Page 132 of Perfume Girl

He clenched his jaw. “How much did they pay you?”

Unable to bear the thought that he suspected me of betraying him, all I could do was squeeze back tears. After all we’d shared and all we had done together, our passionate lovemaking that still had my body thrumming from his touch…

Yet all this time I had doubted him, too.

I held my hands together as though in prayer. “You think I stole it? I would never…”

He climbed into the Range Rover.

I ran over and rested my palm on his window. “Astor, you must believe me.”

The engine roared to life.

“Step back,” he mouthed.

I took several steps away from the curb and pressed my hand to my chest to ease the agony I was feeling as I watched him pull away and speed off. Drenched from the rain, I realized for the first time that I didn’t care about that scent at all.

Being with Astor had been enough.

All my life I had been trying to replicate that feeling of home…and for the first time I had felt it withhim.

Once again, I’d let happiness slip through my fingers. I’d lost everything.

IKEPT MY FOCUS ONthe road ahead, checking for debris in the path of my car and looking out for any animals that might need rescuing. The storm had left chaos around me—though this wasteland was nothing to how I felt inside.

I’d become vulnerable, ignored the warning signs that Raquel had another motive. I’d let my guard down and allowed her to get close. I’d welcomed her into my inner circle and she’d taken full advantage of my kindness.

Another hard lesson…Trust no one.

I searched for a distraction by listening to a business podcast and speaking to Caine, who was panting away on the backseat with his tail wagging.

An hour into our journey, I stopped off at a pet store to buy a few supplies for him. He needed a leash, food bowls, and a couple of toys to chew on as I drove us to the other side of the state. And we both needed to stretch our legs.

I planned to make inquiries about his ownership once I got home. Right now, this guy was keeping me company because that familiar loneliness had started to seep back into my soul. The same kind of loneliness I used to deny existed.

Beforeher. This betrayal felt like the cruelest strike.

I needed a reminder of how much she had wronged me so that I didn’t turn this damn car around. Tapping my coat pocket, I felt the ampoule. One whiff of that formula and the truth had come tumbling out.

Somehow, she’d stolen that perfume from the House of Beauregard.

Raquel’s deceit was unbearable because I had gotten closer to her than I had anyone else. She’d used my affection for her own ends…used it to infiltrate The House of Beauregard—and it had been me who had invited her in.

The journey back to South Beach was a blur.

The last place I wanted to be was Bridgestone. The origin of all my nightmares and the place I’d first mether.Still, I had responsibilities I couldn’t ignore.

I parked my Range Rover in front of the manor and climbed out, gazing toward the stables and wanting to head over to them and check on my horses. I couldn’t wait to see how they’d faired, especially Vedado. He was temperamental—any loud noises startled him and I hated the fact I’d not been here with him.

Still, as I looked over at the house, guilt made me a dutiful son.I should check on Mom.

I opened the back door and leaned in to attach the lead to Caine’s collar. With one light tug he leaped out of the car to join me. With the dog by my side, I took my usual route around the back of the vast manor, soon reaching the windblown garden with its ocean view beneath the dusky sunshine. The affects of the storm were minimal here, though a few larger plants had been pulled up by the roots.

Caine raised his leg and peed on a corner patch of flowers. I glanced up at the house to make sure no one caught it.

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the ampoule and again opened the stopper, breathing in the familiar scent and realizing my joy over its magnificence was spoiled. I’d been passionate over all the possibilities of what we could do with it, and now that excitement was tainted. I would have to choose my words carefully when I explained all of this to Penelope. She was so fragile I knew the thought of losing her precious scent would upset her. I had exposed my family to this…

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and made the call.