Page 46 of Bitter Secrets

Her eyes flicked to his tidy desk, which was a far cry from the organized mess she made when she was working. She liked knickknacks—pretty paperweights, ceramic figurines, and something that moved like a Newton’s cradle or dancing flower. The only decorative thing on his desk was a fancy fountain pen beside a blank notepad. Everything was Spartan and orderly.

“I’ve seen the evidence of that for myself. Your takeover of Hennessy & Co was quick and efficient. My sisters didn’t know you were quietly acquiring shares until it was too late. You checkmated me into a convenient marriage within a month of seeing me in Colorado. And those are the things I know about.” She paused before she said, “I assume you purchased your office space some time ago. Even with your resources, real estate in that location is sought-after and extremely limited.”

He made no comment, but waited with his fingers loosely intertwined. His gaze never wavered from hers.

“You never let on that you had an issue with your mother.”

“I don’t.” At her look of patent disbelief, he amended, “I don’t bear any ill will for her.”

“But she doesn’t feel the same way about you,” she said slowly.

“No.” When she eyed him expectantly, he elaborated, “I thought the years we spent apart and her recovery in New York would alter her opinion of me. Apparently not.”

“What is her opinion of you?”

He sat back in his chair. “Why don’t you tell me?”

His calm delivery would deceive most into believing he felt nothing, but one look into his black marble eyes told her she was staring at a seething inferno dressed in a fine suit. This was her chance to get the answers she so desperately wanted, but a small voice in the back of her mind warned her to proceed with caution.

“You’ve seen your mother twice in a decade. She doesn’t know the man you’ve become, yet the first thing she asked was if I was being forced to marry you.” Her hands balled into fists in the crook of her arms to stop herself from pacing. “How could she know you were capable of such a thing? Have you done this before?”

His expression didn’t alter in the slightest.

“Is that it?”

Violent fantasies danced through her mind as she eyed him balefully. “Why is your mother afraid of you?”

“Why are you afraid of me?”

Her spine cracked as she stiffened. “I’m not.”

“No?”

A chill ran down her spine. Just a simple note in his voice could change the mood and trigger her flight instinct. It took considerable effort to stop herself from looking at the open doorway and freedom.

“You’re not afraid of me? Come here.”

“I’m fine where I am.”

He didn’t push. He didn’t have to. He knew her pride would compel her to go to him. She inwardly swore a blue streak as she crossed the room and stopped just out of reach.

“I’m not afraid,” she said defiantly and hissed when he gripped her hips.

“You are,” he said as he pulled her between his spread thighs. “But I promised I wouldn’t hurt you, and I won’t.”

When she maintained her rigid stance, his hands moved down her sides, shaping her body.

“What else did she say, princess?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were estranged?” she burst out. “You let me call her to introduce myself before we got married at the courthouse, and you didn’t say a thing when I reached out to her during the holidays.”

“You were desperate for family after Maximus disowned you. She was civil during the calls, so I didn’t interfere. I thought she’d changed.”

“Changed fromwhat?”

There were so many secrets in that bottomless obsidian.

“Does this have anything to do with your dad?” she ventured.

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