Page 13 of Secret Revenge

We hoped the secret file would contain something useful. What would someone hide behind that many layers of encryption?

I let my coffee cool before pouring Michael his own mug. I set it on the table beside him and picked up my purse.

“Alright, I’ll be heading out now. I had a long night.”

I cringed inwardly when Michael looked at me with narrowed eyes like he was about to ask about it, but he shook his head and focused his attention on his devices.

“Sleep well.”

I turned around, my face red from embarrassment, and walked out the door. It was obvious he suspected what had happened, but I was glad he had not tried to poke into it because I didnotwant to talk about it. Especially not now, as we were staring down Travis Ross’s mysterious secret.

I headed out the door with only one thought in my head:

I should not have slept with Travis Ross.

6

TRAVIS

Iwoke up to find my penthouse distressingly silent and empty. The silence and the emptiness of it had never bothered me before, but now it did.

If not for the clear ruffles on the bed beside me, I would have wondered if I had dreamt Emily’s presence the night before. I glanced around for a second, half expecting her to come out of the bathroom or something, but she didn’t. The whole place was silent.

So, she really left.

I sat up and swung my legs off the bed, massaging my head where a light headache was brewing. It was quite reckless of me, having a one-night stand like that. It was also out of character in every way, including the way that I held her. If it were just pure physical attraction, she might not have been so irresistible to me. But it was much more than that. I admired her work.

I allowed myself to be carried away by her company. The worst part was not that I had made a silly mistake…it was that I did not regret it, and I wanted to make it again.

I remembered keenly how she felt in my arms. I remembered how her face looked when she moaned my name into the night,her skin flushed with pleasure. I had been with my fair share of lovers, but the night before had been spectacular. There was some sort of tension between us that I could not name. It was as though our minds and bodies molded together like matching pieces of a puzzle. I had a sudden, awful certainty that I would not forget last night. Ever.

If it was rare for me to have a tryst, it was unheard of for me to wake up alone. My past lovers often lingered, hoping for more than just a night.

I didn’t delude myself into thinking that this was because I was such a good lover or even a good man. It was always because they wanted the benefits that came with hanging from a billionaire’s arm.

I didn’t blame them for this, but I never felt deep connections with such people and would end things immediately.

Still, I was not sure if I should be glad that Emily Skye proved different. The one woman who snuck out without saying goodbye, and I wanted her back.

My phone, beeping on my nightstand, drew me out of my thoughts and I picked it up. As I did so, I couldn’t help but notice the glass I drank from the night before was gone. I cocked my head to the side, perplexed.

Didn’t I put it there? Did I move it and forget? Was I that much of a mess last night? I didn’t have any cleaning staff scheduled to come in this morning, so unless someone else had been here…

No, that was ridiculous. I must have taken it back to the kitchen and forgotten.

I looked down at my phone in my hand as it continued to beep. The reminder on the screen made me shoot to my feet.

“Shit, I forgot!” I muttered, dashing to the shower and tossing my phone aside.

It was already noon and I had just woken up. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept so late.

And today of all days. Today was the day I had to pick up my cousins, Alexi and Leo Moustakas, from the airport.

I hadn’t seen the twins in years, but we had been close when we were younger. My closeness to my cousins and my brothers was the only thing that made my awful childhood somewhat bearable. My cousins had always had good heads on their shoulders, and it meant a lot to them that I greet them at the airport in person instead of sending a hired car to do it.

We were all grown men now, but I still felt that warmth and sense of brotherhood when I thought about them. The twins were coming to town because they had business here, and since it was convenient and would allow us all to reconnect, my brothers and I were moving back into the family villa to join them for the duration of their stay.

They were landing in an hour, and I wasn’t even ready yet. This wasn’t like me, and if they knew, they would all be asking if I was alright.