of paper. “This one is from a few years earlier. Some reporter got one of Bethany’s tutors to talk about her study habits, how she did on tests, what she liked to eat. Apparently our girl had trouble learning French. The tutor mocked her accent. This was published in a magazine. She was twelve.”
His stomach knotted and his hands curled into fists. He consciously relaxed. Not his problem, he told himself.
“Did she tell you about the college boyfriend?” Pallas asked. “The one who put naked pictures of her online and wrote about deflowering a princess?”
“She mentioned that,” he admitted, still feeling sick for her.
“Yeah, want to see the pictures? Because they’re right there for the whole world to look at. Forever.” Pallas glared at him. “No matter what she does or where she goes, those naked pictures live on. They’re great. She looks fabulous and technically her boobs and crotch don’t show, but wow, Cade. What would that be like? Want to see?”
He turned away. “No. I don’t.”
“You’re in the minority. Want to know how many times the pictures have been downloaded? Want to think about all the jackasses in the world staring at her naked eighteen-year-old self? And that happened because she was stupid enough to trust a guy who said he loved her. But hey, why should that matter? She lied to you about who she is. Let’s hate her forever.”
With that Pallas rose. She slapped the folder against his chest, then kept on walking. He stayed where he was until she’d driven away, then he sank down on the porch steps and dropped the folder to the ground.
He didn’t want to feel sorry for Bethany. He didn’t want to understand what had happened to her. He wanted to wallow in his pain and blame her for everything. Then he wanted to forget he’d ever met her. Only... Only... That wasn’t going to happen. Not any of it. He couldn’t forget her, wouldn’t forgive her. Sure, she’d had some bad things happen, but so what? She should get over it. She shouldn’t have lied to him about—
He picked up the folder, then dropped it again. One of the pictures slipped out, showing part of a bare leg and hip. He closed his eyes as rage and revulsion swept through him. Who would do that? Who would betray someone he was supposed to care about for a check and five minutes of notoriety?
He grabbed the picture and studied it. Bethany looked so damned young and defenseless. She was asleep, half under the sheet. He wondered if the boyfriend had arranged her that way. The pose suggested more than it showed, but it was still a violation. She would still see it every time she closed her eyes.
She should get over it. Had he really thought that? Was she supposed to get over something like this while he was allowed to whine about what had happened with Lynette? Yes, he’d learned a hard lesson, but so what? It had worked out in the end. He’d gotten a great job in Texas that he’d liked a whole lot better. He’d learned more, had a chance to have dinner with then Crown Prince Malik, which had led to him being able to buy Rida for basically pennies on the dollar. Yeah, that was a drag. At least no one had tried to destroy his life by exposing his most intimate acts on the internet.
She’d been what, eighteen? And a virgin until that night? Cade wanted to call King Malik and ask what he’d done, just to make sure it was enough. Because if the jerk who’d done that was still breathing and walking, it wasn’t.
Cade carefully put the picture into the folder, then stood and walked into the house. He’d been a fool. No, he’d been worse than a fool. He’d been cruel and insensitive and Bethany deserved a whole lot better than him.
Still, she’d said she loved him. If that was true, if he was so lucky that she’d offered her heart, then what was he still doing in California? It wasn’t every day a man met a woman like her. Given that he’d fallen completely and totally in love with her, being without her was wrong on every level.
There was only one thing for him to do—get his ass to El Bahar and grovel like the worm he was. Beg her to forgive him and ask for another chance. This time he wouldn’t blow it. This time he would do