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She chatted for quite some time with Helen, until her friend was pulled away by another acquaintance. Not wanting to appear as though she knew no one else-which she didn’t-she strolled to a set of ornate doors, fairly certain that they led outside, knowing the view would probably be spectacular.
There were more people outside, seated at small, intimate tables. Not all of them were occupied. It was getting later and the air was brisk, but it felt good to Kara after being inside the crowded house for so long.
She took a deep breath as she stepped outside. There was a lighted path in front her, a cobbled walkway that appeared to lead down to a boat dock. Before she could follow the path, a conversation right next to her stopped her in her tracks.
“I thought we could spend some time together, Simon. I saw this divine diamond bracelet that I’d love to have.” The female voice was artificial and simpering.
Kara drew a deep, bracing breath, hoping that she wouldn’t see the Simon that had, just a short time ago, left her breathless in an elevator.
She turned her head slowly, knowing that she had to know. Her breath caught as she took in the broad shoulders, the dark hair and the sweater that she knew were Simon’s. He was no more than five feet away, his back to her, a slim set of arms around his neck and perfectly manicured fingers resting casually against the nape of his neck.
“I’ve heard about your…arrangements. I was hoping we could come to an agreement.” The sugary voice was seductive and the woman’s hands wandered over Simon’s shoulders like she owned him.
Nausea began to rise in Kara’s throat and she moved soundlessly away from the couple to creep to the steps. She didn’t want Simon to see her and she didn’t want the nameless woman to think that she was spying on them. Not that blondie would probably care. The woman looked like a cat with its claws solidly imbedded into something it wanted and wasn’t about to be distracted.
The light wasn’t as bright as it was inside, but it took only a brief glance back at the couple to see that the woman in Simon’s arms was everything that Kara was not. She was blonde, thin, her make-up and hair perfect. In other words…sickeningly gorgeous.
Kara couldn’t move, couldn’t function; her eyes were riveted on the couple and her feet felt like they were embedded in cement. She could hear the woman murmur something softly, but she couldn’t make out the words. Cherry-red lips curved into a calculating smile before the blonde grasped the back of Simon’s head, pulling his lips down to hers.
Her heart thundering, Kara took the steps leading down to the path faster than she should have in thin, delicate heels, needing desperately to get away from the scene that had been playing out in front of her like a horror movie. Her heels got caught up in the cobbles on the path and she kicked her shoes off, scooping them up with barely a pause.
Breathe. Just breathe.
She reached the dock, panting and nauseated. She gripped the wooden railing on the dock to steady herself, trying desperately to calm her ragged breathing.
Breathe. In. Out. In. Out.
It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter.The sex life of Simon Hudson was none of her business. She wasn’t committed to Simon and he certainly wasn’t committed to her. They had sex with no strings attached.
In. Out. In. Out again.
Her breathing settled, but the nausea refused to go away. No wonder Simon had never had a girlfriend. There was obviously an endless supply of women to entertain him…for a price. An arrangement? Really? No wonder Simon had never had a real relationship. Women used him and he used women. Her stomach rolled and she gripped the wood harder.
Forget about it. It doesn’t matter.
It shouldn’t…but it did. It hurt that Simon could be making a casual agreement to screw another woman while he was still making time with her. They had nearly fucked each other to death a few hours ago. Or so she thought. Maybe it had only been earth-shattering for her. Maybe he missed tying up his women, having them helpless and blindfolded. Maybe he needed it.
Did you think you were someone special, the person who was going to help Simon break free of some of his past insecurities? Maybe he really doesn’t have any. Maybe he likes his life exactly as it is. Maybe you’re just a complete bonehead who can’t comprehend a billionaire playboy who can buy any woman he wants.
Her thoughts grated, ground her down until she wondered if everything she had convinced herself was true about Simon was actually a big fat lie, a self-created falsehood, a man she only imagined.
You don’t really believe that.
“The problem is…I don’t really know anymore,” she whispered softly to herself, her voice trembling.
Her illusions were shattered, and she had no idea what to believe in anymore. She had trusted Simon, had thought he was a decent but troubled man, and his actions left her confused, raw, and completely devastated.
She stared numbly at the lights that were blinking over the rolling water and wrapped her arms around her shivering body. How would she ever erase the memory of Simon kissing a blonde bombshell, a woman so perfect that it made Kara wonder what Simon had ever been doing with her?
She blinked and a lone tear slid silently down her cheek. Most likely, she wouldn’t forget. The memory, the sense of betrayal, and the crushing pain were likely to hang around for quite some time.
Lost in her thoughts, Kara stood on the dock like a shadow, unmoving, no longer feeling the chill, wishing that she never had to go back and face reality.
She would. She had to. But she would avoid it as long as possible.
“Whatever my brother is giving you, I’ll give you more if you come to me when he’s finished with you.” The sultry male voice pierced the silence right next to her ear, startling her so badly that she would have toppled over the dock railing if a strong male hand hadn’t gripped her waist. “Whoa. Steady.”
She whipped around to face the voice, already recognizing it as Sam’s. He crowded her, resting one hand on each side of her, keeping her from escape.