Page 125 of My Ruthless Opponent

I tense. “New York? Maybe it’s about some unfinished assignments.” I tell more to myself than her. Because I know there are no unfinished projects from New York that needs to be discussed over a video conference.

Whenever someone mentions New York, my entire body freezes. It’s where my secrets are buried.

Perhaps I am overthinking again.

She shrugs. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?” She gestures to my back with a tipped chin.

I glance behind me and every worry, every thought fades away when I see him emerging from the resort. He descends the stairs, nodding and smiling at others.

He is in a denim shirt and black jeans.

Chris runs off to him and stops him. I can’t hear their conversation that’s why my jaw drops when Raleigh begins unbuttoning his shirt.

Mia joins them after a couple of seconds with a floral shirt in hand.

He shrugs it on and buttons it. Shaking his head at the oohs and aahs from the audience while doing so.

Everyone is enjoying the show.

Meanwhile, my hand goes up to the flower tucked behind my ear, then to my layered necklace, suddenly nervous about my appearance.

My eyes flick up and clash with his. Again, I forget what I was doing when I see him striding straight toward me.

Was Raleigh always this hot? The raw masculine aura he carries whenever he enters a room makes everyone stop whatever they are doing just to watch him.

Raleigh Jackson is exceptionally handsome. With his tall, built figure, the yummy tan, and the longish dark hair, he is easily every woman’s wet dream.

He closes the distance between us and cups my nape in a possessive grip, his other hand grabbing my hip. “Miss me?”

I give him a shy nod, heat flooding my cheeks at the zing of electricity shooting through me at his touch.

Raleigh’s eyes sweep over my face before they fall on the plunging neckline of my crop top. “Beautiful.” Then he kisses me softly on the lips. My heart does a little backflip.

When he pulls away, his eyes are still soft but they seem dull. The desire is there. But it doesn’t appear bright like last night. Is he unhappy because we won? Or is he regretting last night?

But he left a note for me this morning. It has to mean something, right? Or am I growing soft for him?

Maybe it’s about my win. He lost. And it is affecting him. I can tell.

I rest my palms on his chest, silently trying to communicate… what, I don’t know.

“RJ,” Someone calls out. I frown when he takes his eyes off mine to answer the intruder with something that escapes my ears. I am not paying attention to anything else. Just him.

When his gaze returns to my face, my lips stretch into a smile.

“I’ll be back,” He releases me and I manage to keep the smile intact and ignore the twisting of my stomach when he leaves me.

For the next hour, I watch him. I try to mingle around but my eyes always stray from the person beside me to wander until they land on him.

The more I stared at him, the more it was apparent that he was not his usual self.

He was barely smiling. And whenever he did, it was strained.

Raleigh moved and my eyes moved with him. I saw his tense posture and the way he looked exhausted.

Brielle breaks into loud laughter, making me jump. I try to focus on the conversation. I last only a few minutes before finding myself turning my head to glance at Raleigh again, just in time to see him excusing himself.

He then begins walking back to the resort. I will him to turn around to look at me. He doesn’t.

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