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“W-What did you say?” The man left her cold and she didn’t appreciate his familiarity.
“I’ll pay. Whatever you want. However much you want.” His eyes were cold and she shuddered.
Oh, God. She was going to be sick. Gulping, she stared up at Sam’s deity-like appearance, barely able to believe that he was actually propositioning her.
Like a harlot.
Like a prostitute.
Like a whore.
Anger rose inside her like a phoenix, climbing higher and higher, stronger and stronger. She could barely see through the haze of red that clouded her vision as her body trembled.
“Simon won’t mind,” Sam assured her as his hand moved to her bare shoulder.
His comment resonated through her, making her snap. What the hell was with the Hudson men? Did they think they could buy any woman they wanted to fuck? She drew her hand back and let it fly…hard. It connected with his smirking face with a satisfyingsmackthat exploded in the near-silent evening, cracking through the peace of the night.
“Maddie was right. You are a complete snake,” she hissed, her body shaking with rage.
“Maddie? Maddie Reynolds?” Sam’s expression was complete astonishment and shock. She wasn’t sure if it was the slap or the mention of Maddie’s name, but she didn’t wait to find out.
She pushed his arm out of the way and ran, deviating from the path to run across the well-manicured lawn to the front of the house.
She tore down the driveway and ran until she found James waiting patiently in the Mercedes. Tearing the front door of the car open, she dove into the front seat. “Please take me home,” she choked out, tears clogging her throat and making her voice raspy. “Please.”
“Ms. Kara. Are you all right?” She couldn’t see his face in the dark, but the concern in the driver’s voice was evident.
“I’m not feeling well. I need to go home,” she stated, not able to keep a pleading note from her request.
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Yes. Take me home. I’ll be fine.”
She wouldn’t be fine. Not now. Not tomorrow. Probably not for a very long time. But she didn’t tell him that.
James, bless him, didn’t ask any more questions. He started the vehicle and headed directly toward the condo.
Kara knotted her shaking hands around the soles of the shoes in her lap, trying not to let the tears flooding her eyes fall. She couldn’t cry. There wasn’t anything to really cry about. The Hudson men were just doing what they normally did. She was the one with the problem.
Somehow, she had done an incredibly foolish thing. She had allowed herself to fall in love with Simon Hudson. Deeply, passionately, completely in love. It wasn’t like the love she had harbored for her ex. This was a confusing, soul-shredding, rip-your-guts out love that was going to hurt. Big time.
Swallowing down a bitter sob by biting her lip until it bled, she turned her head to the right, watching the city fly by as James drove her competently toward home.
You’ve gotten through loss before, Kara. You’ll get through this.
Since the death of her parents, she had used encouraging words and pep talks to get herself through her toughest battles. They had always worked before. Hadn’t she made it this far?
You’ll forget him. It will just take time.
An uncomfortable weight settled on her chest-hard, heavy and totally crushing.
For the first time in her life, Kara Foster felt like she was lying to herself.
“Kara!” Simon bellowed loudly as he slammed the door of his condo behind him, tossing his keys carelessly on the kitchen counter.
There was a small, neatly wrapped present on the counter with a card, but he ignored it and raced through the condo like a man possessed.
“Kara!”