Reveal (Wicked Ways #2)(32)

“What?” I reach out to touch her and get pissed when she steps away so I can’t. “We have a good time? We enjoy each other’s company? What the fuck am I missing here, Vaughn?”

“Nothing.” She shakes her head, eyes wild with emotion I can’t decipher. “We just . . . we’re not good for each other.”

“That’s total bullshit and you know it.” But there’s something about her—the way she’s keeping her distance, the stiffness to her body, her refusal to meet my eyes—that tells me she’s goddamn serious. I turn on my heel and walk away from her, hand running through my hair and a disbelieving laugh falling from my mouth. I need alcohol in here. A whole goddamn fifth of it, to be exact. What the actual fuck? “Ah, it all makes sense now.”

“What does?” At least for once there’s confusion in her voice.

“You showing up here at my work.” I turn back to face her. “Let me guess, you figured I’d have to be professional and not make a scene when you walked in here and told me we’re over.”

“We never really were together to begin with.”

Every part of my body tenses at her crap answer. “And you’re lying through your teeth.” I take a step back toward her. “You think I’m not going to cause a scene because this is my office? You think I’m just going to let you walk away without a fucking fight? News flash, Vaughn . . . I fought too damn hard to get you, then to win you back after I fucked up, so no, I refuse to listen to you tell me otherwise. I told you to take whatever time it is you need. Two days isn’t nearly enough unless you already knew we were over before you walked out of my place. So tell me you need more time. Tell me you’re still confused and angry at me, and I’ll believe it. But say we’re over again, and I’ll let everyone on this floor know what I think—loud and crystal fucking clear.”

“Ryker . . . please . . . just let me go.” But this time when she speaks there is something in her voice that catches my ear. The same thing that has me looking a little bit closer, regardless of how much my chest constricts in doing so, and I notice the tears welling in her eyes and the tremble of her bottom lip.

A chink in her damn armor. She doesn’t want to tell me we’re over any more than I want to believe her.

“What the fuck is going on here? You’re hiding something from me.”

“No. I’m not. This just can’t be.” She starts to skirt around me, and it takes everything I have not to reach out and keep her there.

“Don’t walk away from me when I’m talking to you!”

“And don’t you think for a second you can tell me what to do,” she counters, hair flying over her shoulder, jaw clenched.

“I’m not in the mood for your games.”

“My games?” she screeches and throws me off guard when I shouldn’t be. “My games? You’re the one who did this to me. All of it. And you tell me I’m playing games?”

“What the—?” I stop and try to figure out what she’s talking about. My hands are on her shoulders, and I’m all but shaking her to force her to look me in the eyes. “Did what to you, Vaughn? What the hell have I done to you besides fuck myself over by falling in love with you?” Words that should be said with kindness come out in a frustrated rage. Truths I don’t want to voice, and now I can’t take them back.

And she just stands there with her head shaking to reject my words, eyes wide with a hint of fear, and fuck if I don’t hate myself right now for everything I feel: rage, desperation, love, desire.

How can you swear you’re not cut out for a relationship and love in one breath, then with the next fight so goddamn hard to keep it?

What is this woman doing to me?

I scrub my hands over my face and take a deep breath to calm the fuck down. To force myself to cool my temper so I can keep her here instead of pushing her farther away.

“What is it, baby?” I all but plead with a voice as soft as I can make it. “Tell me why you’re walking away when you don’t want to.” She averts her eyes, confirming there’s something more. “I can’t help you unless you tell me what happened. I can’t understand why the other night meant nothing to you until you do.”

Come on. Talk to me.

“Carter paid me a visit after I left your place.” Her voice is soft, but her defiance is mounting.

That’s definitely not what I expected to come out of her mouth.

“What do you mean, Carter paid you a visit?”

“Just what I said.”

“Why? For what? That fucking asshole better not have touched you.”

“Does it matter if he did?” Her voice rises. “You invited him into my personal life. You gave him everything he needs to destroy me.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” My confusion is turning into anger, and it’s not her fault, but fuck if I can keep it at bay.

“He threatened my adoption of Lucy. With outing me. You name it.”

I stare at her, blinking as her words hit me straight in the solar plexus. “He what?”

“He threatened me. Told me I have to give him what I have on him. My last defense to protect myself . . . and if I don’t, he’ll ruin me.”

“I don’t unders—”