Page 229 of Modern Romance Collection December 2024 Books 5-8

A muscle tightened in his jaw. ‘He didn’t give me a chance. He followed me downstairs and punched me in the face and I lost my temper because it hurt and so I hit him back.’

He pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead. ‘Someone called Security and we both got hauled up in front of the dean and Harris said I started it.’

Sydney could hear the pain in his voice. ‘Why did he do that?’

‘I suppose he thought I’d slept with his girlfriend. The stupid thing is, if we’d both taken a step back things might have been different, but he was angry and I was too angry to back down.’ He tipped back his head. ‘I didn’t know how to back down, so I said a few stupid things and then a couple more just to make sure I messed things up real good and got myself kicked out.’

‘What happened to Carver?’

‘Nothing. He finished his degree. I didn’t see him again for years. Didn’t think I ever would but suddenly he was in New York and now our paths cross all the time. Not literally, just we run in the same circles, bid for the same contracts.’

‘He needs someone to put him right.’

Glancing down at her clenched fists, he almost smiled.

‘Yeah, but not you. I can deal with him.’ He unpeeled her fingers and slotted his hand into hers. She felt his gaze on her face. ‘I’m the bad guy here, remember? Bullying and buying my way out of trouble.’

She blinked. He was smiling now, that absurd, astonishing smile that made something tug loose inside. ‘I might have jumped to some wrong conclusions.’

‘I think we’re both guilty of that.’ He fell silent. ‘I miss my father,’ he said after a moment. ‘Weirdly, I miss Harris too. We were on the same page. I trusted him. But then it was like I was disposable.’ There was an ache to this voice then, and she knew why he had reacted in that moment. That punch was the culmination of abandonment, grief for everything he’d lost, all mixed up with the defiance of that small boy who’d had to take on all comers.

But it wasn’t vicious or punitive. Tiger could be ruthless and determined but, even in the beginning, he had shown restraint.

‘After that, I kind of shut down. I decided it was easier to “walk by my wild lone”.’ Catching sight of her face, he smiled stiffly. ‘It’s a quote from this book my grandmother used to read to me. It’s about why cats don’t trust dogs and why they keep their distance from humans. I guess I sympathise.’

‘You didn’t deserve any of what happened to you,’ she said slowly. ‘You didn’t do anything wrong. You were a child and your dad thought that meant your feelings were less important than his. But you also said he was adrift. Maybe love always seemed like a risk worth taking. Maybe he saw marriage as an anchor, for you as well as him.’

‘Maybe,’ he said slowly. ‘I think he wanted that; he just went about it all wrong. He kind of said that before he died but I wasn’t ready to listen.’

‘But you were there for him when he needed you.’

She squeezed his hand, and after a moment he pulled her closer, close enough that their foreheads were touching.

‘You know there’s not many businesses that could handle this kind of specialist equipment. HCI and McIntyre basically slug it out over the big contracts. That’s why we often end up going down the same path, so when I thought about who might be a buyer, I did think of Harris, but I thought you’d have to approach him. I didn’t think he was the person who’d set it in motion. Only then I saw your face change when you heard his name at the regatta.’

His mouth twisted. ‘I overreacted. I know I did. It was just a shock finding out that you were working with him but I shouldn’t have said what I did or fired you and I’m sorry.’

An apology. She stared up at him, mute and undone.

She shook her head, her eyes finding his. ‘For him, not with him. He said he needed somebody “ethically flexible”. A see-no-evil. Someone who would look the other way for the right price, and he knew all about my brothers, so I guess he thought I’d take the bait.’ Her mouth trembled. ‘And I did.’

‘Because you love your family. That’s a good thing, Sydney.’

‘But I did a bad thing, and I’m sorry, and I know that doesn’t change anything.’

‘No, it doesn’t.’ He reached up and touched her cheek. ‘But someone very smart and kind told me once that you can change how you think about the past.’

Their eyes locked and she held her breath, certain he would kiss her but instead he frowned.

‘You’re shivering.’ Reaching past her, he grabbed the throw and wrapped it around her shoulders. ‘Come on, you need to get inside.’

Neither of them felt the need to speak on the walk back to the villa but as they walked into the bedroom, he stopped in front of her, his golden eyes fixing on her, so intent and direct that she hurt inside. ‘What I said earlier about you being the hired help, I didn’t mean it. Well, maybe I did in the moment, but that’s not how I see you, and I don’t want you to go.’

‘I don’t want to go either. Staying is the only way I’m going to get my brothers a good lawyer.’ But that wasn’t the only reason she didn’t want to leave. She knew that. He did too. But she couldn’t admit to it, because it was just too terrifying. Tiger clearly felt the same way, as he pretended to be taking it seriously, pulling out his phone.

‘I can sort that out for you now.’

She shook her head. ‘No, I know you’re good for it.’

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