Page 16 of Filthy Rich Temptation

‘It is if you’re wishing Axel was the man she’d put in your place.’

‘I didn’t say I wished?—’

She clenches her hands together in her lap, her stress ripping through me, and I give up on the semantics of it. She needs the truth. A version of it at least.

‘Can you blame me, Sadie? Seriously?’

‘Wow,’ she scoffs, ‘I think I preferred it when you were at least trying to deny it.’

‘Axelisthe guy who should be looking out for you. He’s the one with the security company. He’s the one who used to work the doors long before he became the top dog. If any one of us should be keeping you safe from that piece of shit, it’s him.’

But above all, Axel’s not the one haunted by the ghost of her mouth on his – by the one kiss that never should have happened and the thousand I haven’t stopped imagining since.

That wasn’t to say Axelwouldn’timagine it though, given a chance. Imagine itandact on it. And thatthought doesn’t make me feel any better either.

‘Are you saying you’re not up to the task?’

She looks at me now, eyes lit with challenge, a teasing glint that slices straight through to my pride. She’s testing me – my ability, my masculinity – and damn if my body doesn’t bristle at the idea while thriving on her sudden fire.

‘I’m saying that of the two of us, Axel is the more obvious choice.’

‘Well, when you put it like that…’ she says, lips twisting wryly.

‘Not to mention you could’ve just as easily gone to Taylor’s. It blows my mind she sent you to me when she has a place in the city big enough for you both. I know she’s away a lot, but Axel would’ve put someone on you twenty-four-seven if need be.’

And just like that, the fire in her dies, and I know I’ve hit another nerve. Big mouth!

‘Look Sadie, it’s?—’

‘She didn’t tell you?’ she says quietly, her left knee starting to bob.

‘Tell me what?’

‘Why she didn’t want me with her…’

‘She told me that you didn’t want to risk Danny beating down her door. That you couldn’t cope with her fussing, too.’

She’s nodding but her knee keeps jigging.

‘What else is there?’ Because I know there’s more; I’ve known it all along. But when Taylor asks for a favour, I do it. No question. ‘Sade?—’

‘She didn’t tell you that we fought?’

‘What— no? When?’

She wrings her hands, shakes her head. ‘It doesn’t matter. Not any more.’

‘It does if you’re still?—’

‘Sorry to interrupt, sir,’ Shaun says from the front. ‘But we’re here. Do you want me to pull over?’

No. I want to tell him to keep driving until I get the whole sorry tale out of Sadie, but I know that’d probably freak her out even more.

‘Please, Shaun.’ I look back at her. ‘We’ll pick this up later.’

‘There’s nothing to pick up,’ she says, avoiding my eye. ‘It was a stupid argument. It happened a long time ago. She said some things. I said some things. And things haven’t been the same since. I doubt they ever will be. End of story.’

The car rolls to a stop, and she quickly moves to unbuckle her seatbelt, her fingers electrifying my hip as she fumbles over the button. ‘Now can we get out of here, please?’