by Penelope Sky
“I ended it right away.” I lifted my gaze and looked at him. “So, nothing happened.”
His hands came together, and he leaned forward, his knuckles resting against his forehead. He was wordless, but his anger was hot, humid like a sauna. It was silent but so loud it blocked out all other noise. “You want to be with him, then?” He kept his pose as if he didn’t want to look at me…couldn’t bear it.
“No.”
He lowered his hands and returned his gaze to the mirror.
“I told him I was married and it wasn’t going to happen.”
He stared at me with a stoic expression, as if he couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth.
“I made a commitment to you, Liam. I don’t want to have an affair with a man who plays with my heart. And I don’t want to leave a marriage to be with a man who would kiss someone’s wife.”
The relief in his expression was touching, as if that meant the world to him. He straightened his position. “Who is he?”
My heart started to race.
“Anna.”
I was pissed at Damien, but I wouldn’t feed him to the wolves. “Does it matter? I told him to leave me alone.”
“It does matter. Because I’ll tell him to leave you alone myself.” He cracked his knuckles, the noise loud in our quiet bedroom.
“It’s over. Let it go.” I took off the rest of my jewelry then pulled the clips from my scalp so my hair would come loose and move across my shoulders. I didn’t tell Liam so he would be angry. I did it because it was the right thing to do. I just hoped there wouldn’t be long-term consequences for my integrity. “I picked you.”
That reminder calmed him down. “I don’t deserve you.”
I stared at my wedding ring on the vanity.
“Anyone else would think it was fair…”
“That’s not the kind of person I am.” I looked at his reflection in the mirror.
“I know.” He rose to his feet then walked to me, his hands moving to my shoulders. “And that’s why I don’t deserve you.”
I was sitting inside my office when Damien texted me.
I want to talk.
I ignored his message and locked my phone. If I weren’t so infatuated with him, I would have seen the signs a long time ago. He would forget our plans all the time and wouldn’t even text me back. He would ignore my phone calls because he was in a bad mood. He never gave a damn about me. When he agreed to exclusivity, it was just to ditch the condom. No other reason.
Hours passed, and he texted me again.
Annabella.
I ignored him again.
This time, he didn’t wait hours before he texted me again. Please.
I finally caved. Don’t text me again. Ever. I locked the phone.
This time, he called.
Motherfucker. I picked up but got my message across before he could say a word. “Don’t call me again. Ever.” I hung up.
He called back.
I got so fed up, I turned off the phone altogether.
He took it a step further and walked into my office at the end of the day.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…” This time, I wasn’t enticed by his appearance in the tight shirt and the jeans that squeezed his sculpted thighs. I didn’t notice if he’d shaved or not because I didn’t check.
“Annabella.” He started to shut the door behind him. “Just listen to me—”
“Get the fuck out, or I’ll call Liam.”
“You think I’m scared of him?” He approached my desk, his head tilted to the side slightly. “Call him. I don’t give a shit.”
I didn’t call his bluff. Instead, I hit the button on my phone and used the intercom. “Sofia, could you help me with something?”
He groaned in frustration.
Sofia was hesitant but agreed. “Uh, yeah. I’ll be right there.”
I glared at him. “How this plays out is up to you.”
She opened the door and stepped in seconds later, mildly surprised that Damien was in there with the door shut. “What’s up?”
I stared at Damien, threatening to throw him under the bus to Sofia, whose opinion actually mattered to him.
She must have picked up on the tension because she glanced back and forth between us.
Damien wasn’t afraid of Liam, but he was obviously afraid of Sofia. “I’ll let you get back to work…” He let himself out without argument.
I was victorious. “I just need help with these spreadsheets…” I left the chair so she could take my vacated spot.
Sofia stared at me for a few seconds before she sank into the leather chair. “Everything alright?”
“Yeah, I just wasn’t sure where to put these invoices.” I fished them out of the pile.
“No.” She didn’t look at the computer. “Everything alright with Damien?”
I decided to keep his secret. “Yeah. He just stopped by to get something for Liam.”
She stared at me like she knew I was full of shit, but she let it go. “Alright…”
Days passed, and Damien didn’t bother me again.
Maybe he finally got the hint.
I wanted nothing to do with him.
I let my guard down and stopped thinking about him. That kiss on the balcony was the best thing that could have happened to me, because it really made me forget about him, made me break the spell he cast over me. I saw him for what he really was.
A player.
He wanted me to keep wanting him, but he would never want me back.
I tightened my coat around my body and stepped into the parking lot. The days were short in winter, so it was almost dark when I left the office every day. I stepped into the parking lot and made my way to my car.
And Damien came out of nowhere.
He stepped into my path, wearing a leather jacket and dark jeans. His breath escaped as vapor, and he stared at me like he’d marked me as his next target. He blocked my path with his size.
I halted in my tracks, stunned because I hadn’t been aware of my surroundings. I was too busy thinking about what to make for dinner and the mound of paperwork I had to take care of in the morning.
He didn’t come close to me. “Annabella, I just want to—”
I slapped him. I didn’t realize how much I wanted to do it, how much anger was packed deep inside me, until my hand moved on its own. It wasn’t a premeditated attack, just an expression of all the pain he caused me.
He turned his head slightly with the hit, but the rest of his body was solid as a mountain. His cheek instantly turned red, and the imprint of my fingers was noticeable almost immediately. He closed his eyes for a second, bottling his rage before he looked at me again.
I moved around him and walked to my car. I didn’t apologize or warn him to stay away from me.
Because I’d just made that pretty damn clear.
6
Damien
I finally got my father into my house.
We packed all of his belongings that he couldn’t live without and tossed everything else. Most of his furniture was old, dusty, and seriously lacking in structural integrity. We couldn’t even donate it, so it was tossed.
His bedroom had a private living room where he could watch TV, and he had his own bathroom with a walk-in shower so he didn’t have to worry about tripping. With a maid to do his laundry and wash his sheets, he would be able to ditch that old-man smell in no time.
“It’s nice.” Catalina looked around the bedroom, seeing the integration of the old and the new. There were picture frames on one of the end tables in the living room, showing photos of Mom and us as kids. “I like it.”
My father nodded, but he didn’t seem impressed. He still had cold feet about the whole thing.
I clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m really glad you’re here, Father.” My dad used to be the strong provider of our family, the person who never needed anyone for anything. Time had passed quicker than he anticipated, and he struggled to accept his ag
e, his lack of strength and youth.
He turned to me, and his eyes slowly narrowed. “Why is your cheek so red?”
I’d headed home right after I’d confronted Annabella in the parking lot…and it didn’t go the way I expected. I patted him on the back. “I’m happy we’re going to spend more time together.”
Catalina grinned. “He got slapped.”
I shot her a glare.
“Hard.” She fell onto the couch and put up her feet. “I like her. A lot.”
My phone started to ring, so I walked off to answer it. It was Hades. “What’s up?”
“Want to come over for dinner?”
Our relationship wasn’t exactly how it used to be, because most of our friendship had been spent in mutual bachelorhood. But now that he was married, we stopped going to the whorehouses and the strip clubs and did tamer activities…like having dinner with his family. But I loved every invitation because now I had two friends instead of one. “What’s on the menu?”
“Like it matters,” he said with a chuckle.
“Will there be booze?”
“Always.”
“Then I’ll be there.” I hung up and returned to my family.
Catalina hugged my father goodbye. “I have to get going. I have a late rehearsal tonight.” She kissed him on the cheek. “I’m so happy you’re here. Damien and I are both so happy.” She squeezed both of his hands.
He perked up a bit. “Thank you, sweetheart.” He kissed her forehead before he let her go. Anytime he was with my sister, his eyes lit up with happiness. She was the favorite child. He didn’t bother hiding it.
I was fine with it.
She walked by me and stuck out her tongue at me. “Bye.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re lucky I don’t slap you.”
“I dare you to try.” She flipped me the bird and walked out.
I turned back to my father. “Hades invited me over for dinner. You want to come along?”
He stared at the table with the picture frames before he picked up the one of my mother. “Catalina looks so much like her… Sometimes I feel like she’s still here when I look at her.” My father had never gotten over my mother’s death. He’d never remarried. Didn’t even try to date. When she was gone, so was he.
I came up beside him and patted him on the back. “I noticed the same thing.”
He set down the picture frame but continued to stare at it.
“Let’s go see her tomorrow.” We used to go to my mother’s grave all the time, but over the years, our trips became less frequent.
He shook his head. “It’s alright. It just hurts every time I go.”
I pitied my father for being so lost without her. “How about the two of us have dinner together? We can go somewhere, or Patricia can serve it here.”
He finally pulled his gaze away from the picture. “Thanks, son. But I just want to be alone tonight…”
Hades took one look at my face and raised an eyebrow. “What the fuck happened to your face?”
I thought the mark would wear off within an hour or two, but she’d hit me so damn hard, it would probably be there until morning. “I ran into a door.” I walked past him and saw Andrew on the rug on the hardwood floor, playing with a few toys with a binky in his mouth.
Hades followed me. “You ran into a door? You?” He crossed his arms over his chest and didn’t buy it.
I leaned down and tickled Andrew’s stomach before I got to my feet again. “What’s for dinner?”
“Don’t change the subject.”
Sofia came out of the bathroom. “Hey—” Her face turned white when she saw the same mark. “Your face—”
“I ran into a door, alright?” I snapped. “Drop it.” I walked into the dining room, where the food was already laid out. I poured myself a glass of red wine and took a long drink.
Hades sat across from me. “I didn’t know doors had fingers.” He poured himself a glass of wine before he swirled it.
Sofia only had water and grabbed a piece of bread from the basket in the center of the table. “I know something is going on between you and Anna. I could feel it when I walked into the office that day.” She shot me a look of accusation before she took a bite of her bread.
Maybe coming over here was a bad idea.
“If that was her—” Hades nodded to my cheek “—then damn, she’s got one hell of an arm.”
“Or she’s just really pissed.” Sofia took another bite of her bread. “What did you do, Damien?”
“You guys are making a lot of assumptions.” I grabbed my silverware and cut into my dinner. It was a chicken dish with flavorful rice and slowly roasted vegetables.
“Then correct those assumptions,” Sofia said coldly.
Hades ate but continued to stare at me.
I felt comfortable telling Hades the truth because his moral compass wasn’t always pointed north, but Sofia was different. She saw the world in black-and-white, with the exception of her husband’s character.
“Well?” she pressed.
I kept eating.
She glared at me. “Damien.”
I finally cracked. “I kissed her.” Sofia was going to find out eventually, so may as well come clean now.
Hades shook his head slightly, knowing my behavior could compromise his relationship with Liam.
Sofia was outright shocked. “You did what?”
“We were on the balcony during the party, and every time we’re together, there’s this…chemistry.” I could never accurately describe the energy in the air, the hum in my chest, the desperation I felt to have her. “It just happened. Every time I’m around her, it just gets harder and harder, and I caved.”
Hades leaned back in his chair, his appetite lost. “Damien…” He dragged his hands down his face in irritation.
“What the hell were you thinking?” she snapped. “She’s married—”
“I know, I know.” I held up my hand to shut her up. “Like I said, I wasn’t thinking. And she turned me down, so nothing happened. She screamed at me for a bit, accusing me of toying with her feelings, keeping her on a hook…shit like that.”
Sofia looked at me with sheer disappointment, and Hades shook his head slightly.
“That’s not what I’m doing,” I said defensively.
Sofia narrowed her eyes. “She told you she loved you, Damien.”
“I know, but—”
“Leave the girl alone.” Her anger slowly simmered down, but it was still potent. “She’s moving on with Liam, and you need to let her do that.”
“You think I’m doing this on purpose?” I asked incredulously. “It’s completely out of my control. I can’t even be in the same room as her without all this shit happening. I can’t stop staring at her. I can’t stop thinking about her. I just… It’s out of my control.”
Sofia was unsympathetic. “Then you need to stop being in the same room as her. But first, apologize.”
“I’ve been trying. She won’t talk to me. And I want her to know that’s not what I’m doing. That I’m not playing games. That I genuinely care about her. That…it’s hard for me.” I sank into my chair and was swallowed by the self-loathing.
“I’ll talk to her,” Sofia said. “Apologize and move on.”
Hades stared at me. “Did she tell Liam?”
I shook my head. “I have no idea. But I doubt it…because we’d know by now.”
7
Annabella
Sofia stepped into my office. “You got a minute?”
“You’re my boss. I have more than a minute.” I shut my laptop so she could have my full attention.
She chuckled. “Good answer.” She sat at the edge of my desk and took a deep breath before she continued. “So, Damien told me everything that happened…”
He did?
“And he would really like the opportunity to apologize.”
Now I know why he told her. “I can’t believe he asked you to help him…”
“I sa
w how red his face was. You hit him pretty damn hard.”
It felt good in the moment, but I’d quickly regretted it.
“That could only mean you’re really upset about the whole thing…and I doubt it’s all because of the kiss.”
I dropped my gaze.
“Will you talk to him?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“You always have a choice, Anna.” She slid off the desk. “I think it’s good that you both clear the air. Maybe it’ll allow both of you to move on…on good terms. I know it’s hard for you to be around each other, but for as long as you continue to work here, it’s gonna happen. He’s my husband’s best friend. He’s gonna show his face from time to time. You could never speak ever again, but I don’t think that’s the best choice for either of you.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
It’d been over a week since that crazy night. My anger had dipped after I hit him, but the pain was still there.
“So?”
“I have to decide right now?”
“He’s standing outside…so that would help.”
My heart started to race, my pulse quick in my neck and my wrists. A distinctive pain rushed through my chest, a drop of adrenaline and anxiety at the same time. I sighed as I got to my feet, not prepared for this at all. “Fine.”
“Alright.” Sofia opened the door and walked out. Her whispers were audible down the hallway, probably telling Damien he had my full attention.
I came around the desk with my arms crossed over my chest, feeling my heart beat strong in my body. I was nervous when I shouldn’t be, weak when I should be strong. This man had no power over me anymore, so I shouldn’t feel anything at all.
Then he walked inside, in a leather jacket and jeans. The shirt underneath his jacket was olive green, and the watch on his wrist was black instead of shiny and silver. His eyes grabbed mine, and he closed the door behind him.
Now my heart was racing like a Bugatti on the Autobahn.
I leaned against the desk and stared at him coldly, waiting for an apology that wouldn’t make me feel better. This was something we could never bury, something we would never be mature enough to forget. We were both irrational when we had to deal with the other.