Page 246 of The Morally Grey Billionaires Boxset

Declan

"There’s no way she’s getting back with you after this," Rick smirks.

"Fuck you, arsehole." I throw up my fist, but he evades me.

He rams his fist into my side, and I stagger back.

He follows it up by kicking my feet out from under me.

I go down, manage to roll as I hit the padded floor, then spring up.

He feints, and I move to the side, then land a blow to his stomach.

He coughs and slides back, recovers just as fast, and hits out.

I duck again, then land a punch in his shoulder.

It slows him down long enough for me to strike out again.

But he evades me. The two of us circle each other, panting, sweat sliding down my temples, my bare chest.

Rick bares his teeth. "For someone who’s been so focused on going after what he wants, you’ve sure made a mess of both your career and your personal life."

Anger thrums at my temples. My guts churn. She has a boyfriend. She has a fucking boyfriend. How didn’t I know about this? There has been no mention in the media or on her social network feeds. I'm not embarrassed to admit I’ve been stalking them. No, it's not possible.

"He can’t be her boyfriend," I say through gritted teeth. I’d been too shocked by her revelation; it's the only explanation for why I let that douchebag with her leave the building still alive. That, and the fact I couldn’t very well kill him in front of Solene.

And kill him, I will. "I’m going to flay his skin from his flesh, then cut off his dick and feed it to him and throw him down a ravine where he’ll never be found. "

Rick smirks. “You checked out his credentials before I confirmed him as her security detail.”

“And now, she claims he’s her boyfriend.” I curl my fingers into fists at my sides. “I’m going to kill him.”

This time, Rick bursts out laughing. Bastard cackles like I cracked a joke.

"The fuck is wrong with you?" I leap forward, knowing he’s provoking me, knowing I’m going to make a mistake, knowing I need to keep my calm so I can decide on a course of action.

I know it, but that doesn’t stop me from throwing up my fists.

He easily sidesteps then punches my side, following it up with another.

When I stagger back, he kicks my legs out, and I hit the floor.

This time, I stay down. "Fucking freestyle." I pant.

"You can say that again. Good thing your face is off limits, else I’d have knocked you out."

"Keep dreaming."

He shakes the sweat from his face, then holds out his hand. I grip it, and he hauls me to my feet. "Seriously though, what are you going to do about it?"

"What you’re going to have to do is apologize to her and ask her very politely to star in your next movie." Giorgina’s voice reaches me from the doorway. As one, Rick and I turn to find her gliding across the floor and toward the padded ring in the center of the gym.

"The fuck is she wearing?" Rick growls.

I take in the skirt suit she has on and shrug. "Seems fine to me."

"It’s too fucking short."

"Huh?" I narrow my gaze on her, then nod. "That’s what I told Solene."

"That’s why she decided she was with Finn?"

"That arsewipe was your choice," I growl.

He nods. "Which is why what you said earlier, before you lost your cool and attacked, is true."

"Didn’t lose my cool."

He scoffs.

"And what did I say, anyway?"

"That he can’t be her boyfriend."

"Huh?" I pause. "I’m not following."

"Me neither." Giorgina walks up to the platform, then tilts up her chin. "How could you make such a mess of things?"

"For once, we agree." Rick smirks.

Giorgina flicks a glance in his direction.

Her gaze sweeps over him, and her cheeks heat.

For his part, Rick goes completely still.

Tension coils under his muscles. Something thickens the air between them.

Jesus. Apparently, there's something there. Something I wasn’t sure I noticed before.

Not that I care. This is their problem. I have enough on my fucking mind, with my woman swanning around town on another man’s arm.

"The fuck are you talking about? Care to cut out the games and spit it out?" I glare at Rick.

He manages to stop eye-fucking my PR manager long enough to say, "He has a boyfriend."

"Who does?"

He tugs on the knot of the laced-up glove with his teeth, then pulls it off.

"Finn."

"The fuck is Finn?"

Despite not having taken a hit to the head, my brain cells are clearly not firing properly, for Giorgina gets it first. "Her so-called new boyfriend."

I scowl at her. "How do you know?”

"It’s my job to know these things before anyone else. Also, social media." Giorgina waves her phone at me.

“And"—I turn to Rick—"he’s interested in men?"

"He is,” Rick confirms.

“Hmm." I unlace my gloves and drop them on the floor, before moving forward and snatching up her phone. There, on the screen, is a picture of that motherfucker Finn with his arm around Solene, shielding her from paps as they walk into a restaurant. The headline screams:

Solene with new beau. Is this the end for #Declene?

Tension grips my shoulders, and I squeeze the phone with such force the cover cracks.

Giorgina yelps. “Hey, don’t destroy my phone.”

I glare at Rick. "Either way, he’s a man and he has his arm around her."

"He was doing his job, protecting her from the paps," Rick offers.

"That’s my—" I firm my lips.

"Your?" Rick asks with great interest.

I show him my middle finger, and he smirks while shaking his head. "Can’t believe you fell for that."

"I had no reason to believe otherwise." I lean over the ropes and hand the device back to her.

"Guess you really pissed her off, huh?" Giorgina narrows her gaze on me.

"Fuck!" I unwind the boxing tape from around my fingers, then hurl it to the ground. "Fucking fuck."

Rick and Giorgina exchange glances.

"What?" I snap.

Rick rolls his shoulders, then shakes out his arms. "You’re not going to like this."

"Spit it out, man."

"Giorgina and I spoke—"

I scoff. "For the first time, I suppose.”

He flushes a little, and when I glance at Giorgina, she looks away.

Apparently, they’ve spoken more than just about me. Hmm. The two of them definitely have the hots for each other. Again, not my concern.

"Go on," I jerk my chin in his direction.

"You need to speak with Solene," he finally murmurs.

"You think?"

"And ask her to—ah—"

"You need to ask her to get back in a relationship with you," Giorgina bursts out.

"What makes you think I haven’t asked?"

"A fake relationship."

I shake my head. "Hold on. I need to ask her to pretend we’re in a relationship?”

"Exactly so."

I squat down and tug on my hair. "You do realize the two of us have a checkered past when it comes to fake relationships? We met when I pretended to be engaged to her sister. Then I pretended to be engaged to someone else in order to make her hate me. And clearly, I succeeded all too well, for now she’s pretending to be in a relationship with someone else. "

"But you’ve never faked being in love with each other," Giorgina points out.

I lower my hands. "That’s because I don’t need to pretend."

She stiffens. So does Rick.

"So, you’re finally admitting that—"

"I love her? Of course I do. Why the hell else would I turn my life upside down?"

Giorgina’s features soften. "Aww, that’s so sweet."

I wince. "Not the word I’d use in connection with me."

"Beneath all that bluster, you’re a softie. Unlike—" She stabs her thumb in Rick’s direction.

"Hold on, what do I have to do with this?"

"You provide an interesting benchmark, is all," she sniffs.

"I beg your pardon?" He scowls.

"Oh, my god, can you pull out that stick from up your ass and advise your friend?" she cries.

Rick looks taken aback. "What did I do?"

"Nothing, and that’s the problem." She stamps her foot. My normally calm and collected PR manager actually stamps her foot. "As for you, Declan. You’re my client, we’ve worked together for many years, and I think I know you well enough to say you can’t afford to lose her.

You need to find a way to convince her to take you back and you two need to do this movie.

You need each other. #Declene is magic. Break it up, and there’s nothing. "

Turning, she walks out.

In the silence that follows, I lay back on the boxing ring floor and stare up at the ceiling. Not that there are any answers there.

Rick leans over me. "I wouldn’t agree with that women if it were a life and death situation, but in this case, I’m afraid she’s right."

I groan. "The fuck am I gonna do now?"

Rick throws himself on the floor next to me. "What’s the one thing that will make her agree?"