Richard in any way other than a friendly pat on the shoulder or a casual hug. And then she remembered the day when his girlfriend of five years had broken up with him. She’d hugged him then, his arms wrapping around her as he sobbed out his distress over losing someone for whom he’d cared deeply.
“There was one point when I was holding him, but that was because he was desolate. His girlfriend had just dumped him for another guy. After planning out their future, even going to the same school so they could be together, she simply told him that she wanted out of the relationship.”
His head fell backwards and his eyes closed with the frustration of all they’d gone through, all he’d put them through simply because of his undeserved jealousy. “And I saw a picture of the two of you.”
There were no more tears now. This was just fury that she was feeling. Furious anger at all they’d endured, their hopes and dreams crushed because of misplaced jealousy! “Gaston! I can’t believe you! Why didn’t you talk to me about that? Why didn’t you demand an explanation? Or even better, just ask me what had been happening? I remember that afternoon and the whole time I was helping Richard I was thinking about you and how much I wanted to tell you about what a horrible person that other woman was to do that to a very sweet man.” She shivered and put her palm against her forehead, trying to work things through. “So the whole time I wanted to share something with you, that’s the point when you decided, without talking to me at all, that you were done. That I’d committed a heinous crime, something so unforgivable that you had to just move on without any explanation!”
She didn’t care about her nakedness any longer. She just had to get away. “Well, if that’s the way you want to play it, then I’m all for it,” she said furiously. Elana stomped to the stack of towels and wrapped one around her. She caught him staring at her legs and just about screamed. “Don’t call me again! I don’t ever want to see you again.”
He stood up and her mouth went dry, seeing him standing there in all his glory. The man wasn’t the least bit inhibited, and he was completely aroused once again. A small part of her was thrilled that she could do that to such a powerful man. But another part just wanted to get out of his penthouse as fast as possible.
She started walking away from him but she heard him grab a towel himself before he walked behind her. “Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded.
She raised her hand and shook her head. “No! You don’t get to ask questions. You left me without any explanation and came right back into my life! You got me here!” she snapped, still disgusted with herself for falling into his arms once again, but this time with worse consequences. “And so I’m returning the favor. You didn’t bother giving me the courtesy of an explanation. So I’m not going to bother with them either. Just leave me alone.”
“No!” he snapped, barely holding