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“He’s not my man.”
“But you’d like him to be?”
“I’m not answering that.”
“Why not?”
“Because it could be used against me later,” she says with a laugh, but then her face grows serious. “He’s never looked at me that way.”
“Has ‘L’ always been in your life?”
“More or less. He was my brother’s best friend. When Martin died, I think ‘L’ felt obliged to take his place.”
I don’t need to be a genius to see that she isn’t just seeking “L” for protection, but I don’t push it because she seems uncomfortable.
“Enjoy your evening. If it all goes wrong, at least get a good meal and some expensive champagne out of it. Make him spend big.”
I smile. “More than the half million he paid to have dinner with me?”
“I’m sure that sum is nothing to him.” She hugs me. “Promise you’ll be careful with your heart.”
“I’ll try.”
* * *
I get into the car, a bit disappointed not to find William inside, and a wave of déjà vu hits me as if, at some point in the past, I felt the same way toward him.
“I’ll be driving you to see Mr. Marshall, Miss Jarvis,” the driver says, before rolling up the partition. Now, I’m absolutely sure I’ve experienced something very similar before.
Surprisingly, about half an hour later, he doesn’t stop in front of a restaurant but at a parking garage of a building.
“Where are we?”
“At Mr. Marshall’s residence. The bodyguards will escort you to the penthouse,” he explains, opening the car door for me.
Only then do I notice there was a vehicle behind us with four men in black suits inside. They greet me with blank expressions and instruct me to follow. In the elevator, I stare at my own feet, because the closer I get to meeting the man Jackie says I once loved, the more anxious I feel.
Past and present are about to collide, and I can only hope that when the walls start closing in, I won’t get crushed between them.
William
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
“You’ve broughtme here because you hate me? You want revenge?”
I’m stunned that these are the first words she says when the bodyguards bring her in to meet me in the main living room of my duplex penthouse.
It takes me a moment to process her question because, at first, I can’t take my eyes off her face and body. About two years ago, Taylor was already beautiful. Now, however, she’s become a self-assured woman, maybe aware of her own power.
No. Don’t fall for that trap again. She’s always known about the sexual appeal she has that drives men insane. She was never shy or insecure.
“Good evening, Miss Jarvis. Doesn’t sound like the best way to greet the man who bought the right to your company.”
“You told me on the phone I should call you William. Call me Taylor. Now, I need to know why dinner is here and not at a restaurant.”
“That’s a lot of questions in a very short time, don’t you think?”
“Actually, one is tied to the other. You brought me here to try to seduce me? For revenge? To prove I’m worthless?”