Page 68 of Betrayal of a Billionaire

“Look, it doesn’t matter,” he said, sliding an arm around her shoulders. “This doesn’t matter, right? Your marriage…it’s not real. This isn’t cheating.”

She blew out a long breath. “We agreed no extramarital affairs.”

He nodded, his lips tugging into a frown. “Okay, so then we just wait it out right? Eight months, right?”

She glanced up at him, searching his features as she processed the offer. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You’re not asking, Julia. If this is just some kind of temporary thing, that’s all I need to hear.”

She shifted her gaze back to the sea, her features scrunching.

He rubbed her shoulders. “All right, you know what? I think you’re not ready for this conversation. I think you need some sleep. Why don’t you head down and try to sleep? You always had an easy time falling asleep on the boat.”

She wanted to say so many things to him, but she didn’t have the strength. She wanted to give him a decision or at least an explanation, but she couldn’t.

“I’m sorry, Luke.”

“Don’t be sorry, Julia. I just…I want you to be happy.”

She sucked in a deep breath as she squeezed his hand before she shuffled to the cabin, disappearing below the deck.

Tears filled her eyes again as she curled on the bed, the sound of the waves gently lapping against the hull soothed her. She clutched the sheets, twisting them in a fist as she tried to sort through her feelings.

The waves rolled the boat gently, mirroring the roiling turbulence in her heart. The vast sea surrounding them seemed like a metaphor for the distance she felt from everything–from Luke, from Grant, from the woman she used to be.

She’d pushed Luke away, and she hadn’t asked him to wait for her. What did that mean? Had she come here because of a lingering love, or was the comfort of the past tugging her backward? And what about Grant? Was her loyalty to him born of a sense of duty or more?

She closed her eyes as her mind pieced together her thoughts. She had a sinking feeling of what it meant, but she couldn’t admit it. Not even to herself. Not yet.

Instead, she let her shoulders relax and her eyes slid closed, drifting off to sleep.

CHAPTER 15

GRANT

Grant heaved a sigh as he killed the engine and swung the door open, the tension at his temples ramping up as he shifted his weight to climb from the car. Maybe he’d had too much to drink, but he hadn’t been driving erratically.

Either way, he was certain this would be the next thing Alicia, Ethan, Luke, and the rest of Harbor Cove would use to warn Julia against him.

Alicia seemed ready to pounce on anything she could find–his temper, his playboy history, the number of wives he’d already had.

He’d probably make front-page news in the little rag they called a newspaper here. They’d make it sound far worse than it was. It would be the scandal of the century for this small town. And they’d rally around their former resident, protecting her from the horrible husband she’d ended up chained to.

With a deep inhale he rose, careful to keep himself steady on his feet. The night was eerily quiet, the only sounds being thedistant hooting of an owl and the clang of the harbor bell. The flashing police lights sliced through the darkness, casting long, ominous shadows across the street.

“Have you been drinking tonight, Grant?”

“Do you need my license and registration?” Grant asked, avoiding the question.

Ethan flicked his eyes up from the notebook he’d flipped open. “No. Just answer the question.”

Grant heaved a sigh. “I had a few, but I’m fine.”

“Are you?”

“Did you pull me over just because you knew it was me?”

Ethan offered him a sarcastic smile as he flicked his gaze sideways. “I pulled you over because you were swerving. And I’m guessing you’ve had more than a few. What would make you get behind the wheel of a car after drinking that much? Especially when you have a driver.”