Be a Doll(83)

“I don’t believe you. We’re in Manhattan! You can’t possibly stumble on someone when that person doesn’t even have any habits in that city yet.’’ I shook my head and glared at him harder when I saw the first sign of his infuriating smirk. “And you’re supposed to be at work right now. It’s barely four pm.’’

He tilted his head to one side, the same side where his smile stretched higher up. Then, his eyes glided along my body as if I wasn’t wearing a large coat covering me to mid-thigh and a huge scarf around my neck that hid my chin. My legs were also hidden by dark pants, hinting at their shape, but nothing more. And yet, with just that look I felt exposed like I would be in my underwear.

“Actually, a tracking app would make things easier, but your phone doesn’t have one.’’ His voice turned more clipped while his smirk didn’t disappear, making it more difficult to read him. “I’m an important man and with it comes threats I don’t want my wife to be subjected to. You have a bodyguard following you to make sure you’re safe. When you didn’t answer my first text I called him to find where you were. Simple.’’

A bodyguard.

I blinked up at him, my head swimming with unpleasant thoughts. “You have me followed?’’ My voice rose, the tone so high pitched I saw the corner of his eyes tensing as if the sound I made was painful to hear, which wasn’t exactly untrue. “I can’t believe this. No,’’ I shook my head then and laughed humorlessly, ‘’actually I believe it.’’

“The bodyguard doesn’t report back to me on your whereabouts or who you’re spending your time with if that’s what you think, so stop with the attitude. What did you expect? I have a multibillion-dollar company and many subsidiary companies all over the damn country. Come on, Lila, did you really think I would let you wander around the city without protection?’’

“Why didn’t you tell me before if it wasn’t to spy on me?’’

He stepped closer to me and crouched until our faces were almost touching. Eyes locked and his breath hitting my mouth, I stood there unmoving. “Spying on you would mean I care what you do on your free time, and let me tell you, sweetheart, I don’t give a damn. We both know that you can’t go and fuck another man if you want your millions when all of this is over.’’

“Woah,’’ I whispered, the sound weak but he was too close not to catch it before the city noise swallowed it.

His face relaxed, but I didn’t stare long enough to watch what kind of expression appeared on his face. I turned to the cars parked nearby and caught sight of Lucas leaning against the black town car, staring around us without truly watching us, playing his bodyguard role perfectly.

In a perfect world where I had learned my lessons over a span of twenty-four years, almost twenty-five, I shouldn’t be affected in any way by his words. In fact, I should be laughing in his face, mocking his words and turning my back to walk to the town car waiting for us, but instead I stared blankly at Lucas. And I hurt.

I barely remembered a time when someone cared about me and my well-being. I was so little that my memories had faded at best and in my fucked up reality my husband didn’t give a damn about me, unless it was to get a piece of my ass and pussy. Granted, his sister and mother liked me, but did they care? Did it mean anything because I was sure I wouldn’t have much contact with them once this marriage was over.

In that moment, on a sidewalk in the middle of a passing crowd in Manhattan, I realized that my silly mind, my stupid heart, thought that after last night he would have acted differently, but in reality he was just an ass who didn’t care much about other people. I was dumb enough to believe that a part of him cared about me just a tiny bit.

I locked my jaw and without looking at him I started toward the car. “Let’s go. It’s freezing out here,’’ I said and forced my eyes to stay riveted to the car and Lucas when the first thing I wanted to do was to stare at Mathis when he sided me, walking so close that his arm bumped into me a few times.

“Lila—‘’

“What?’’ I bit back before he could utter a full sentence. My eyes were still on the car, so close now that I couldn’t wait to climb in, knowing that Mathis wouldn’t want to say anything remotely personal in front of Lucas when it’s obvious that tension was rising.

“Shit!’’ He grabbed me by the elbow and stopped me, forcing me to face him. The anger on his face only intensified mine, but my anger was coming from the pain he caused me with no trouble at all. “You don’t get to walk away like that.’’

I snatched my arm from his grip and glared right back. I didn’t let the obvious ticking bomb standing tall in front of me intimidate me. I would never let someone intimidate me.

“Am I your slave now? I can’t walk when I want and do what I want? Is that what you’re trying to say?’’

“You’re…’’ He growled then and ran a hand through his hair, something he rarely did. “You piss me off like not many do.’’

“Right back at you.’’

I kept my eyes on his, a challenge clear in each of our looks, but no other words left our closed mouths. We were both breathing a bit faster and louder than normal, puffs of white fog leaving our noses in the cold air as I put my freezing hands in the pockets of my coat.