How to Resist Prince Charming(22)

“I’m sure he is…to you,” he conceded softly.

Lenna’s mouth dropped. “Oh my God. You really don’t like him at all, do you?”

He flushed guiltily. “I just think if he’d only stop treating me like a snot-nosed little brat that doesn’t know what I’m doing, then I’d get along with not just him, but the entire department, a hell of a lot easier.”

“Well, have you given him any reason to think of you as a snot-nosed brat?” she retorted. “My father just doesn’t start despising someone for no reason.”

Braxton’s face darkened. “Hey, he started the whole pissing contest we’ve got going. He jumped in my ass the first moment I stepped behind my dad’s desk.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but Braxton waved a finger in her face. “No, I never wanted to make an enemy of him. Hell, I admired the man when he worked for my dad. But he’s so God damn condescending to me. He makes me so mad sometimes, I can’t help but smart back with a rude comment when he turns all cynical and demeaning. The guy just needs to back the f*ck off and let me do my job.”

Lenna knew her father tended to go overboard where the younger generation was concerned—she was his daughter, after all—but she was so irritated that Braxton had interrupted her, she lashed back, “Maybe he doesn’t think you’re doing it right.”

“He’s not giving me a chance to do it at all!” Braxton yelled.

Lenna crossed her arms over her chest and suddenly realized she was naked. The move caused Braxton to pause as well and run his gaze over her. Frowning, she lifted her knees to shield the view from him, guarding her breasts with her arms.

He closed his eyes and whispered a stream of obscenities. Lenna used that moment to grab her deserted clothes and cover herself even more.

Braxton turned away and slid off the bed so he could sit on the floor. “I’m sorry,” he said solemnly, regretfully. “This isn’t the time or place to talk about him.”

“We almost had sex,” she announced numbly, or had they really had sex since he’d penetrated her. She could still feel him inside her, moving and—

“Oh, God. We actually—”

“No.” He spun around quickly and leapt back onto the mattress to grasp her arms. “Don’t you dare do that. Don’t feel bad about this. It...” He shook his head. “It doesn’t have anything to do with him. This is between you and me. Tom doesn’t—”

“Don’t say his name,” she cut in with a high voice.

His mouth dropped open as he stared at her. “Lenna,” he whispered, “please don’t regret what happened. It was...it was magic.”

She felt like crying. There he went again, being a complete Prince Charming...three seconds after he’d just bashed her father big time.

She squeezed her eyes tight and huddled under the pathetic excuse of a blanket her clothing made. “I think you should call your cab now.”

When he didn’t answer, she slowly opened her lashes. It completely shocked her to see the utter devastation on his face. But when her gaze set on him, he quickly masked the expression and nodded mutely.

She watched as he ran a shaky hand through his hair and then reached for his briefs. Seeing him dress propelled her to do the same. They kept to opposite sides of the bed, their backs to each other, as they put themselves to rights again. Every once in a while, he’d quietly toss her an article of her clothing and she’d hand over his. Not a word was spoken until he moved toward her phone and dialed a taxi service.

His words were low as he rattled off her address to the person on the other end of the line.

Once again, Lenna had the uncontrollable urge to cry. This wasn’t ending how she’d wanted it to at all. Actually, it hadn’t begun like she’d wanted it to either. She hadn’t wanted it to start, period. But since it had, she’d at least wanted to complete the act before he walked out.

That phantom sensation of him wedged tight inside her continued to plague her. She squeezed her legs together to alleviate the ache.

She knew she should’ve stayed away. She never should’ve danced with him at the club or even gone over to talk to him. What in the world had she been thinking, sleeping with her father’s boss?

Braxton disconnected the call and silence reigned. He kept his back to her as he stared out her window. His black hair was rumpled and his clothes were wrinkled. He looked sexy and tousled, and she just wanted to tug him back onto the bed to finish their fun.

But the upside-down portrait of her father caught her attention.

“You’re not going to tell him what we did, are you?”

He glanced back with a scowl that quickly made her feel lower than trash.

Lenna dropped her head, ashamed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean...” Her words broke off as she slumped onto the bed and covered her mouth with her hand.

He cleared his throat. “I think I’ll wait for my cab downstairs.”

Lenna nodded mutely unable to speak. When tears filled her eyes, she bowed her head, not wanting him to see. But as he passed her, he paused and gently set his hand on her hair.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Lenna. Please don’t cry.” His voice broke. “You didn’t betray him. You defended him. Please stop. You’re drunk. I took advantage. This wasn’t your fault.”