Page 80 of Without Regret

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

Emma

I woke up the next morning feeling lighter. As Simon had maintained, giving Trevor a piece of my past had relieved me of this heaviness I’d been carrying. I wasn’t sure where this relationship was heading, but staying in Dallas and being with him filled me with a sense of hope I’d never had before.

I was at the office early, happy it was Friday and excited for the weekend. Trevor and I planned to drive up to Austin, where he’d gone to university, so he could show me around. I looked forward to learning more about him and maybe seeing where he’d gotten his tattoo.

“Where is Simon?” Tom inquired, coming into the office as though he owned the place.

I’d only just arrived, but I thought it obvious Simon wasn’t here yet. “I don’t know.”

“Perhaps he’s with Trevor. Do you think they’re comparing notes about you?”

One of Tom’s favorite digs missed the mark by a mile every time. In his mind, Simon and I had at some point been romantic. He wouldn’t be the first to assume that. Now he was hoping I would bite. I didn’t.

“What do you want, Tom?” I was exasperated by him. And repulsed. Although eight years ago I could’ve called him handsome, I no longer considered him so. Funny how much the character of a person could make one ugly.

“Interesting question. What do I want? It’s simple, really. You on your knees sucking me off would be a good starter.” He leaned in for a whisper. “Just for old time’s sake.”

Memories of being nineteen and eager to please him came flooding back, making me gag. Of course I hadn’t known Tom was married when he’d started to show interest. I’d gone willingly into his tangled web of deceit. So eager for attention, so young, and so fucking stupid.

“Not happening. And we had a deal.” He was never to bring up our past with me or anyone else in exchange for me not telling his wife about me or the dozens of other women with whom he’d cheated on her over the years.

“Your threats about telling my wife won’t work with me anymore. At this point, she could find out that I slept my way through half of Manhattan and it won’t change the divorce settlement. So the question is what incentive do I now have for keeping secrets, sugar.”

The way Tom dropped the term of endearment only Trevor used made my skin crawl. But worse was the realization that he no longer had a motive for keeping his mouth shut about our past. “What do you want?”

He moved closer, causing me to stiffen. I flinched when his hand covered mine and snatched it back as though I’d been burned.

“I want you back in my bed. And you want Trevor working here. No reason for him to find out our dirty secret. Just one more you’re keeping from him.”

Acid burned down the back of my throat. I doubted Tom had the influence with his uncle to get Trevor fired, but I didn’t doubt he’d attempt it. “Are you trying to blackmail me?”

His smirk made me envision punching it off his face. “Such a dirty word. You used to be much more creative with them.”

“What’s going on here?” Trevor’s voice boomed from the doorway, making both Tom and me jump.

I swallowed hard, watching the man I loved try to take in the scene. No doubt my face was white and Tom’s was smug. He spoke first.

“I was simply offering Emma a choice. One I want her to think long and hard about right this very moment.”

And then it occurred to me. This had been Tom’s plan all along. To be able to tell Trevor about us. To watch his words destroy the new relationship we’d been building.

“Emma?” Trevor saying my name made me wish I could shrink into the floor.

Instantly, I regretted not having confided in him last night about my worst mistake. I’d thought to protect him, believing if he knew about me sleeping with Tom eight years ago, their working relationship would be compromised. I’d naively thought Tom wouldn’t bring it up for fear his own marriage would be affected. But I’d been wrong.

For better or worse, the choice to tell Trevor now was taken out of my hands when Simon came out of his office. He surprised us all.

His jaw was clenched, his gaze focused on Tom. “What’s going on seems to be Tom giving Emma a choice between sleeping with him or letting him go to his uncle and ruin your career prospects at the Stone Group. That’s what I overheard, right, Tom?”

My eyes went wide, trying to rewind and figure out what Simon would’ve overheard.

Tom turned bright red.

I didn’t expect Trevor to launch himself at Tom with a well-placed punch to his face. “You son of a bitch.”

Oh, God. I was going to be sick. The sound of his fist hitting flesh echoed in the room.

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