Reluctant Deception - Cambria Smyth Page 0,71

it?"

"I've known who you were since the day I hired you to document Harte's Desire," Chris stated calmly.

The reality of the situation hit Libby with full force, tearing at her heart like a knife jab between the ribs. He'd known all along!

She'd played right into his hands, falling in love with him as he carried out what had to be a cleverly conceived plan for revenge. Here she was thinking to have the last laugh. Clearly, the joke was on her. The only emotion he'd ever felt for her was hatred for besting him in some of his real estate schemes. As if getting her to do the report wasn't enough, he snaked his way into her heart and then into her bed!

She glowered at him, her eyes flashing with the loathing and betrayal she'd hoped to see in his.

"I've been a fool, Chris. A complete, utter fool, haven't I? Oh, this is rich! You finally got back at me, didn't you? Finally got even for all those times I stood in the way of your precious plans."

Libby bolted out of the chair, heading for the door. "Well, I've had enough of these games between us to last a lifetime. I'm leaving before you can find another way to hurt me."

"Libby, wait..." Chris called to her.

She spun around, tossing her blonde mane angrily behind her. "I only got what I deserved, didn't I? You probably won't believe me, but I didn't want to lie to you; I just wanted to get your permission to use Harte's Desire and I doubted you'd agree if you knew it was Libby Chatham doing the asking. I was right, wasn't I?"

“Libby, let me…”

Libby cut him off sharply, her chest heaving with fury as she saw the silent assent in his eyes. "I'll bet your ego was bruised once again, wasn’t it, when you found out that I'd beaten you one more time? So you concocted this grand scheme to get back at me, didn't you? Hiring me to write that report for the State Office was really very clever, Chris. I even remember you asking if I had experience doing that sort of thing. Hah! You knew darn well by then I did, and plenty of it. But that wasn't enough, was it? You had to worm your way into my personal life, too. All that tender consolation as I grieved for my mother. The words of praise and thanks at the Orphanage. It was an act, wasn't it?"

"Libby, you've got this all..." Chris tried in vain to interrupt, but she wouldn't let him.

"No," she commanded, throwing up her hands to stop him. "Let me finish what I have to say so I can get out of your office, and your life, forever."

"I apologize for deceiving you in the beginning. I was wrong to do that, and I admit it. But you carried out this plan for revenge too far." She raised her eyes to his and forced back the tears welling there.

"I fell in love with you, damn it!" Libby's voice shook with emotion. "It's one thing to get back at me professionally, Chris. That I can understand. But to attack me personally is unforgivable, and making love to me was the final insult.”

She sucked in a deep breath. “I hate you."

Libby glared at him, her heart pounding. Chris was a frozen statue behind the desk, his expression carefully shielded as Libby vented her anger and frustration.

"You win," she hissed. "I surrender." She shook her head in disgust. "And feel free to use one of those ten tickets you so generously purchased for the fundraiser. You can bet that I wouldn't be caught dead in any building that you owned. Historic or otherwise!"

Libby turned on her heels and headed unerringly for the door.

“Libby, hear me out!”

Ignoring him, she gave the knob a half turn then swung around angrily to face him for the final time.

"I have one last question, Chris. Why wouldn't you let me take some of the rose bushes from the garden at Harte's Desire's? What interest in them could you possibly have?"

Chris studied her with measured concentration. "I have my reasons, Miss Reed. And if you would care to come back in here and sit down, we could discuss them—and us—calmly and rationally, like two adults."

For a brief moment Libby was tempted. Was there a chance they could salvage something from this charade they'd both played? His eyes bored into her very soul and she felt herself succumbing to his