“You’ve seen me nearly every day since you’ve been here, Mark,” she countered. He’d popped up everywhere. The coffee shop she frequented after her daily run. The mall where she’d gone to buy new bed linen. If he didn’t see her out and about, he came to the house for a coffee.
She could add ‘stalkerish’ to the list of adjectives she had to describe him.
“I know, but not like this. We should have met up at the start, dated for real again so I could show you how much you mean to me, but I knew you wouldn’t want to do that. You’re so stubborn sometimes,” he chided. “And I only ever want what’s best for you.”
She frowned at him then took a sip of her juice when the barman placed a chilled glass before her. “I don’t need you to decide what’s best for me, Mark. That’s your problem. You want too much from me. You expect too much, and it’s never for me to just be myself.”
His eyes widened at what must have seemed like an unexpected attack.
Unlike with James, with whom she attacked first and enjoyed the battle that triggered between them, Hannah always maintained the peace with Mark. It was easier, and the arguments between them rarely ended happily. With James, they laughed it off. Mark sulked. And she hated sulkers.
Her words had Mark tugging at his collar. “That’s not fair, Hannah.”
“Isn’t it?” She shrugged. “It’s how I feel. It’s one of the many reasons why I left.”
“Many reasons?” He blinked at her. “I thought this was…”
Her brow puckered. “You thought it was what?”
“I thought you arranged all this so that I’d come follow you here and propose. You’ve made me work for it, certainly,” he retorted, his teeth gritting a little. He’d come onto her several times while they were here, and that was the last thing she’d wanted.
After James, well, she never wanted Mark again.
Jeez. Why would she?
One night with James wasn’t enough to turn her into a nun because no man could ever compare, so why bother, but it would keep her strong for a little while longer.
Memories sometimes tasted better than reality.
And the reality with Mark was… well, unimpressive. She hadn’t slept with him for a long time. Had used her period as an excuse, and had even taken to using work as a reason to stay at the office long into the night. That was probably one of the reasons why she’d done so well recently with her contracts. So many hours spent avoiding Mark, so she wouldn’t have to put out…
Hell, she was almost ashamed of herself. Why had she stayed for so long? What an idiot she’d been.
At his words, though, she shook her head. It didn’t surprise her that he’d totally misread her signals. Mark never listened. That was his problem. If he’d listened when she’d left, he’d have heard the finality to her tone, and if he had, these past weeks, while still complicated, would have been a hell of a lot simpler.
“Marrying you was the last thing on my mind, Mark,” she told him simply. It wasn’t good for his ego, but his ego was healthy anyway.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Hannah. Marriage has always been on the cards for us. This little detour was just a final rebellion, that’s all. I’ve allowed it, because I think it only right you know how much you mean to me, but it’s definitely time for the game to be over. It’s run its course now.”
“A final rebellion?” she scoffed, not even bothering to deal with the rest of the shit he’d just uttered. The last thing she needed was an ulcer, and his audacity was so irritating, it was enough to make her want to shoot back a bottle of Pepto Bismol like it was a chaser.
Before she could say another word, he cut her a look then one at the barman who was, without doubt, listening in. “I think I’d prefer for this conversation to happen somewhere more private, Hannah.”
Because she didn’t exactly want staff listening in either, she conceded with a nod. Sliding off the stool, she reached for her glass and carried it with her. In silence, they crossed the bar and headed back to the reception, where an elevator was waiting for them.
Fortuitous, or a death knell, she didn’t know.
Unease crawled through her yet again, but she owed Mark this much.
Apparently, she’d not done that great a job at breaking up with him before. Although how the words, “This is over. I’m moving three thousand miles away,” could be misconstrued, she really didn’t know. The man still thought they were dating, for crying out loud. Worse, on the brink of marriage! What the hell did she have to do to make him realize the end was more than just nigh, it was already fait accompli?
Silence was their companion as they soared high to the tenth floor, and it continued as they headed down to his room at the end of the hall.
Only when the door was closed behind him did she feel like speaking, but with that door firmly shut, she regretted, more than ever, the need to be in here with him.
Before he could speak, she murmured, “Just a second, Mark.” She grabbed her phone from her small clutch purse. “I need to text Aidan; I just remembered he asked me to run an errand for him today and I forgot.” Though he looked displeased, he just ducked his chin in understanding.
Aidan, James, I’m really sorry to ask, but I’m in the Aviary Hotel downtown. Room 1098. Please could you come get me? It’s kind of urgent. I’m with Mark and I don’t think he’s going to take this conversation lying down.
I really appreciate it.
H x
A sigh of relief washed through her once the group text flickered to ‘delivered’, and she knew she could face this conversation with the knowledge either Aidan or James, or both, would be on their way for her soon.
Damn, why hadn’t she prearranged that before?
She’d have been in a stronger position, but the truth was, she knew James would have done his level best to prevent any kind of conversation going down between her and Mark, period. And though he was creeping her out, Mark deserved closure.
Mark obviously still thought he could manipulate her into going back out with him, and she was about to show him that wasn’t the case.
“I should never have let you leave Florida,” he declared the minute she popped her phone back into her purse.
Her brows rose. “There’s no letting me do anything, Mark. It’s my life, and I can do whatever I want. That’s the joy of being an adult.”
He shook his head. “Your trouble is, Hannah, you don’t know what you want. When you told me you’d quit, I was astonished. Hardly two years after college, you’d managed to create a client list that most execs with ten years on the job would be jealous about. But, rather than ride that gravy train, you jump ship. You’re flighty. I always knew it, and should have gone further to address the issue. It’s to my own detriment I didn’t.”
She scowled at him, not liking his tone. “My partners don’t have to address my issues. I’m not flighty, Mark. I’m trying to find the right path for me. Being a marketing exec isn’t my be all and end all. It isn’t what I want to do.”
“No? So why go freelance? You told me that’s the business you’re starting.”
“Yeah, it is, but I intend to have completely different clients to the ones I was dealing with in the past.” Hayward & White had been directed at the sports and leisure industry. That wasn’t where her heart was, even if her brain was damn good at picking up clients from that particular sector.
“What do you want to deal with?” Mark asked, then scoffed, “Are you going to let nepotism get in your way and ask your brother for help?”
She shrugged. “Yes.” She’d realized that first day back home that they needed someone like her. What they were doing at Arias was incredible. Equal rights should have been a basic part of company infrastructure, yet it wasn’t. She wanted to publicize that fact that if a massive conglomerate like Arias could do it, then so could everyone else. She was only waiting on her business being properly set up before she approached Aidan about it.
Mark gawked at her like he didn’t r
ecognize her, though. Like she was admitting to stealing babies or something. “What the hell? Hannah, it’s like you’ve changed overnight.”
Her phone buzzed. Mark’s eyes darkened and she didn’t dare answer the cell. It was either Adian or James, maybe telling her they were outside and waiting or that they couldn’t make it. She’d been pretty shitty by dumping them in this at the last minute. But she guessed, inadvertently, it was a way of measuring how much she meant to James. Not that she’d set this craziness up for that, but hell, a woman had to use every situation to her advantage when it came to men like James Arias.
“I didn’t change quickly enough for you, Mark, that’s all this is,” she retorted, finding strength in the fact she could and had butted heads with James many times. If she could do that, then she could do anything. “You wanted me to be a certain way, and I can never conform to that.” She shrugged, then felt relief flood her when her cell stopped ringing. “That’s on you, not on me.”
Mark stalked toward her, his eyes flashing. “This isn’t how it was supposed to be, Hannah.”
“No? How was it supposed to be, Mark? Me, your perfect kind of Stepford wife?” She shook her head. “That was never me. If you couldn’t see that, or read it in me, then you don’t know me. You never did. And you never had me if you failed to see how I really am.”
James had managed to. He’d seen the real her. Had known it, probably better than she had herself.
James jolted her from her thoughts because, out of nowhere, his pace sped up. Before she knew what was happening, Mark was there, in front of her. She didn’t have time to even gasp when he’d pinned her to the wall, his hands settling at her hips, so he could rock his groin against hers. Bewildered anger flushed her as she started to hit him in the chest, demanding he let her loose.
“What the hell are you d—” She couldn’t get the words out because suddenly, his mouth was on hers, and he was thrusting his tongue between her lips.
“You’re mine,” he whispered, and she felt like puking as she recognized his ‘let’s get it on’ voice. “Not James Arias’. Nobody’s but mine,” he said, his tone attempting to be seductive, but, if anything, unappealing, because she’d never been his, she realized.
She’d always been James'. Even if she’d never admitted it to herself before now. Always without James having a clue.
That was the last straw.
“Mark!” she demanded. “Get the hell off me!”
He ignored her, instead, bowed his head and began nipping and suckling at her neck. He knew that was her go-to happy spot, and irritation rather than need flushed through her.
Why was he trying to turn her on?
Why the hell wasn’t he listening to her?
She stopped struggling, stopped writhing against the wall because it wasn’t getting anywhere, and if she wasn’t mistaken, the motion was exciting him because he thought she was into this.
Hell, if he didn’t stop soon, she’d puke over him.
That was one way to let him know she was pregnant, she guessed.
At her stillness, Mark moaned against her throat, “I knew you liked it like this. I knew it. I should never have held back.” His words were feverishly spoken into her throat, and they made her upper lip snarl with rage.
And that was when two things happened.
One, she kneed him in the balls. His words demanded no less.
Two, the door to the room caved in.
When her eyes clashed with James and Aidan’s, relief flooded her. It took her a second to realize that Mark was clutching his groin and writhing on the floor, which meant his hands were busy elsewhere and not on her.
“I’m nobody’s, certainly not yours. I’m not a possession!” she yelled at Mark. “Why do you never listen? No means no!”
James stormed across the room and gathered her in his arms while Aidan grabbed his cellphone and made a call. Within seconds, she realized he was calling the cops, and though she wanted this to be over, and didn’t want to press charges, she knew there was no convincing Aidan or James otherwise.
With a sigh, she sagged into James’ strength. “Thank you for coming but he didn’t do anything. The cops aren’t necessary,” she whispered into his chest.
A cocktail of emotions was battering her. Relief that he was here—that both of them were here. Astonishment that Mark hadn’t stopped when she’d demanded it of him.
Would he have taken it as far as forcing her to sleep with him?
From the confines of James’ strong embrace, she peered down at the man she’d been living with for the past eighteen months.
She couldn’t believe that of him, but he hadn’t stopped when she’d asked. That meant something. Nothing good.
“Just you let us handle this,” James told her softly, nuzzling his chin against her temple. With a sigh, she pressed herself deeper into James' arms, but she barely had time to settle there before Aidan was grabbing a hold of her and hugging her tightly. There must have been some silent man-speak going on overhead because after the transfer of her from one set of arms to the other was complete, James strode the few steps to Mark, bent down, and to her amazement, picked him up by his collar.
Was that even possible?
Then, she ignored her own stupid question because she’d just seen it with her own eyes. It was very possible. And her lover, the father of her child, was more than capable of protecting her from idiots who didn’t understand that no meant no.
A small part of her was smugly satisfied when she saw Mark’s reaction to James’ strength—sheer terror.
“You piece of shit,” he snapped, punching Mark square in the nose.
“James, no!” she cried out, struggling from Aidan’s taut clasp around her when she realized how far James was going to take this—she knew from Aidan how James felt about men who assaulted women. James' father was a control freak who had his wife close to a nervous breakdown with all his demands.
This was classic transference, and it totally wasn’t necessary.
“Aidan! Dammit! Stop him,” she demanded when she realized James' rage was only growing. “I handled it. He wouldn’t have raped me.” At least, she didn’t think Mark would have. “And I had it under control.”
“He scared you,” James growled out. “You were shivering in my arms.”
“Of course, I was! It came as a shock,” she argued.
“James,” Aidan bit off begrudgingly.
“What?” came the snarled retort.
“Leave him alone.” Aidan breathed heavily.
Her brother’s words had her relaxing a little, but James, as if not hearing them snapped, “He was going to rape you, Hannah!”
“You think I failed to spot that?” she snapped back. “I was there. You weren’t. Look, let’s just leave this… Let’s just go.”
“We can’t. I called the cops,” Aidan pointed out.
She closed her eyes and buried her face in her hands. “How has this grown so complicated?”
Aidan snapped, “You should never have come to his room.”
“Why the fuck not?” she snarled back, her weariness disappearing in the face of her brother’s arrogant assertion. “I had no intention of sleeping with him, but if I’d wanted to, I would have. I’m an adult, Aidan. I don’t need your approval to do a damn thing.”
He glowered at her. “How can you be so goddamn in my face over this after what nearly happened?”
“It didn’t happen, did it? You two arrived after he was on the floor. I’d protected myself, defended myself, because that’s what I had to do, and I’d do it again and again.” She clenched her teeth. “Don’t come in here all high and mighty thinking I’m in the wrong. The man deserved closure. He deserved for me to tell him we were over in private. Not in some damn bar where the waitstaff could hear him getting dumped.” She let out a hissed breath. “I am not in the wrong here. And you making out that I am isn’t improving my mood.”
Aidan glared at her, but James was the one who
spoke. He was still panting from the exertion of containing his temper, and it probably made her a Neanderthal to admit that that turned her on so badly, she could have jumped on him. Brother and ex be damned.
“She’s right, Aidan,” he said, breaking into her lusty thoughts with words that stunned the shit out of her because she’d expected him to be firmly on her brother’s side. “It’s not our place to make comment,” James said as he released Mark.
“How can you say that?” Aidan demanded. “She put herself in needless danger.”
“She was doing the right thing, and it backfired on her, but she handled herself well.” He met Hannah’s stormy gaze. “You did, Hannah.”
She nodded at him. “I know I damn well did,” she snapped, firming her chin and lifting it high in the air. Her annoyance wasn’t aimed at him though. If anything, she still wanted to crawl all over him, and maybe he saw that because a fire began to burn in his eyes.
“You need another spanking.”
Her mouth fell open in astonishment.
“You did not just say that,” she whispered on a hiss, shooting her befuddled brother a glance.
When James just winked at her, she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or to freakin’ cry.
Chapter 12
Wherever Hannah had expected to be the next day, it certainly wasn’t James’ home.
She’d been here before, of course. To his luxurious mountainside mansion that would have had a Bond villain cooing in delight. But there were parts that even people considered family didn’t approach, and that was where they were now.
His private dining room.
Because yes, when you were a billionaire, you had a public and a private dining room in your home.
It was obscene, she thought, but kind of exciting too.
Aidan wasn’t as extravagant as James, so though her brother was rich, he spent it differently. Not that his house wasn’t swank, it just wasn’t like this. That was the difference between a wealth that was earned and one that was inherited, she guessed. Not that James hadn’t earned a fortune on his own too, but having been born with it, he’d never had the fear of loss that most people did.
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