The Game (Wagered Hearts Series, #3)(24)

It was early afternoon and the sun was still high up in the sky. I hadn't slept for 24 hours, and I could have used a shave, shower and a change of clothes, but this situation between Emilia and me had been eating me up for a long time. The door was opened by her housekeeper and I stepped inside.

Emilia was at the top of the steps and she swept down them, looking like a blaze of fury. She looked absolutely stunning, I had to admit. It shouldn't have been a surprise to me--she was one of the most beautiful women in the world, and I'd admired her looks before, but right now, I couldn't recall ever seeing her look more breathtaking. I couldn't help the immediate physical attraction I felt for her. It was like a tangible pull that I felt. I'd forgotten how dynamic our chemistry was.

This was the last thing I needed--to be distracted by her looks. I smothered my feelings and greeted her cordially, if a bit formally.

"Hello, Emilia. You're looking well," I said.

"You've got a lot of nerve, Buddy," she began.

Her housekeeper was still standing by the door eyeing us curiously, so I grabbed Emilia's hand and tugged her into her private study just off the foyer. Once I'd closed the door, she wrenched herself free and stood there glaring at me with her arms crossed over her chest.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"I'm giving us more privacy," I answered, equally irritated.

"Maria isn't some snitch. She's been working for me for years."

"Even so, I'd rather have this conversation without prying eyes," I said.

Her eyes widened slightly and she lost a bit of the hostility she'd been radiating. She seemed apprehensive, but the expression lasted only a moment. She had already moved to the offensive.

"If you're thinking of getting out of your contract, you can forget it. We had a deal," she said, her chin jutting out stubbornly.

I had to suppress the biting remark that was on the tip of my tongue. Lashing out in anger wouldn't get us anywhere. In fact, I knew from experience that Emilia would dig in her heels even more and refuse to listen to any kind of logic if I did that. She was just that hard headed. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. I had to tread very lightly.

"That's not what I came to talk about," I said.

"It isn't?" she asked. Her brows were knit in confusion as she stood there waiting for me to explain myself.

"No, not exactly. I have no intention of breaking our contract, but I do think we need to change some things. I was hoping we'd figure that out together. The situation now is unbearable," I said.

As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew I'd put my foot in it again. Emilia stiffened up and crossed her arms over her chest again, physically cutting me off.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but you knew the terms when you signed the contract," she said, stiffly.

"I don't mean it like that," I said.

"You don't have to explain it to me. I don't really care. The facts are that you and I made a deal--"

"God damn it, Emilia, would you stop being such a selfish brat for once and try to understand what I'm saying? Don't think for one minute that I couldn't end our contract if I wanted to. Do you really believe the threat of a lawsuit would keep me tethered to this stupid agreement that we have? You could sue me and it'd be a drop in the bucket for me to pay you off. In fact, that might have been the easier way. But no, I decided to be a decent guy and try to stick it out so as to not leave you hung out to dry. Instead of some gratitude and a little understanding, I'm greeted with this!" I snapped.

My patience had reached its breaking point, and Emilia's attitude was not helping matters. I should have gone to my hotel and had a good night's sleep before meeting with her, but I'd been too impatient.

"You think you're doing me a favor?" she asked, her voice rising dangerously. "Was it a favor to leave me after the engagement dinner to go back to New York? Was it a favor that you were photographed with other women, and left the press to speculate that you were cheating on me? Was it a favor to not show up to any public events with me for weeks so I had to deal with the rumors myself?

"I might be selfish, but my career is the most important thing to me, and I've worked hard to be where I'm at. I will do whatever it takes to protect it and my reputation. Unlike you, I've never inherited money and position. You've never had to work for anything in your life, and now when the going gets a little tough, you want to quit. Well too bad, I won't let you. And if you think you can get out of this, a lawsuit will be the last of your worries!" Emilia shot back.

"Listen, we need to take a minute to calm down," I said, taking a deep breath.

I realized now that I wasn't the only one who'd been stretched thin by the whole circus of our relationship. Emilia had been pushed to her breaking point as well. I'd always figured that this was what she'd wanted, and that she was used to the press scrutiny, but now I saw how wrong I was. A person could only take so much, and Emilia was clearly at the end of her rope.

"I'm open to suggestions," Emilia finally said.

"I just want you to know, it's not so much for myself as for my family. I never thought they'd ever be affected by our relationship. I thought it was some dumb prank I was playing on my mother, but it's turned into this monster. My mother was run off the road by the paparazzi and almost got into a car accident because of them. That I can't tolerate. That's why I need something to change," I said.