Page 104 of Sunkissed Colorado

“I called him.” Mom lifted her chin. “But even before that, you were his business. Six years together doesn’t just vanish into thin air.”

“He forfeited any rights when he lied to me and destroyed our company.”

“I can acknowledge I made some mistakes. Okay?”

“How big of you.”

Ian turned to my parents. “Javi, Eliza, I’m sorry about this. Please excuse me and Zandra for a moment.”

“I have nothing else to say to you.”

But he’d grabbed my elbow and was leading me back to the entryway. Ian knew the layout of my parents’ house well from his visits over the years.

As he led me into my father’s study, I shook him off. “I’m not doing this with you.”

“I know you’re mad. But I’m just here for a chance. We’ll be better this time around. Stronger. What we went through was just bumpy road on the way to our future.” He dropped his volume. “Help me with the loan I need, and you can come back to Chicago with me. We’ll be a team again.”

“Andthereit is. The truth. This is about money. It’s always been about money with you.”

“Part of the loan could be for an engagement ring. You know how happy that would make your mom.”

This man disgusted me. Standing this close to him made my skin crawl. How had I ever been foolish enough to give him myheart? “We are not a team. We have no future. There will be no loan, no ring, nothing that involves us. There is nous.”

He sneered. “You think you can do better than me?”

“Yeah, she fucking can.”

Callum stood in the doorway to my father’s study. Neither of us had heard the front door, but I guessed I’d been yelling loud enough that Callum had followed the sound.

How fast had he driven to get here? Had to be some kind of land-speed record.

He was wearing his ripped jeans, a Hearthstone Brewing T-shirt, and his backward cap. Looking more gorgeous than I’d ever seen him, like a low-key avenging angel who did not give one shit what anyone else thought.

Callum walked over to stand beside me, his fingertips resting on my arm with gentle reassurance. But the next words out of his mouth were nowhere near subtle. “We talked on Z’s phone weeks ago, Ian. I told you what would happen if you didn’t leave her alone.”

“You can’t seriously be with this guy, Zan.”

“I’m in his bed every night. I think that speaks for itself.” No matter where things stood between Callum and me, I wasn’t ashamed of anything we’d shared.

“I told you weeks ago,Ian,” Callum went on, as if there’d been no interruption, “that I’d have to make you cry.”

Ian’s mouth dropped open.

Callum took a few menacing steps toward Ian, making a low, threatening sound.

“Is hegrowling at me?” My ex’s incredulous eyes focused on me. “This is who you’d pick over me? Some Neanderthal?”

Defensiveness rose to gather in my throat. How dare he talk about Callum that way? “He’s one of the best men I’ve ever known. You don’t even rank.”

Ian held up his hands, a cruel smirk on his face. “Your parents are right. Your judgment is way off. Keep this up, and nobody with any standards is going towant you.”

Callum growled again.

“You might want to run now,” I said lightly. “I’m not sure he’s had his shots.”

Ian flinched. “I won’t be treated this way.”

“Good,” I snapped. “Then get back in your penis car and keep on driving.”