Destroy For Her - R.B. Hilliard Page 0,26

to do it again.

“Please, Ax, you have to talk to her.”

“I’m on my way.” He ended the call, backed out of his drive, and headed for the club.

_______________

After the argument with Lucy, Sage gave up on the bonfire and escaped downstairs to her room. As she replaced the jeans and blouse with pajama pants and a t-shirt, she considered her options. She thought for sure Lucy would understand. Granted, she could have explained it better, but seeing Alex with that woman had thrown her. God, Alex. She couldn’t get the two of them out of her head—him with his windblown hair and sexy-hot smile, her all flushed and gorgeous like a barbie doll, standing arm in arm looking like the perfect couple—

She made a gagging noise before collapsing onto the bed. What now? If Lucy didn’t get it, how was she going to sell it to Alex? And now that he had a girlfriend . . . her stomach twisted at the thought of another woman raising Petal, but what other choice did she have?

The door swung open, and she gasped as the subject of her thoughts sauntered into the room. His clothes were rumpled, his dark hair a sexy mess. He came at her, his blue eyes flashing with anger, and all she could do was stare. He stopped at the foot of the bed, and she scrambled to sit up, fear and desire pulsing through her as she breathed in his masculine, sandalwood scent.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“What game are you playing?” he asked at the same time.

His icy tone sent chills up her spine. “What do you mean?” She didn’t like it when he was angry with her.

“First, you’re the victim, then you’re the manipulator, and now you’re the savior.” Leaning forward, to where he was practically hovering over her, he slowly repeated, “What game are you playing?”

She got the victim part, but manipulator? Hardly. “I’m not playing a game, and who did I manipulate?”

“Don’t play dumb. You and Lucy knew Emma was in that bathroom. You knew she was listening. You wanted to fuck up things between us? Well, you got your wish. She heard every word you said, how you were so in love with me and shit. Pfft! Tell me, Sage, if you love me so damn much, then why did you leave?”

Chapter Ten

WAS HE FOR real? Stupid man, she left because of him! In a flurry of anger, she jumped from the bed and stormed over to where he was standing. Poking her finger into his chest, she asked, “Remember the night I drank too much, and you carried me to my bed, then I threw myself at you, and you shot me down? It took me two weeks to face you after that. Oh, and let’s not forget the four times we kissed—all of which you started but couldn’t finish. And then there was the time in your room when we were naked in your bed—after you’d had your tongue in my mouth and your hands all over my body. We were mere seconds away from having sex when you got cold feet and walked out on me—again! How much rejection was I supposed to take, Alex? I was in love with you, had been for years, and all you could think about was how you couldn’t betray my lying, cheating, ass of a dead husband! I’m sorry. I didn’t know your girlfriend was in the bathroom. Silly me was more worried about other shit, like getting my best friend and the man I love to agree to take my daughter because if they don’t, then my psycho ex is going to kill her! And now I’m mad because this was not how this conversation was supposed to go!” She took a deep breath and burst into tears.

The next thing she knew, she was up in his arms. He carried her around the side of the bed and gently placed her on the mattress, then followed in after her.

His strong arms encircled her waist, his warmth burning through her, as he whispered, “I’m sorry,” over and over again while she cried.

He had nothing to be sorry for. All of this was her fault, her mess to clean up, only she didn’t know how. “I’m scared. He’s coming, and I have to keep Petal safe. I have to.”

“Shhh,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head. “We’re going to keep you both safe.”

She pushed against his chest while shaking her head.