He has too much power where I’m concerned. He always has.
I jerk my head back, sitting up straight and leveling him with a look that hides none of my ire. “Out, Henry. I have somewhere to be that doesn’t include you.”
His teeth gnash, a muscle in his jaw tics, and I take only a small amount of joy in his reaction. “Are you still mad at me?”
“What are you, six?”
Finally, that smirk I knew was hiding beneath his layers, cracks. “Maybe.” He leans in, getting right up in my face. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you that night.”
I roll my eyes which just fluffs my nutter more. I have no witty or snappy retort this time. I’m grateful he didn’t apologize for the sex again. That hurt a hundred times more than him not recognizing me. I shouldn’t still hurt over what happened that night. But I do. I was hopelessly, childishly in love with this man. I may not have stalked him today or at this job or even in this city, but I did internet stalk him for years prior to that night like a girl obsessed. And I’d be lying if I said that when I went to that club, dressed how I was dressed, my single, solitary goal wasn’t Henry Gauthier.
If I snark back to his half-baked apology, he’ll see it all over my face. I’ve never been adept at hiding my emotions. It’s a work in progress, but he doesn’t need another front-row showing.
“That’s not why I’m angry.”
“No?” he questions in disbelief. “Enlighten me. Because this feels infinitely more hostile than our last interaction.”
“Out. Seriously. We’re done.” I point past his face in the direction of the window. “One lousy fuck doesn’t make you my boyfriend or my BFF. I owe you nothing. Our worlds work better when we pretend not to know each other.” I try to hide the bitterness from my voice, but I’m positive some of it leaks out anyway.
“I never pretended. I just fucked up is all. And you can call me a lousy fuck all you want but I had you moaning into my mouth, crying out my name, and starving for more.” He inches closer, his minty breath fluttering over my lips. “We both know you loved every second of it.”
“Wow, men really are dumb as rocks. I highly doubt the women you hook up with are very forthcoming. They think you’re some hotshot celebrity, right? Some big musician?” I lean in, same as him, until our faces are inches apart. His eyes darken, dropping to my lips, watching them as I speak. “Newsflash, Henry: Women lie. We do it all the time. We fake our orgasms and bullshit about how you men all rock our worlds. But really, we do all that so you’ll finish quicker and we can get ourselves off since you failed to and return to whatever we were doing before that was infinitely more pleasurable than getting it on with you.”
An unstoppable smile lights up his face, his eyes on mine, my lips, then back up to mine. “Is that so?”
I nod, but he picks this moment to move in even closer and I have to swallow hard before my nerves get the better of me. As it is, my hands are trembling and my heart is beating so loud and so fast I’m positive he can hear it. His nose glides against mine before he angles his head, layering his lips with mine, and for one painstakingly impossible moment, I think he’s going to kiss me.
Worst part? I don’t even know if I’d have the strength to push him away.
But the thought dies just as quickly as he rights his body, his smile turning smug when he notes the flush on my cheeks. “You’re as beautiful when you lie as you are when you come. I’d love nothing more than to call your bullshit card, but you’re not something I can take on again, are you? Despite how much we both know you want me to.” He throws me a wink and then gets out of the car. “See you soon, Eden.” He slams the door behind him and walks off in the direction of a huge white Escalade. I look away, refusing to track his every move.
I hate that he just did that. Unsettled me completely. Wrangled me in in no time flat.
That was your one freebie, Henry Gauthier.
Next time it won’t be so easy for you.
Three
EDEN
The door slams shut behind me with so much force the picture hanging beside it teeters before crashing to the floor. “Shit.” My purse slips from my shoulder and I drop down, picking up the broken frame and pieces of glass.
“What was that?” my roommate Jess calls out as she makes her way to me from her bedroom.
“Your painting.” I look up, meeting her pale green eyes with a mournful frown. “Jess, I’m so sorry.” I glance back down, staring woefully at her broken picture. It’s one her father painted for her and it’s her favorite.
She waves me away as she crouches down, helping me carefully pick up the remaining pieces. “It’s fine. It was just the frame.”
It’s not fine though. This was just the icing on a crappy end-of-day cake. “I’ll replace it. I swear. Thankfully the picture looks unharmed.”
“Take a breath. I’m not mad. As long as the painting is okay, the frame is meaningless. Why were you slamming the door like the bitch had it coming?”
I glower, sagging like a girl who’s lost her way. Walking over to the trash, I dump everything into it. “Long day dealing with the perfection that is Harry Evans and his band.” I peek over my shoulder in her direction. “Then Henry found me.”
Jess throws out the glass in her hand and sets her prized painting down on the counter in the kitchen before hoisting herself up so she can sit beside it. “What do you mean, Henry found you?”
I heave a breath, leaning my back against the opposite counter in our galley kitchen. Our apartment isn’t big. This is LA, after all and if you want to live in a decent neighborhood in a decent building then apartments are expensive as hell. Keith is insanely rich and generous beyond measure and I’m so grateful for all he’s done for me. He paid for my college tuition so I wouldn’t graduate with heavy loans and bought me a car, but that’s where it stopped.
I’m done letting him pay my way.
“When I was leaving work, just before I got on the elevator, Keith and his band were exiting another studio.”
She’s smirking now, a sparkle in her eyes. “Let me guess, you tried to hide.”
“Hey, don’t judge.”
Her hands spring up, palms toward me but she’s still laughing without restraint. “I’m not at all. I just know you.”
I fold my arms over my chest, smiling a little despite myself. It is kinda funny. “Fine. I hid behind a plant. Not well obviously because their manager Marco saw me, as did Henry.”
“Not Keith?”
“No. But I’m sure by now he knows everything because Henry was waiting for me at my car.”
“Did you talk?”
“Fought mostly. He got in my car and proceeded to accuse me of stalking him. It got worse from there.”
Jess gives me a sympathetic half-frown. She knows all about me and Henry and not just what happened in the club. We’ve been best friends since we were little. Went to college together and now we’re living together in LA while she attends law school at UCLA.
“Whatever, it’s done and it’s probably better that I got it out of the way. I’ve been spending time with Maia, so it’s only a matter of time before Keith knows all I’m doing anyway.”