Elle, he noted with annoyance, held her body with unsurprising poise and, even though she looked worried, she was still a beautiful woman.
He didn’t bother studying himself.
Prentice pulled the magazine from her hand and read the caption.
Then he exploded, “Fucking hell!”
“I knew you’d be angry,” Elle replied swiftly.
He narrowed his eyes on her and snapped dryly, “Oh, you knew that, did you?” Flipping to the front of the magazine and seeing it was a celebrity gossip rag, published undoubtedly on a variety of continents he exploded again, “Christ!”
“Annie says I should talk to you. Explain how I deal with this kind of thing,” Elle said quickly.
He looked at her and his tone was biting when he asked, “Aye? You have sage advice on how I should deal with the fact that my son, without my knowledge and against my wishes, has his photograph in a trashy magazine? You have experience with that, do you?”
He watched her face pale.
Fuck.
His anger and impatience, this f**king situation, the last f**king week, hell, the last f**king month, had pushed him over the edge. He hadn’t thought about his words and he’d gone too far.
Way too far.
“Elle –” he started, instantly filled of regret.
“No,” she cut him off, cute Elle gone, warm, appealing Elle vanished, cool and aloof Isabella in her place.
He wouldn’t have said it two minutes ago but he wanted the other two back.
“As you know, I do not,” she went on. “However, I know what it’s like having my photo in trashy magazines without my knowledge and against my wishes. Nonetheless, I’m not a parent so you’re correct, I don’t have any sage advice for this.”
She bent to put her glass on the table and he knew she intended to leave.
He should have let her go.
But Prentice was f**king tired of letting her go.
Therefore, he didn’t let her go.
He slammed his glass beside hers, caught her upper arm in his grip and was surprised at her reaction.
It was violent.
She twisted her arm in a way that he had to release her or he’d hurt her. Which meant to keep her from leaving he had to find other purchase.
So he did.
He put both hands to her h*ps and yanked her toward him.
Her body slammed into his.
It felt f**king great.
Before he could react to this, she tipped her head back, he saw her eyes flash and she demanded in a voice that was not cold at all. It was heated.
And loud.
Loud enough for the children to hear.