Page 50 of Playing My Rivals

“Yes, Dorothy. Can I help you with something?” My words come out clipped and cold.

I want to stand and go to her. Wrap her in my arms and beg her never to leave me, but my eyes dial in on that damn necklace. My stomach turns with wretched bile.

She notices where my eyes are and reacts by reaching up and cupping the locket in her hand. “Can I come in for a minute?”

Her presence threatens my heart. I flinch and swallow down my pain. “For what?”

“I wanted to see what’s bothering you.” She steps in and closes the door behind her.

“That locket is bothering me.”

“Why?”

“Because you refuse to tell me who gave it to you.” I stand and trudge toward her, praying my knees don’t give out. “What’s the significance?”

“I already told you what the significance is.” She retreats to the couch. “Who gave it to me doesn’t matter. I wear it?—”

“It does matter. Tell me who gave it to you.” My jaw ticks and my back goes rigid.

Her eyes narrow in defiance. “That doesn’t matter, Hunter. Why are you so focused on this?”

“Why don’t you tell me?”

I want to shake her and tell her I know, but I want to give her a chance to be honest with me. If she can do that, maybe I can let it go. I just want to understand why the woman I love is lying to me.

Please tell me so I can release this agony inside my heart.

“Let’s talk about this tonight, Hunter. I don’t want to do this in the office.” She starts to leave.

I step toward her. “Will you be ready to tell me the truth by then?”

She wraps her arms around her waist as her lips roll between her teeth.

Betrayal.

It’s all I need to know. I won’t be hearing the truth from her anytime soon.

I spit out my annoyance. “Until you’re ready to be honest with me, we have nothing more to talk about.”

Her eyes fill with hurt and confusion, and it’s enough to break me. I stomp to the window to get away from her. The door opens and I glance over my shoulder just in time to see her slip out of my office.

Fuck.

My arms crave to hold her. My lips long to touch hers. I want to run after her and make it better between us, but the image of her face when she opened that box from Jamison stabs me right between the eyes.

I grab a glass off the beverage stand and hurl it against the wall. It shatters into pieces, reflecting how my heart feels right now.

Why did I have to fall in love?

That thought is enough to send me home. I can’t be in the office with her and Jamison or else I’ll do something that will expose Dorothy’s and my relationship. I can’t risk her losing her job because if that happens, I’ll be sure to lose her too.

It’s five o’clock and I’m sitting at the bar in my building. Jody’s covering a shift for someone, so she’s been keeping me company as I drink my problems away.

“Why don’t you talk about it? Maybe I can give you some advice.” She pours a glass of water and pushes it to me across the bar.

“Get me another whiskey, please.” I eye the bottle on the shelf.

“Talking to a glass of alcohol isn’t going to help. Maybe I could offer something more enticing. My shift is over early tonight. We could work out some of your stress in our favorite way.”

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